The Big Apple
About Archives Categories Index Search
About Archives Categories Index Search

March 17, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Plandemic (plans + pandemic)

"Plandemic" (plans + pandemic) is a portmanteau word that can mean a lot of plans. "Yet currently we are experiencing a 'plandemic' — a proliferation of plans" was…

July 31, 2008
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Planet Albany

Albany is the capital of New York State and is about a three-hour drive up the Hudson River from New York City. Many commentators have complained that the spendthrift legislators in Albany are so…

August 5, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Planned Barrenhood (Planned Parenthood nickname)

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood has been nicknamed "Planned Barrenhood" by those who…

August 3, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Planned Butcherhood (Planned Parenthood nickname)

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood has been nicknamed "Planned Butcherhood" because of its…

July 15, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Planned Frankenhood (Planned Parenthood nickname)

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. "Planned Frankenhood" is an infrequent nickname for the organization that…

November 15, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Planned Predators (Planned Parenthood nickname)

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. A Washington (DC) Times editorial on December 4, 2003 opposing Planned Parenthood was…

March 20, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Plannedemic (planned + pandemic)

"Plandemic" (plans + pandemic) is a portmanteau word that can mean a lot of plans. "Yet currently we are experiencing a 'plandemic' — a proliferation of plans" was…

November 11, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

PLINO (Pro-Life In Name Only)

PLINO (Pro-Life In Name Only or Pro-Lifer In Name Only) is a spinoff term from the earlier RINO (Republican In Name Only). "RINO" is cited in print from 1992; ""PLINO" is…

June 6, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

PMSNBC or PMS-NBC (MSNBC nickname)

The MSNBC network (headquartered in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan) has often been cited for liberal bias. The nickname "PMSNBC" or "PMS-NBC" (PMS + MSNBC) is sometimes used by…

October 18, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Pocketbook Issue

A "pocketbook issue" (like a "bread-and-butter issue") is an issue that concerns voters because it directly affects their wealth. The term "pocketbook issue" is cited…

April 21, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Pole Tax (homophone of “poll tax”)

"Pole tax" sounds like "poll tax," but it's quite different. A "poll tax" is a tax affixed per person that has often (in the 19th century) been linked with the…

September 30, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Polidiot (politics + idiot)

A "polidiot" (politics + idiot) can mean a politician who's an idiot or a member of the general public (such as a voter) who's an idiot. The term "polidiot" has been…

November 9, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Poligarchy (political + oligarchy); Poligarch

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: OligarchyOligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos), meaning 'few', and ἄρχω (arkho), meaning 'to…

September 6, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Poligion (politics + religion)

"Poligion" (politics + religion) is when religion and politics combine. The word "poligion" has been cited in print since at least 2001. The similar (but somewhat awkward) word…

December 15, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Political Football

A "political football" is politically divisive issue, something that gets "kicked" around by both sides. The term is cited in English at least as early as 1748 and 1772 -- about…

October 5, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Political Pundit (Punditry)

"Pundit" is a Sanskrit word (cited in print from the 1600s) meaning "a learned man." Modern "pundits" are experts or commentators in their fields. A "pundit"…

November 28, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Political Row (East 7th Street, between Avenues C and D)

Entry in progress -- B.P. 31 March 1892, The World (New York, NY), pg. 6, col. 1:QUOTA OF POLITICAL ROW.An East-Side Street Prolific of Office Holders.It must be a very undesirable office when…

December 3, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Political Suicide

"Political suicide" is for a politician to support an unpopular (or highly contested) political position. For example, many people said that that it would be political suicide in 2009 for…

July 29, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Politics of Grievance

The "politics of grievance" means telling a political group that they've been wronged (this can be real or can play to prejudices) and that electing a particular politician will…

July 29, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Politics of Personal Destruction

During Bill Clinton's successful campaign for the U.S. presidency in 1992, questions about his character began to emerge. Reports of extra-marital affairs with Gennifer Flowers and of dodging…

First
Previous
278 279 280 281 282
Next
Last

About the Website and Editor

BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

Read more About the Website and Editor
About
Privacy Policy
RSS

© 2026 Barry Popik. All rights reserved.