Hydrogin (hydrogen + gin)
"Oxygin" (oxygen + gin) and "hydrogin" (hydrogen + gin) are jocular terms. A now-classic joke was printed in Manners: A Novel by Miss Francis Moore: "Every body learns…
Hylan’s Holes (abandoned, incomplete Staten Island Tunnel)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Staten Island TunnelThe Staten Island Tunnel is an abandoned, incomplete railway/subway tunnel in New York City. It was intended to connect railways on Staten…
Hymietown; Jew York (Jew + New York)
"Jew York" and "Hymietown" are two terms that reflect New York City's large Jewish population. Both terms are usually considered derogatory. The poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972)…
Hyperpalatable
"Hyperpalatable" (and also "hyperpalatability") was coined by American author and administrator David A. Kessler in his book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the…
Hypotwit (hypocrite + twit/Twitter)
"hypotwit a cross between a hypocrit and a twit, also how small kids miss pronounce the word!" was posted in the Urban Dictionary on March 30, 2005. This was before Twitter.…
I Eta Pi (fictional fraternity)
"Iota Eta Pi" or "I Eta Pi" is a fictional fraternity name made to sound like "I ate a pie." "I. Eta Pi" has been cited in print since at least 1908 and was…
I-95 Primary (Northeast presidential primaries)
The U.S. presidential primaries on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, held in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, were dubbed the “I-95 Primary." Interstate…
I.O.U.S.A. (IOU + USA)
"I.O.U.S.A." (IOU + USA) was printed in an income tax poem by an anonymous author that appeared in several newspapers since 1952: "Income tax is almost due,And this makes me,…
I’d rather be a lamppost in New York than mayor anywhere else
This saying goes way, way back. It has been said in various forms; a friend of mine remembers the boxer Sonny Liston saying that he'd rather be a lamppost in Harlem than mayor of Philadelphia.…
I’ve got a hunch that I don’t have any money left over after paying for college. It’s all intuition”
"Intuition" sounds like "in tuition," and there are jokes. I've got a hunch that I don't have any money left over after paying for college. It's all…
Iatrogenic Government
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) was the United States Senator from New York when he wrote the essay "Iatrogenic Government: Social Policy and Drug Research" for The American Scholar…
ICE (Income, Credit and Equity)
"ICE" is an acronym for "income, credit and equity" -- three things that banks look for before issuing a mortgage or a loan. "ICE" has been cited in print since at…
Ice Cream Fruit (cherimoya nickname)
The cherimoya is a fruit of the species Annona cherimola and is commonly found in Peru. as well as other parts of South America and Central America. It has been called the "ice cream…
Ice Cream Sandwich
Several newspaper citations indicate that the "ice cream sandwich" was invented (or at least popularized) about July 1900 in New York City. One newspaper citation mentions Wall Street and…
Ice Cream Soda
The invention of the ice cream soda is usually attributed to Robert M. Green of Philadelphia (at the Franklin Institute in 1874) or Fred Sanders of Detroit (in 1880). John Robertson and Francis…
Iceberg Building (IAC Building in Chelsea)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: IAC BuildingThe IAC Building, InterActiveCorp's headquarters located at 555 West 18th Street on the northeast corner of Eleventh Avenue in the Chelsea…
Iced Tea
"Iced tea" (cited since at least the 1830s) is a popular drink in the South. About 1868, iced tea became popular in New York City. In early cookbooks, the drink is also sometimes referred…
Icing the Kicker (football strategy)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Icing the kickerIn the sport of American football or Canadian football, the act of icing the kicker or freezing the kicker is a tactic employed by defending…
Idaho Stop
The "Idaho stop" allows cyclists to treat a red light like a stop sign, and a stop sign like a yield sign. The law was developed in 1982 by Carl Bianchi, then the Administrative Director…
IDGAF (I Don’t Give Away Food)
"IDGAF" normally stands for "I Don't Give A Fuck," but it has been given the jocular backronym (back acronym) of "I Don't Give Away Food." "IDGAF I…