Saleathon (sale + marathon)
A "saleathon" or "sale-a-thon" (sale + marathon) is an event that retailers often hold featuring discounted products. "Saleathon" has been cited in print since at…
Sallie Mae (Student Loan Marketing Association)
Sallie Mae signifies the Student Loan Marketing Association (SLM Corporation). The Student Loan Marketing Association was created in 1972, but "Sally Mae" has been cited in print since at…
Sally Soccer-mom
A "soccer mom" is a mother of a child who plays soccer; the term has been cited in print since at least 1973. Soccer moms became a much-talked-about demographic in the 1996 U.S.…
Salt Water Taffy
"Salt water taffy" supposedly originated by accident in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1883. Salt water taffy was served at other seaside places (such as Coney Island), but it remains an…
Salugi (or Saloogie)
"Salugi" (or "saluggi" or "saloogie") was a New York children's game of "keep away" that was popular in the 1950s. The origin of the name is unknown.…
Sam ‘n’ Ella (salmonella)
Salmonella (bacteria) has nothing to do with salmon (a fish) or anyone named Ella, but there are jokes. "I heard that Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr. are buying out the Jewel Food Store…
Sam and Ella (salmonella)
Salmonella (bacteria) has nothing to do with salmon (a fish) or anyone named Ella, but there are jokes. "I heard that Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr. are buying out the Jewel Food Store…
Sam Hill
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Sam Hill (euphemism)Sam Hill is an American English slang phrase, a euphemism for "the devil" or "hell" personified (as in, "What in…
Sam Ward (cocktail)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 21 May 1893, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, pg. 17, col. 2:THE MANHATTAN.The Greatest of American Democratic Clubs.The Manhattan club at Fifth avenue and Thirty-fourth…
Sam, Mike, Will (strongside, middle and weakside linebacker nicknames)
Sam (strongside linebacker), Mike (middle linebacker) and Will (weakside linebacker) are football position nicknames in the 4-3 defense. Tom Landry (1924-2000), the New York Giants defensive…
Sammy Scheme (Uncle Sam + Ponzi Scheme)
Financial manager and Pacific Investment Management (PIMCO) co-founder William H. Gross coined the name "Sammy scheme" ("Uncle Sam" + Ponzi scheme) in PIMCO's November 2010…
Sanctuary City
A "sanctuary city" in the United States is one where the city protects illegal immigrants from certain practices, such as asking about a person's legal status. The term…
Sanctuary Restaurant
A "sanctuary restaurant" is based on the concept of a "sanctuary city." The website sanctuaryrestaurants.org, a joint project of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC)…
Santa Claus & Sidewalk Santas
What would Christmas be without New York City? "A Visit From St. Nicholas," also known from its first line of "'Twas the night before Christmas," was published in 1822. It…
Santa Claus Curse (New York Mets)
The New York Mets hold an annual Christmas party for New York City schoolchildren. The "Santa Claus curse" holds that the Mets player who dresses up as Santa Claus the following year…
Saratoga: “Health, History, Horses” (slogan)
"WELCOME TO SARATOGA SPRINGS -- HEALTH HISTORY HORSES" is what greets people on several signs in Saratoga Springs, New York. "Health" refers to the springs and spas of the city.…
Saratoga: “Pearly gates of horse racing” (Saratoga Race Course)
New York State's Saratoga Race Course has been compared to heaven and is sometimes called the "pearly gates of horse racing." "Home sweet Saratoga. RT @anthonyderico: The Pearly…
Saratoga: Big Apple (New York racing circuit including the Saratoga Race Course)
The term "Big Apple" usually refers to the racetracks of New York City (and, by extension, the city itself), but the racetrack term sometimes includes the Saratoga Race Course at Saratoga…
Satan Sandwich
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) called a July 2011 budget deal that he didn't like “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich.” There had been infrequent previous printed citations for "Satan…
Satan’s Circus
Another name for the "Tenderloin" area of Manhattan, just below "Hell's Kitchen," is "Satan's Circus." The term is historical and is not used today, but…