Peter Funk
A "Peter Funk" was a dishonest salesman or auctioneer. The term is not used today. It was a common term in the 1830s and 1840s and appears to have originated on Pearl Street. Cassell…
Pipe Layer
"Pipe layer" was a term popularly used in the election of 1840 (and probably before) for an illegal voter. The term possibly came from New York City in the 1830s. "Pipe layer"…
Plain Jane
A "plain Jane" is a girl or a woman who is of average or unremarkable appearance. The person may or may not actually be named "Jane." "Plain Jane" was printed in The…
Polar Bears
According to the Coney Island Polar Bear Club (www,polarbear.org): The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States. We swim the Atlantic Ocean at…
Poor Little Rich Girl
The Poor Little Rich Girl (1912) was a play by Eleanor Gates (1875-1951), later made into a film starring Mary Pickford in 1917 and one for Shirley Temple in 1936. Although the young girl of the…
Pope of America (Archbishop of Archdiocese of New York)
After Timothy M. Dolan was selected to be the Archbishop of New York, the New York (NY) Times wrote in March 2009: "The archbishop of New York, with his pulpit in the media nexus of the world,…
Portocrat (bureaucrat from the Port Authority)
The New York Daily News has called bureaucrats from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey "portocrats" since at least 1996. The newspaper has been a stinging critic of the Port…
Pot Princess
The New York Post quickly dubbed Julie Diaco the "Pot Princess." She's the former NYU student who was convicted of selling drugs out of her dorm room. Her family paid for a very good…
Poverty Pimp (Povitician)
"Poverty pimp" is a term dating from at least 1970 to describe a person who claims to help people in poverty, but who actually helps himself or herself in the process. Often, a government…
Prepper (disaster preparation expert)
A "prepper" is someone who prepares to survive a disaster, such as food shortages or a terrorist attack. The term became popular in 2012 with the National Geographic Channel television…
Professional Homeless
"Professional homeless" seems like an oxymoron. Who is "professionally" without a profession and a home? The term "professional homeless" has been cited in print since…
Quackarazzi (quack + paparazzi)
A rare Mandarin duck (with pink, purple, orange and emerald green plumage) was spotted in Central Park in December 2018. So many people took photos of the duck that a new word was coined --…
Queen (Drag Queen)
Harlem's female impersonators were called "queens" in the 1930s. "In New York" with Paul Harrison was syndicated in many newspapers. Harrison's column describing…
Queenser (inhabitant of Queens)
People from the borough of Queens usually refer to themselves as from their particular neighborhood, such as Forest Hills, Kew Gardens or Flushing. "Queenser" has been cited in print very…
Queensite (inhabitant of Queens)
People from the borough of Queens usually refer to themselves as from their particular neighborhood, such as Forest Hills, Kew Gardens or Flushing. "Queensite" has been cited in print…
Rat Pack
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Rat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to…
Red Hooker (inhabitant of Red Hook, Brooklyn)
"Red Hooker" is the name of an inhabitant of Red Hook, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name "Red Hooker" has been cited in print since at least 1870. "Red Hooker" is…
Rego Parker (inhabitant of Rego Park, Queens)
"Rego Parker” is the name of an inhabitant of Rego Park, in the borough of Queens. The name “Rego Parker” has been cited in print since at least 1927. Wikipedia: Rego Park, QueensRego…
Repeater
A "repeater" is someone who votes more than once. The term was used frequently in the election of 1867. With electronic voting, it is hoped that the term is now historical. The…
Rest In Power (RIP)
"Rest in power" is sometimes used instead of "rest in peace" (from Latin Requiescat in pace) to respect someone who has died. "Rest in power" has been used by the…