Manhattanization
"Manhattanization" actually comes from San Francisco! In the late 1960s and early 1970s, San Franciscans were afraid that new skyscrapers would block out their veiw of the hills.…
ManhattAnt (Manhattan + ant)
A new breed of ant found in Manhattan in 2012 was dubbed "ManhattAnt" (Manhattan + ant). "New breed of ruffi-ant found in Manhattan" by Annie Karni was printed in the New York…
Medicaid Mill (or Medicare Mill)
A "Medicaid mill" is a health clinic that scams Medicare/Medicaid by running up health costs. The term was popular in the early 1970s. "Medicare mill" is used less often.…
Meet Me at/under…
New York City has had several famous "meet me" phrases. Judy Garland told everyone to Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and that title is from an authentic period song written for the 1904 St.…
Mitzvah Mobile (Mitzvah Tank)
A "mitzvah mobile" or "mitzvah tank" was started by Brooklyn's Lubavitch sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the 1970s. The mobile vans comb the streets for lapsed Jews and try…
Moving Day (May 1st)
May 1st of every year was "moving day," according to old New York City tradition. (Oxford English Dictionary)MOVING DAY, n. 1. The day of a move to a new residence; (U.S.) the day on…
Mrs. Astor’s Pet Horse (Mrs. Astor’s Plush Horse)
Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (1830-1908) held at annual fancy dress ball at 842 Fifth Avenue. Her husband, William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1829-1892) was a racehorse breeder/owner. The term "Mrs.…
Mrs. Astor’s Plush Horse (Mrs. Astor’s Pet Horse)
Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (1830-1908) held at annual fancy dress ball at 842 Fifth Avenue. Her husband, William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1829-1892) was a racehorse breeder/owner. The term "Mrs.…
Mungo/Mongo
"Mungo" is a word used by sanitation workers to refer to things salvaged from the trash. It haf been assumed that it comes from "mung," a cheap cloth. But no direct link has…
Never let them see you sweat! (Dry Idea commercial)
"Never let them see you sweat!" was coined by a "Dry Idea" deodorant commercial, one of which featured New York-based designer Donna Karan. The phrase "no sweat" was…
New York Alphabet or Brooklyn Alphabet (“Fuckin’ A, fuckin’ B, fuckin’ C…”)
New York City has long had a tough reputation, with the F-word frequently used, An old joke has it that the "New York alphabet" (or "Brooklyn alphabet" or "New Jersey…
New York Chain, New York Noose, New York Fahgettaboudit
"New York Chain," "New York Noose," and "New York Fahgettaboudit" are trademarked names from the Kryptonite Lock Corporation, Canton, Massachusetts. The bicycle lock…
New York Font
There is a "New York font." The first mention of it in Google Groups appears to be in 1996. Below are sites that have the "New York font" and other famous fonts. New York…
New York is not America
New York is a "blue state." Very blue. Very Democratic. The Republican party has won the last two presidential elections. "New York is not America" is a timely, apt cliche.…
New York Kiss & New York Kiss-Off
A "New York Kiss" is a punch. A "New York Kiss-Off" is a rude dismissal. Both date from the mid-19th or early 20th century and are not used today. Ask for a hug instead.…
New York Reload (a second loaded gun)
A "New York reload" is when the first gun runs out of ammunition and you "reload" with a second fully loaded gun. The term appears to date from the 1980s or early 1990s.…
New York Review of Each Other’s Books
The New York Review of Books began in 1963. It's been called many things, but New York Review of Each Other's Books seems to have stuck in people's minds. It is not known who coined…
New York Screwdriver (driving in screws with a hammer)
Driving in wood screws with a hammer is called a "New York screwdriver." It's the brute force technique. http://www.loganact.com/tips/shopsay.htmNew York Screwdriver -> driving…
New York Steamer (slang)
"New York Steamer" is a trademarked sub sandwich from Firehouse Subs, a Florida-based restaurant chain. The chain began in 1994, and the name was also trademarked in 1994. Firehouse Subs…
New York Swat Vest (from England)
The "New York Swat Vest" appears to be a Thatchreed Viper Vest from England. It is not authorized by the NYPD or New York City in any way.…