Pea-pickin’ Minute (Pea-picking Minute)
"Now wait just a pea-picking minute!” means the same as “Now wait just one damned minute!” There is no exact measure of time "Wait a pea pickin' minute" was printed in The…
Peace Dividend
The term "peace dividend" means the extra money that becomes available to a country with a reduced military budget during peacetime. The term was popularized in May 1968, when people…
Peace Pentagon (339 Lafayette Street)
The "Peace Pentagon" at 339 Lafayette Street (Manhattan) is owned by the AJ Muste Memorial Institute. Many peace activist groups have had offices in the building. AJ Muste Memorial…
Peacenik
A "peacenik" is someone who opposes war. The term "peacenik" has one citation in 1958, but was popularized in 1962 and throughout the 1960s. Wiktionary: peacenikEtymologypeace…
Peach Melba (Pêche Melba)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Peach MelbaThe Peach Melba is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour the…
Peach Puzzle
"Peach Puzzle" was an unknown dessert until 2007, when Lois Schladerman won the grand prize at the Cook's Country recipe contest. Schladerman said that her mother made peach puzzle…
Peaches and Cream
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Peaches and CreamPeaches and Cream is a dessert made of peaches and cream. It is often served at ice cream stands and float shops. Many types of hard candy,…
Peakist
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wiktionary: peakistNounpeakist (plural peakists)1. A supporter of the peak oil theory, or one who advocates policies that depend on this theory Wikipedia: Peak oilPeak oil…
Peanut Brittle
Peanut brittle is a hard sugar candy that contains peanuts; other brittles have other nuts. "Peanut brittle" was cited in The World (New York, NY), on March 20, 1892. A store in Paterson,…
Peanut Brutal (peanut brittle joke)
Peanut brittle can be hard on teeth, causing many to call it "peanut brutal." The "peanut brutal" joke was cited in 1947 and twice again in 1960 newspapers. Wikipedia: Brittle…
Peanut Gallery
A "peanut gallery" is the top balcony of a theater -- the cheapest seats with usually the furthest views of the stage, and where the crowd often got rowdy. The term "peanut…
Peanut Sticks (Peanut Stix)
Peanut sticks are sticks of glazed donuts, coated in crushed peanuts. The food is a specialty of Buffalo, New York, where it was made at Freddies Doughnuts (1935-1989). They are a popular item at…
Peanutzi or Peanazi (peanut + Nazi)
"Peanutzi" or "peanazi" (peanut + Nazi) is a term-- similar to "feminazi" (feminist + Nazi) -- that describes a militant anti-peanut activist. Some people suffer from…
Pearl (Parks Department squirrel mascot)
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation introduced "Pearl" (a cartoon squirrel) as its mascot in an April 2010 event. There was a contest, but the Parks Department went…
Pearl Diver (a person who washes dishes)
"Pearl diver" is a nickname for a person who washes dishes -- someone who "dives" for dishes in hot, greasy water. 'Pearl diver" has been cited in print since at least…
Pedestal Complex (Hall of Fame obsession)
Charles W. Colson (1931-2012) wrote in The Body: Being Light in Darkness (1992): "Today this mentality translates into what we call the pedestal complex; it is rampant throughout the church.…
Pedestrian Manager
A "pedestrian manager" might also be called a "crossing guard." Sam Schwartz Engineering (Sam Schwartz was an assistant commissioner of transportation who helped popularize the…
Pedlock (pedestrian + gridlock)
Pedlock = pedestrian + gridlock. The term "pedlock" followed "gridlock" in the 1980s, but really didn't catch on until the 2000s. 19 May 1986, Newsday (Long Island, NY),…
Peel Noodles or Knife-Cut Noodles or Knife-Sliced Noodles (Dao-xaio-mian)
"Peel noodles" were introduced by the Sheng Wang restaurant on Eldridge Street, and New York's food reviewers in 2006 and 2007 had nothing to compare it to. Also called…
Peking Ravioli (Chinese dumplings)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: JiaoziGuotie (Chinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē; literally: "pot stick") is pan-fried jiaozi, also known as potstickers (a direct character…