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…
SAP (soon as possible)
"SAP" stands for "soon as possible." "Sap -- Soon as possible" was printed in the book The Phillips Code: A Thoroughly Tested Method of Shorthand, Arranged for…
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…
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…
Satan’s Seat
New York City has sometimes been called "Satan's Seat." "The late sensation in New York (where Satan's seat is) has roused us to a fresh conception of his terrific reign…
Saturday Night Liberal (Saturday Night Live or SNL nickname)
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy that originated in 1975 and is broadcast from New York City. Many conservatives have argued that SNL has a liberal…
Saturday Night Special
A "Saturday night special" (or "blitzkrieg") is a surprise takeover attempt. In 1975, Colt Industries (manufacturer of guns) attempted what would be a successful takeover of…
Sauce Proposal (Proposal Sauce)
American chef Marc Forgione opened Restaurant Marc Forgione at 134 Reade Street in Manhattan. "Halibut en Croute, Hazelnuts, Sauce Proposal" is a popular dish, and many diners have…
Sausage Sandwich
A "hot dog" has sometimes been called a "sausage sandwich." Is a hot dog a sandwich?" is a popular debate question, but it definitely is a sandwich. "Sausage (!)…
Savile Row (bespoke tailoring in NoHo/Nolita/West Village)
Savile Row is a shopping street in central London famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. An April 12, 2012 article on the Business Insider website was titled "A Bespoke…
Sawdust Pie
A recipe for "sawdust pie' was published in the May 1983 issue of Bon Appetit, from Patti's 1880's Settlement of Grand Rivers, KY. The pie contains graham cracker crumbs (the…
Sawdust Trail (Sawdust Circuit)
The "sawdust trail" (or "sawdust circuit") refers to the churches that preachers traveled to in the early 1900s. The trail to these tabernacles was usually covered with sawdust,…
Scalpel vs. Machete (budget-cutting techniques)
There are two metaphorical tools that politicians claim to use in cutting a budget -- a scalpel (for small, surgical cuts, causing the least harm) and a machete (for massive cuts). Unless the…
Scamdemic (scam + pandemic)
"Scamdemic" (scam + pandemic) means a fake pandemic. The term was first used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. "Wondering if #swineflu is really a pandemic, or is it a hamdemic or…
Scampaign (scam + campaign)
A "scampaign" (scam + campaign) is a campaign -- a political campaign or a campaign for a specific cause or business -- that contains fraud and can be called a "scam."…
Scandalpalooza (scandal + lollapalooza)
"Scandalpalooza" (scandal + lollapalooza) is when a government has several scandals (sometimes called "-gates," after the Watergate scandal). The word "scandalpalooza"…
Scarebus (Airbus nickname)
Airbus is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. People who believe that its planes are not safe have nicknamed the company "Scarebus" (or…
Scaredemic (scare + pandemic)
"Scaredemic" (scare + pandemic) became a popular term during the 2020 COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, but it had appeared earlier. "Homespun Craft Show tomorrow, the Scaredemic will…