Hero Ball (basketball style)
"Hero ball" occurs in basketball when one player decides to be the "hero" and take the crucial shot(s). "Hero ball" can work when that player is a superstar, but team…
Hero Sandwich
Hoagie, Sub, Grinder -- there are many regional sandwich names. New Yorkers have a "hero." The Italian sandwich -- before it was called a "hero" -- was popularized in the 1890s…
Heroin Highway (Eighth Avenue; Long Island Expressway)
A "heroin highway" is any street where heroin is either transported or sold. Hastings Street in Vancouver, British Columbia, was called a "heroin highway" in 1955. The U.S.…
Heroin Island (heroin + Staten Island)
The heroin epidemic on Staten Island made news in 2014 and 2015, creating the nicknames "Heroin's New Hometown" and "Heroin Island." "Heroin’s New Hometown: On…
Herroner (her honor)
"Herroner" ("her honor") is the feminine equivalent of "hizzoner" ("his honor"). While "hizzoner" dates back to 1880s Chicago, "herroner"…
Hide-and-Speak (electronic constituent communications)
"Hide-and-speak" (a pun on "hide-and-seek") is when a government official speaks to his or her constituents without a live and personal confrontation, such as what happens at a…
High Finance
"High finance" means financial transactions that involve large sums of money. The term "high finance" has been cited in print since at least 1858, but began to be used with…
High Five Friday
"High Five Friday" (or "High-five Friday") is a day to celebrate the week's accomplishments, such as by giving a person a "high five" hand gesture. "High…
High-rise
A "high-rise" is a tall building. "High-rise developments" (apartment buildings in public housing) was cited in December 1951 in a Chicago publication.…
High-Speed Swim Lane (HSSL or “hustle”)
Countrywide Financial was once a large mortgage lender; Countrywide failed during the financial crisis of 2008, when it was sold to Bank of America. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Bank of…
Highlanders (American League baseball team, later called Yankees)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Other early nicknames of the New York Yankees include "Hilltoppers," "Invaders" and "Porchclimbers." Joseph W. Gordon, president of the club…
Highly Trained Broadcast Specialist (radio talk show host)
Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh often calls himself a "highly trained broadcast specialist." It's somewhat of a joke -- there is no professional examination needed to…
Highway of Light (1920s air route, New York to San Francisco)
Entry in progress -- B.P. PaleofutureThe "Highway of Light" That Guided Early Planes Across AmericaMatt Novak11/18/13 11:08am(...)Built by the U.S. government, the airmail beacons of the…
Hillmen (American League baseball team, later called Yankees)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major…
Hilltoppers (American League baseball team, later called Yankees)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Other early nicknames of the New York Yankees include "Highlanders," "Invaders" and "Porchclimbers." Wikipedia: New York YankeesThe New York…
Hindenburg Omen
The "Hindenburg Omen" is named after the Hindenburg passenger airship that burst into flames in 1937, killing 36 people. Jim Miekka, a blind mathematician and writer for the Sudbury Bull…
Hindoo or Hindu (a do-over)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Chinese handballChinese handball (known in its 3-or-more-player forms as Ace-King-Queen, King(s), Down the River or Slugs), is a form of American handball…
Hip-Hop
"Hip-hop" (also spelled "hip hop" and "hiphop") comes from New York City. Russell Simmons is planning a Hip-Hop Institute, museum and cultural center, probably for…
Hipchester (Williamsburg and Greenpoint)
"36 Hours in Brooklyn" by Sam Sifton in the February 10, 2011 New York (NY) Times coined a new nickname: "7) A VISIT TO HIPCHESTER Boutiques, coffee bars and restaurants continue to…
Hippie Punching
White House political advisor David Axelrod was asked about "hippie punching" in September 2010, but Axelrod wasn't familiar with the term. New York magazine defined "hippie…