Sweet Alice (milk)
"Sweet Alice" was soda jerk slang for a glass of milk. "A glass of milk is just 'Sweet Alice' to him (a soda jerker -- ed.)" was printed in the Miami (FL) Daily News…
Sweet Sixteen (sixteen remaining tournament players or teams)
"Sweet sixteen" is what the final 16 teams or players in a tournament are sometimes called. James Thornton's song, "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" (1898), helped to…
Sweet Water Chemist (soda jerk)
"Sweet water chemist" (or "sweet-water chemist") is a fancy name for a "soda jerk(er)." The name became popular when many soda fountains were located in drugstores.…
Swexit (Switzerland + exit)
"Brexit” (Great Britain/British + exit) is a word created to define a possible British exit from the eurozone. "Brexit" has been cited in print since at least May 2012. A similar…
Swiftly Enhanced Careers (Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC nickname)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought a case against American businessman Mark Cuban for insider trading; Cuban was found not guilty on October 16, 2013. In an interview with…
Swing State
A "swing state" is one of the fifty states of the United States that could support (or "swing" to) either one of the two political parties, Republican or Democrat. Political…
Swish Set
"Swish" (for "homosexual") is/was an LGBTQ nickname, and the term "swish set" was used for the community. "New York's Swish Set" was printed in the…
Swiss Steak
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Swiss steakSwiss steak is meat, usually beef, prepared by means of rolling or pounding, and then braising in a cooking pot of stewed tomatoes, mushroom sauce,…
Synagogue Twins (fried ham and eggs)
Jewish law does not permit eating pork. This fact found its way into restaurant slang, where “synagogue twins” became the slang for an order of fried ham and eggs. "'Synagogue…
Synagondo (synagogue + condo)
Several New York City synagogues no longer have congregations to stay operating; the buildings are sometimes turned into condos. New condominium apartments are sometimes built around a…
Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Systemically important financial institutionSystemically important financial institutions (SIFI) are financial institutions that are deemed systemically…
Szechuan Fire (pun on “set you on fire”)
Sichuan/Szechuan/Szechwan cuisine can be spicy. "Szechuan" can sound like "set you on." Many restaurants and restaurant dishes/sauces have been named…
Szechwan Fire (pun on “set you on fire”)
Sichuan/Szechuan/Szechwan cuisine can be spicy. "Szechuan" can sound like "set you on." Many restaurants and restaurant dishes/sauces have been named…
T-triple-P (titles, power, pork and patronage)
"T-triple-P" is New York State government slang for "titles, power, pork and patronage." The acronym was coined by Brooklyn Democratic State Senate Leader John Sampson on July…
T.J. Smaxx (T.J. Maxx nickname)
T.J. Maxx is a retailer with over 900 stores, founded in 1976 in Framingham, Massachusetts. The T.J. Maxx nickname "T.J. Smaxx" has been cited in print since at least 1993, but has been…
Tabasco Sauce
Tabasco pepper sauce is named after the "Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco," in Mexico. The TABASCO BRAND website says that "Tabasco" is "a word of Mexican Indian origin…
Tablecloth Barbecue (Tablecloth BBQ)
Barbecue is often served in a shack -- and not at a fancy restaurant. The main barbecue feature is a barbecue pit and the smoke that it adds to the food; this style of cooking can't be made in…
Tabloid Headlines (“FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD”)
The New York Post, the Daily News and New York Newsday are tabloid newspapers that have had memorable headlines. On many days, the headlines are the same for the same story. NEW YORK POST HEADLINE:…
Taco Hell (Taco Bell nickname)
Taco Bell fast food restaurants have been nicknamed "Taco Hell" since at least the 1980s. The nickname comes from the inexpensive ingredients used to make the food (the opposite of food…
Taco Smell (Taco Bell nickname)
Taco Bell fast food restaurants have been nicknamed "Taco Smell" since at least 1990. The nickname, perhaps, comes from the inexpensive ingredients used to make the food, providing the…