BOAT (Bust Out Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
Boat Check
A "boat check" is a sick leave payout given to an employee (usually in government) at retirement. The sick leave days are usually paid at the highest hourly rate, not at the rates the…
Boatgating (boat + tailgating)
"Boatgating" (boat + tailgating) is when a tailgate picnic is held from a boat instead of a car, van, or pickup truck. The tradition appears to have started at the University of…
BOBO (bacon on bagel omelet)
HOBO (ham on bagel omelet, BOBO (bacon), SOBO (sausage) and TOBO or TURBO (turkey) are breakfast sandwiches that are served with cheese and potatoes; a roll or a wrap often replaces the bagel. The…
Boccone Dolce (Sweet Mouthful)
Boccone Dolce (Italian for "sweet mouthful") is a dessert specialty of Sardi's, a restaurant in the theater district at 234 West 44th Street. Sardi's has entertained Broadway…
Bodega
"Bodega" came to us from Spain, through Cuba and Puerto Rico. The term has been used regularly in New York City since at least the 1930s, but most consistently since the 1950s and 1960s…
Body Man
A "body man" is a politician's special personal assistant. The body man might fetch coffee or make sure the politician's tie is on straight for a debate. President John F.…
Body Woman
A "body man" is a politician’s special personal assistant. A "body man" was always, historically, a man. New York (NY) Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd's June 29, 2008…
BOGO or BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free)
"Buy one and get one free" is a familiar promotion by retailers to move product. "Buy One -- Get One Free" has been cited in print since at least 1908. "BOGOF" has…
BOGSAT or BOGSATT (Bunch of Guys Sitting Around The Table)
"BOGSAT" (also "bogsat") stands for "Bunch of Guys Sitting Around a Table." Waldemar A. Nielsen coined the term in September 1961, during the President Kennedy…
Bohemian Boulevard or Bohemian Broadway (East 72th Street in Yorkville)
"Little Bohemia" has been the name of a section of Yorkville (in Manhattan) since at least the 1890s. East 72nd Street or East 73rd Street has been called "Bohemian Boulevard"…
BoHo (Bowery below Houston Street)
"BoHo" is a neighborhood nickname that represents the Bowery below Houston Street in Manhattan. "BoHo" has been cited in print since at least 1998, but it has been rarely used.…
Boilermaker
Entry in progress -- B.P. Boilermaker (beer cocktail)A boilermaker is a beer cocktail consisting of a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey, tequila, or vodka. The beer is served either as a chaser…
Boll Weevil Democrat
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Boll weevils (politics)Boll weevils was an American political term used in the mid- and late-20th century to describe conservative Southern Democrats. During…
Bollinger Bolshevik
The term "champagne socialist" is sometimes replaced with "Bollinger Bolshevik" or "Bolly Bolshevik." Wikipedia: Champagne socialist Champagne socialist is a political…
Bolts (Brooklyn FXFL football team)
The Brooklyn Bolts became one of four teams to open the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL), a professional football minor league, in 2014. The team name of "Brooklyn Bolts" was…
Bomber Sandwich
A "bomber sandwich" is another name for an Italian sandwich, like a "sub" or "hero" or "hoagie" sandwich. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on…
Bomboloni (Italian doughnuts)
Bomboloni are Italian doughnuts, popular in Florence. These are more doughnut holes than doughnuts, filled with vanilla pastry cream, raspberry jam, or other fillings. The Italian…
BOMFOG (Brotherhood Of Man, Fatherhood Of God)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 3 July 1939, New York (NY) Times, "Bishop O'Hara Is Peaker on Eve of Opening of Institute of Public Affairs" by Winifred Mallon, pg. 7:CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.,…
Bond Vigilante
The term "bond vigilante " sounds like something out of a James Bond movie, but it simply describes players in the bond market. Ed Yardeni of Yardeni Research, coined the term when he was…