Pipe Dream
A "pipe dream" is an unrealistic desire or a fantasy, originally brought on by using an opium pipe. "Opium-pipe dream" was printed in The Morning Post, (London, UK) on October…
Pipelineistan (pipeline + -istan)
Entry in progress -- B.P."Pipelineistan” (pipeline + -istan, such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) Pepe Escobar Wikipedia: -stanThe…
Piragua (Puerto Rican snow cone)
"Piraguas" are "snow cones" that are popular in Puerto Rican areas of New York City, such as East Harlem. Ices are flavored with coconut, lemon, strawberry, passion fruit,…
Pistol (Carnegie Deli); LEO (Stage Deli)
Carnegie Deli, 854 Seventh AvenueStage Deli - 834 Seventh Avenue These two famous New York delis each have their own traditions. "Pistol" is the term for "pastrami" at the…
Pitchforks and Torches (an angry mob or electorate)
Pitchforks and torches have long symbolized an angry mob. The pitchforks-and-torches mob was present in the film Frankenstein (1931) and Mel Brooks' film parody Young Frankenstein (1974).…
PITS (Philippines + Indonesia + Thailand + Singapore)
The acronym “PIT” (Philippines + Indonesia + Thailand) stands for the economies of these three ASEAN nations and has been cited in print since at least December 2001, when the term was used by…
Pittsburgh Rare
"Pittsburgh rare" (also called a "Pittsburgh steak" or cooked "Pittsburgh-style") is a steak that's charred on the outside, but raw on the inside. In October…
Pittsburgh Salad (with french fries)
"Pittsburgh salad" (also called "steak salad") is a specialty of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has also been served in other places. The salad usually consists of chopped steak…
Pizza
New York claims "pizza" (from Naples, Italy) for the rest of this country and hemisphere. Here are some early citations. 18 February 1866, New York Times, pg. 6:Recollections of New-York…
Pizza Americana (pizza topped with hot dogs and french fries)
"Pizza Americano" (or "American Pizza") is pizza topped with hot dogs and french fries. The dish is popular in Italy, but it's not known who invented it. Americans do eat…
Pizza Bone
A "pizza bone" is the outer edge of the pizza crust -- usually without any cheese or tomato sauce. The name "pizza bone" has been cited in print since at least 1983. Wiktionary:…
Pizza Connection or Pizza Principle (price of the subway vs. price of a slice of pizza)
The "pizza connection" or "pizza principle" is the New York City rule that the price of a slice of pizza is almost exactly equal to the price of a subway ride. The New York (NY)…
Pizza Face (Pizzaface)
A "pizza face" (or "pizza-face," "pizzaface") is a person with face full of pimples. The allusion is to the cheese on the pizza, which bubbles up on the best pizzeria…
Pizza Logs & Apple Pie Logs
"Pizza logs" are mozzarella cheese in an egg roll wrapper; some pizza logs also have pepperoni. "Pizza Logs" has been cited in print since 1970, when it was sold by Jeno's…
Pizza Margherita (Pizza Margarita)
"Pizza Margherita" (also written as "Margherita Pizza," "Pizza Margarita," or "Margarita Pizza") is named after Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna di Savoia or…
Pizza Phone (hotel phone button to order pizza)
"My hotel phone has a button just for pizza" was a post on reddit in August 2013; the hotel was Country Inns & Suites (Niagara Falls, Ontario). The Huffington Post headline declared…
Pizza Rat
Matt Little posted a YouTube video on September 21, 2015, titled "New York City rat taking pizza home on the subway (Pizza Rat)." The video showing a rat dragging a slice of pizza down…
Pizza Slice Joke (“Make six slices, I can’t eat eight”)
The "pizza slice joke" is so old that, in the original telling, "slices" were called "pieces." A pizza parlor waitress asks a customer if he wants the pizza cut into…
Pizza Slut (Pizza Hut nickname)
Pizza Hut fast food restaurants have been nicknamed "Pizza Slut" since at least 1989. The highly derogatory word "slut" was used probably for the rhyme with "hut" and…
Pizza Tumor
Pizza often has burnt bubbles of cheese that some like and others dislike eating. There's no formal name for them, although "pizza bubble" and "pizza blister" have been…