SoFi (South of Fifth Avenue or South of Flatiron)
"SoFi" can mean either "South of Fifth Avenue" (this doesn't exactly make sense because Fifth Avenue runs north and south!) or "South of Flatiron" (this…
Soft Despotism
"Despotism (or "hard despotism") is life under a rule of a single entity with absolute power. In a democracy, the majority can install "big government" and create a…
Soft Tyranny
The term "soft tyranny" was popularized by conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin, author of the best-selling book Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto (2009). A "hard…
Softball Question
A "softball question" is a question that is easy to answer. Political candidates usually like softball questions because answering them makes the candidates appear strong and in control.…
SoHell (South of Hell’s Kitchen)
SoHell (south of Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood name that was coined by New York magazine in August 2006. (The Gothamist citation below is from August 8th, but New York magazine dates its…
SoHo (South of Houston Street)
"SoHo" means SOuth of HOuston Street. The Oxford English Dictionary has no mention of New York's Soho, but has this for London: The name of a district in the West End of London,…
Solarcoaster (solar stocks + roller coaster)
Solar stocks have been known for their volatility. The term "solarcoaster" (solar stocks + roller coaster) has been used to describe the solar stocks' up-and-down ride. A blog called…
SOLE Food (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical)
SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) food -- a pun on "soul food" -- was coined by The Ethicurean blog in May 2006. "Ethicurean" is also an invented word; SOLEfood.com…
Solita (South of Little Italy)
"Solita" (or "SoLita") means "South of Little Italy." It's a spinoff from NoLita (North of little Italy). The name started with the "SoLita Building" at…
SoMa (South of Macy’s)
SoMa (South of Macy's) is a nickname for the area south of Herald Square in Manhattan. The "SoMa" nickname is taken from the well-established SoMa (South of Market) in San Francisco.…
Son Of a Bitch, Everything’s Real (“sober” backronym)
"S.O.B.E.R. = Son Of A Bitch, Everything's Real" was published in the book Stepping Stones to Recovery for Young People: Experience the Miracle of 12 Step Recovery (1991), edited by…
Sonny Mae or Sony Mae (State of New York Mortgage Agency or SONYMA)
The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) was created in 1970. The nickname "Sonny Mae" has been cited in print since at least August 1981 and "Sony Mae" since at least…
Sons of Anarchy (Jets defensive line nickname)
The New York Jets football team nicknamed their defensive line the New York Sack Exchange in 1981. The 2013 defensive line of Damon Harrison (nose tackle), Sheldon Richardson (defensive end) and…
Sons of the Wild Jackass
George Higgins Moses (1869-1944), a senator from New Hampshire, spoke at a Washington dinner of New England manufacturers in November 1929 and described some insurgent Republican senators as…
SoPo (south of power)
Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in the evening of October 29, 2012. The Con Ed power company experienced many problems and power went out over lower Manhattan for several days. Manhattan below…
Sorority
The word "sorority" (from the latin soror, or "sister") has had a long use meaning a sisterhood or a club of women. Sororities at American colleges began in 1851; several…
SOS (sauce on the side)
"SOS" is a famous distress signal. In restaurant lingo, "SOS" means "sauce on the side" -- that is, sauce on the side of the plate and not directly on top of the food.…
Soubrette Row (West 39th Street)
A "soubrette" is what a female stock character in opera and theatre was called in the late 1800s and early 1899s. New York City had a "Soubrette Row," where women employed in…
Soul Food
The term "soul food" is used in Harlem, but it is not clear where the term originated. "Soul food" is cited in print from at least 1960. Wikipedia: Soul foodSoul food is an…
Soup Jockey (waiter or waitress)
A "soup jockey" is restaurant slang for a waiter or waitress. "Soup jockey" appears to have first been used in railroad dining cars to refer to a cook -- not a waiter or…