Yorkvillian (inhabitant of Yorkville, Manhattan)
"Yorkvillian” is the name of an inhabitant of Yorkville, in the borough of Manhattan. The name “Yorkvillian” has been cited in print since at least 1920. Wikipedia: Yorkville,…
You Always Have Other Options (“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…
YouBoob (YouTube nickname)
YouTube is an American video-sharing website that began in February 2005. In November 2006, Google purchased YouTube. YouTube is sometimes called "YouBoob" ("boob" meaning…
Yourgage (your + mortgage)
"Yourgage" or "YOURgage" (your + mortage) is not a slang term, but a registered service mark (since May 2011) of Quicken Loans. Rather than a 15-year or a 30-year mortgage, a…
Youthquake or Youth Quake (youth + earthquake)
"Youthquake" (also spelled "youth quake") was defined in the September 1965 Ebony magazine: "They champion what is known as 'Youthquake,' which means super, boss,…
YOYO Economics (“You’re On Your Own”)
"YOYO" has been cited since at least 1988 to mean "You're On Your Own." "YOYO" has been used in medical slang as a saying to patients who leave a hospital. Jared…
Yuge (huge)
"Yuge' (or "yooge") for "huge" has been a part of New York speech. Boxing promoter Bob Arum (born in New York City in 1931), said in 1995, "the biggest-grossing…
Yum (Yum-Yum; Yummy; Yumptious; Yum-O)
"Yum" is used to express satisfaction, especially in regard to food that one has tasted. The food can be described as "yum-yum," "yummy," and even "yum-o."…
Yuppie
"Yuppie" (young urban professional) is still used in New York. The term became a sensation in 1984. However, it appears that "yuppie" did not originate in New York.…
Za (pizza)
"Za" is a clipped form of the word "pizza." The term "za" has been cited in print since the 1960s, but achieved its greatest slang popularity in the 1980s. (Oxford…
Zagat (Za-GAT)
Eugene and Nina Zagat started publishing their Zagat Survey of restaurants in the early 1980s. It's since grown to other cities, and it's no longer a survey of only restaurants. A rhyme…
Zagateer
Zagat (pronounced "Za-GAT") began in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat as a survey to rate restaurants in New York City; Zagat.com and Zagat guides now rate other business fields, such as…
Zapplesauce
"Zapplesauce" (applesauce fortified with energy producing maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate) was developed by the U.S. Department of the Army as part of a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE). The…
Zebra (420 West 42nd Street)
The building at 420 West 42 Street has stripes, so it's known as the "Zebra" building. "Oreo" is another nickname that has been used for it. http://www.420w42.com/…
Zebra (sports official who wears a black-and-white-striped shirt)
NFL officials' uniforms and NHL officials' uniforms have black-and-white-striped shirts, like a zebra's stripes. The officials wearing such shirts are often nicknamed…
Zeppelin Sandwich (Zep Sandwich)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian,…
Zero (financial industry worker who doesn’t receive an annual bonus)
Many employees on Wall Street expect to see annual bonuses. A December 2010 article in the New York (NY) Times reported on a new club called "the Zeros" -- people who didn't receive…
Zero Hedgie or Zero Head (Zero Hedge blog reader)
Zero Hedge is a popular financial blog that began in 2009. People who read and comment on ZH were given a nickname from the title of the article "The Zero Hedgies," by financial writer…
ZeroCred (Zero Hedge nickname)
Zero Hedge is a libertarian financial blog. Some critics have called it "ZeroCred" (zero credibility). "After being dead wrong on the #Euro for a year, @zerohedge wants to tutor us…
Zerok (“fork” with no prong/tine)
"Fork" does not have the number "four" in it, but some people believe that a "fork" with three prongs/tines should be called a "threek." It then follows that…