First “Big Apple” explanation: February 18, 1924
Above, the header from the 1924 newspaper column of John J. Fitz Gerald. Click to see a portion of the column which includes his use of "Big Apple." Part of a 1926 column is also…
First Attempt In Learning (“fail” backronym)
"First Attempt In Learning" is a backronym (back acronym) of the word "fail." The "fail" backronym has been printed on many posters. "FAIL most def.. First…
First Cat (cat of the president of the United States)
"First cat" is a term sometimes used for a dog of the president of the United States. "COTUS" (Cat Of The United States) has also been used. "First cat in the land"…
First Dog (dog of the president of the United States)
"First dog" is a term sometimes used for a dog of the president of the United States. "DOTUS" (Dog Of The United States) has also been used. "The big dog Hector is Mrs.…
First In, Still Here (FISH)
"First In, Still Here" (FISH) is an infrequently used accounting acronym, similar to "First in, First Out" (FIFO) and "Last In, First Out" (LIFO). FISH has been cited…
First Lady (president’s wife)
The "first lady" of the United States is married to a male president, a first lady of a state is married to the governor and a first lady of a city is married to the mayor. A…
First Lady (spare ribs)
"First lady" was lunch counter slang for "spare ribs." In the biblical story of Adam (the first man) and Eve (the first woman), Eve was created from Adam's spare rib.…
First Lady of Musical Comedy
Wikipedia: Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on…
First Lady of Musical Theatre (First Lady of British Musical Theatre)
Wikipedia: Elaine PaigeElaine Jill Paige OBE (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire,…
First Lady of the Musical Theater
Wikipedia: Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on…
First Lady of the Theater (First Lady of the Theatre)
The White House Historical Association The Origins of the American "First Lady"By: MATTHEW COSTELLOVice President of the Rubenstein Center for White House History, Senior…
First Monday Trade Days (Horse Monday; Dog Monday)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Canton, TexasCanton is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,292. It is the county seat…
First National Bank of Bumfuck, Egypt (fictional remote bank)
"Bumfuck, Egypt" has been used in American slang since at least 1972 to mean a very remote place. Who knew that the place had a bank? "The First National Bank of Bumfuck" means…
First On Race Day (Ford backronymic nickname)
The Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford vehicles have been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym) "First On Race Day" since at least 1966, when an…
Fiscal Cancer (budget deficits and government debt)
"Fiscal cancer" is a term used to describe a government's budget deficits and its debt. Cancer has often been described as a "silent killer." Government debt has also been…
Fiscal Child Abuse (deficit spending)
"Fiscal child abuse" is another name for deficit spending -- where the children (future) are left with the bill for the present. The term has come into increasing use in the United States…
Fiscal Cliff
A "fiscal cliff" is a point where a government can't pay its bills. The term "fiscal cliff" was used in 1975 to describe New York City's financial crisis. "The…
FisCon (Fiscal Conservative)
"FisCon" (or "fiscon") is a "fiscal conservative." "FisCon" has been cited in print since at least 2005 and was popularized in late 2007 and in 2008,…
Fish Eyes or Fisheyes (tapioca nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TapiocaTapioca (Portuguese pronunciation: [tɐpiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from cassava root (Manihot esculenta). This species is native to the North…
Fish-Wrap or Fish-Wrapper (a bad newspaper, good only to “wrap fish in”)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)fish-wrap adj. and n. N. Amer. colloq. (depreciative) (a) adj. of, relating to, or designating a low-quality publication, esp. a newspaper; (b)…