Stubway (shortened version of a longer proposed subway line)
Manhattan's Second Avenue Subway project has been talked about and delayed for over half a century. By the late 1990s, it was proposed to build a Second Avenue "Stubway" -- a…
Subway Acrobat
A "subway acrobat" is someone who performs gymnastic moves on the subway, often using the subway's poles (or straps). The show is done for free, but the performer usually asks for…
Subway Alumni
"Subway alumni" are supporters of a college team who have never gone to that college. Notre Dame had powerful football teams in the early 1900s, and the Fighting Irish often played games…
Subway Shmutz (Schmutz) Survey
The Straphangers Campaign of the New York Public Interest Research Group issues an annual "Subway Shmutz" (Yiddish for "dirt," and also spelled "schmutz") survey.…
Subway Warts
What are subway warts? A 2004 blog post named the large bumps on the yellow strips in the subway (that warn people not to come too close to the edge of the platform) as "subway warts." In…
Such A Bad Experience, Never Again (Sabena backronymic nickname)
Sabena stood for Societé Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne and was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001. Sabena had one of aviation's oldest and…
Swedish Automobile Always Broken (Saab backronymic nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Saab AutomobileSaab Automobile AB /ˈsɑːb/ is a Swedish premium car manufacturer. It was formed in 1945 when Saab AB, "Svenska Aeroplan AB…
Take A Chance Airlines (TACA backronymic nickname)
TACA, the airline of El Salvador, was founded in 1931 and was originally from the acronym of Transportes Aéreos Centroamericanos. TACA has been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym)…
Take Another Plane (TAP Portugal backronymic nickname)
TAP Portugal, the national airline of Portugal, was founded in 1945 and was originally from the acronym of Transportes Aéreos Portugueses. TAP has been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym)…
Taxi (the word “taxicab” and the “yellow” color)
It has been said that Harry N. Allen coined the word "taxicab" in the fall of 1907, and that he also introduced the color "yellow" to his vehicles. I think that's wrong on…
Teeny Weeny Airlines (Trans World Airlines or TWA nickname)
Trans World Airlines (TWA) existed from 1925 through 2001 and was once one of the world's largest airlines, with a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. TWA has been given the…
Terminal City (Grand Central Terminal)
Grand Central Terminal (often called Grand Central Station) opened in February 1913. In January 1913, advertisements were published in national magazines for "The Terminal City." The…
The Beast (2 subway line)
"New York City's No. 2 subway line has been called 'The Beast" for several reasons. In 1979 and 1980, the police and the Guardian Angels gave the No. 2 line its "The…
The Flying Kangaroo (Qantas nickname)
Qantasis the flag carrier airline of Australia. Qantas has used the flying kangaroo in promotional materials since at least the 1940s. By at least 1954, Qantas was dubbed the "flying kangaroo…
The Jews’ Highway (Williamsburg Bridge)
The Williamsburg Bridge connects the Lower East Side of Manhattan with Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The bridge opened in December 1903; an article in the New York Tribune in April 1904 commented on the…
The Line That Time Forgot (Second Avenue Subway)
The Second Avenue Subway (under Manhattan's Second Avenue) has been proposed since the 1920, but has had many false starts. One nickname of the Second Avenue Subway has been "the greatest…
The Village (airplane coach seating section)
Reader's Digest (November 2010) did a short article on airline lingo and included this definition: "Working the village: Working in coach." In 2014, one "flight attendant's…
The Worst Airline (Trans World Airlines or TWA backronymic nickname)
Trans World Airlines (TWA) existed from 1925 through 2001 and was once one of the world's largest airlines, with a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. TWA has been given the…
Times Square in the Sky (Brooklyn Bridge nickname)
"Brooklyn Bridge, the ‘Times Square in the Sky,’ May Get an Expansion" by Winnie Hu was printed in the New York (NY) Times on August 8, 2016. New York City Department of…
Track Pizza
"Track pizza" is another name for a subway suicide, where someone throws himself or herself in front of a moving train. A bloody red mess results ("pizza"). Not sold by the…