MTA; MetroCard
The MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) has quickly been getting a bad reputation for high fares and poor service. This has created some uncomplimentary nicknames. "MetroCard" was…
Muggers’ Express (4 subway line)
The Guardian Angels began in February 1979 (the group was started by Curtis Sliwa in 1977 as the "Magnificent 13") and patrolled the #4 Lexington Avenue subway train. "The…
Necklace Lighting (“necklace lights” on suspension bridges)
The lights on the cables of New York's suspension bridges look like necklaces at night. The "necklace lighting" began on the Triborough Bridge and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (in 1964);…
Never/Rarely (N/R subway lines)
The N/R subway lines are often called the "Never" and the "Rarely" because of infrequent service. The slang has been current since at least 1996. The "R" line was…
New York Whitehall (boating)
The "New York Whitehall" rowboat was named after New York City's Whitehall Street. The boat dates back to about the 1820s, but is rarely made anymore.…
Norwegian-American Line (R subway line)
"Little NorwaY" and "Finntown" were 20th century nicknames of Sunset Park/Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, and its many residents of Scandinavian origin. The "R" subway line…
Orient Express or International Line (7 train)
The "Orient Express" is the 7 train that takes you to the many Asian neighborhoods of Queens. "International Line" is the "politically correct" term. The real…
Orphan Train
The "orphan trains" operated from about 1850-1929, sponsored by the Children's Aid Society and other societies. The trains moved children from the slums of New York City to the…
Parking Card
In 2005, the Department of Transportation introduced "parking cards" to some parking meters in New York City. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/parking/municard.htmlWhere to use…
PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson); THE (Trans-Hudson Express tunnel)
"PATH" is the "Port Authority Trans-Hudson." It's not bad, as acronyms go. The Port Authority could have stopped there, but now there's-- "THE," the…
Pay-and-Display
New York City now has "pay-and-display" parking systems, but they originated in England. (Oxford English Dictionary)pay-and-display Brit., designating, relating to, or operating a system…
Pedlock (pedestrian + gridlock)
Pedlock = pedestrian + gridlock. The term "pedlock" followed "gridlock" in the 1980s, but really didn't catch on until the 2000s. 19 May 1986, Newsday (Long Island, NY),…
People’s Roadway (Queensboro Bridge bike and pedestrian path)
"People's Roadway" is the nickname that Transportation Alternatives uses for the Queensboro Bridge's bike and pedestrian path. The Queensboro Bridge has had many lengthy…
Perhaps I Arrive (Pakistan International Airlines or PIA backronymic nickname)
PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) was founded in 1946 (as Orient Airways) and is the national flag carrier of Pakistan. The PIA backronymic (back acronym) nickname of "Perhaps I…
Plane Always Late (Philippine Airlines or PAL backronymic nickname)
Philippine Airlines (PAL) was founded in 1941 and is the flag carrier of the Philippines. PAL has been given the backronymic (back acronym) nickname of "Plane Always Late" since at least…
Please Inform Allah (Pakistan International Airlines or PIA backronymic nickname)
PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) was founded in 1946 (as Orient Airways) and is the national flag carrier of Pakistan. The PIA backronymic (back acronym) nickname of "Please Inform…
Poetry in Motion
The MTA's "Poetry in Motion" program began in 1992. Poems were placed in the buses and subways, just as ads would be. The poems are either short or cut down to just a few lines. Some…
Pokey Award
The "Pokey Award" (a snail trophy, of course) is given out by NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives to the slowest public transportation in New York City.…
Poor Old Nigger Thinks It’s A Cadillac (Pontiac backronymic nickname)
Pontiac is an automobile brand that began in 1926 and was discontinued by General Motors in 2010. The name "Pontiac" was associated with a racial slur backronym (back acronym) --…
Prewalking
"Prewalking" means to stand at the subway platform and board the train in the subway car that will save the most walking time upon exit. "Prewalking" was the Urban…