Yashkin Street (Orchard Street)
Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has long been known for its discount shopping, leading to the nickname of the "Bargain District." The early 20th-century entrepreneurs…
Yellen Call or Yellen Covered Call
The "Yellen call" (also called the "Yellen covered call") is a call option named after Janet Yellen, who became Federal Reserve chairwoman in 2014. KPP Financial wrote in 2016:…
Yellow Blanket on a Dead Cow (cheeseburger)
"Yellow blanket on a dead cow" is sometimes said to be diner slang for a cheeseburger. The "yellow blanket" is cheese, and the "dead cow" is a hamburger. However,…
Yellow Brick Brewery (old Metropolitan Opera House at 39th Street)
The Metropolitan Opera House was located on 1411 Broadway in Manhattan, at 39th Street; it opened in 1883 and was demolished in 1967, after the opening of the new opera house at Lincoln Center in…
Yellow Dog or Yellow Dawg or Yaller Dawg (gold nickname)
Gold is sometimes nicknamed "yellow dog" or "yellow dawg" or "yaller dawg." "Not bad considering everyone was slamming the yellow dawg" was cited in print in…
Yellow Journalism
In the mid-1890s, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, the World, published The Yellow Kid. This is sometimes called the first comic in a newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer's and William Randolph…
Yellow Knight
Entry in progress -- B.P. InvestopediaWhat Does Yellow Knight Mean?A company that was once making a takeover attempt but ends up discussing a merger with the target company. The Free…
Yelper (Yelp user); Anti-Yelp (Taste Savant nickname)
Yelp is an online site that reviews businesses and products; Yelp is well known for its restaurant reviews. A Yelp user has been called a "Yelper" since at least July 2007, when Yelp…
Yentervention (Yen + intervention)
"Yentervention" (Yen + Intervention) is when a bank (such as the Bank of Japan) intervenes in the financial markets to support the Yen (Japan's official currency). The intervention…
Yes Man
A "yes-man" (or "yes man") is someone who always agrees with a boss and simply follows orders. The term was popularized by Freeman Tilden (1883-1980), who wrote "The…
Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up (“U.S. Army” backronym, backwards)
"Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up" is a backronym (back acronym) of "U.S. Army," spelled backwards as "YMRASU." "Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up" has been cited…
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Why exactly is this Christmas letter to the old New York Sun so famous? Because people want to believe in Santa Claus? The famed "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter to…
Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle (“Yahoo!” backronym)
Yahoo! is a California-based Internet company that was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 1, 1995. The word “yahoo” was used in Jonathan…
Yiddish Broadway or Yiddish Rialto (Second Avenue in Manhattan)
The Lower East Side of Manhattan had numerous Yiddish theaters in the early 1900s, but most of them disappeared by the 1940s. The area was called the "Yiddish Rialto" by at least 1908.…
YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard)
"YIMBY" (Yes In My Back Yard) is the opposite of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). YIMBY supports development; NIMBY opposes development. "YIMBY" has been cited in print since at…
Yippie
A "yippie" is a member of the Youth International Party. The name was a take-off on "hippie" and was applied to New York figures such as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin.…
YOLOMAWMIT (You Only Live Once, Might As Well Make It Tasty)
"YOLOMAWMIT" (You Only Live Once, Might As Well Make It Tasty) is a variation on the popular acronym "YOLO" (You Only Live Once). "YOLOMAWMIT" has been printed on…
Yomentum (“yo” or “yes” momentum)
A minority party is sometimes called a "party of 'no,'" saying "no" to the majority party's agenda. When members of the majority party also disagree with some of…
Yoo Hoo (soft drink and slang phrase)
"Yoo Hoo" is a popular chocolate soft drink. The New York Yankees helped to advertise the drink in the 1950s, and Yankee star Yogi Berra has long promoted the product. The phrase…
Yoots or Yutes (youths)
"What is a yute?" asked the Southern judge to a lawyer (played by Joe Pesci) in the movie comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992). Vinny (from New York City) was perplexed that his dialect…