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…
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…
YouChoob (YouTube dialect pronunciation)
People in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, pronounce "YouTube" like "YouChoob" or "YouChube." "YouChoob" was printed in the San Francisco (CA)…
YouChube (YouTube dialect pronunciation)
People in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, pronounce "YouTube" like "YouChoob" or "YouChube." "YouChoob" was printed in the San Francisco (CA)…
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."…