Bike Ninja
A "bike ninja" is a cyclist who wears dark clothing (like a ninja) and who doesn't use reflectors or have lights on a bike. A bike ninja is difficult to see at night and often poses…
Bike Salmon
"Bike salmon" are cyclists who "swim upstream" (like salmon) by going the wrong way on a one-way street. "Bike salmon" also refers to riders who go the wrong way on…
Black Car
The "yellow cab" takes street hails; the "black car" does not. Many executives have used a "black car" service, if only to the airport. The color of the vehicle is…
Blessing of the Bicycles (Blessing of the Bikes)
An annual "Blessing of the Bikes" (or "Blessing of the Bicycles") has been held in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine since 1999. The blessing is to promote bicycle…
Bloody Awful (British Airways nickname)
British Airways (BA) was formed in 1974 and is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. The BA nickname of "Bloody Awful" has been cited in print since at least 1982. In 1990, publications…
Blue Zone
The "Blue Zone" is the area in lower Manhattan that has a blue line near the curb. Parking is not allowed Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fine for parking here is $65, but don't…
Break Your Spirit Airlines (Spirit Airlines nickname)
Spirit Airlines is an American ultra-low-cost carrier. Some critics have called it "Break Your Spirit Airlines." "(We will break your) Spirit Airlines" was posted on Twitter by…
Bridgegate (George Washington Bridge lane closures)
The George Washington Bridge had lane closures in September 2013 that caused major traffic problems. The lanes weren't closed because of a traffic accident or because of construction; it was…
Bumper Thumper (minor automobile accident)
A "bumper thumper" is a minor automobile accident. A Lucky Strike cigarette advertisement in March 1957 featured invented names, and David Barton of the University of Illinois submitted…
Bus Station of Airports (LaGuardia Airport nickname)
New York City's LaGuardia Airport reminds many people of a bus station (an unflattering comparison). LaGuardia has often been called the "Bus Station of Airports." "Laguardia…
Buttermilk Channel
The "Buttermilk Channel" is an old term for the separation between Governors Island and Brooklyn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk_ChannelThe Buttermilk Channel is a small tidal…
Calatrasaurus (Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub)
The Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub was announced in 2004 to have the design of a "bird in flight." The project was long delayed; the project cost…
Can Hear Every Valve Rattle On Long Extended Trips (Chevrolet backronymic nickname)
The Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded in 1911 and was named after Swiss-born American race car driver Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (1878-1941). The name "Chevrolet" has had several…
Car Owner Virus (“coronavirus” malapropism)
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is sometimes jocularly understood as the "car owner virus." "Car Owner Virus" was posted on Twitter by Loudmouthman on January 22, 2020.…
Carmageddon (car + Armageddon); Carpocalypse (car + apocalypse)
"Carmageddon" (car + Armageddon) is the title of a computer game, trademarked since 1997; "Carpocalyse Now"(car + apocalypse) is the title of a computer game, trademarked since…
Carpocalypse (car + apocalypse); Carmageddon (car + Armageddon)
"Carmageddon" (car + Armageddon) is the title of a computer game, trademarked since 1997; "Carpocalyse Now"(car + apocalypse) is the title of a computer game, trademarked since…
Chat-Down
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has long used "pat downs" to check potential air travelers for weapons. In August 2011 at Boston's Logan Interational Airport, the…
Checker Cab
The "Checker" cab is gone from the streets of New York. But it was New York. It was big, roomy, with checkered stripes on the sides. Go rent the movie Taxi Driver right now. Or you could…
Concourse Crawler or Concourse Creeper (C or CC subway line)
New York City's "CC" train (now the "C" train) serviced much of the Bronx, along the Grand Concourse. According to a post by Bill Newkirk on SubChat.com on May 18, 2007,…
Corking (bicycle-caused gridlock)
Joel Pomerantz helped to form the bicycle group "Critical Mass" in San Francisco and probably coined the term "corking" there in 1992. Critical Mass (a large mass of bicycle…