Typhoid Mary
"Typhoid Mary" is one of the few persons of any sort to have an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. She has been the subject of several books and a PBS Nova documentary investigation.…
Upper Ten (Thousand)
The "Upper Ten Thousand" were the elite of New York City society in the 1840s. The term is no longer used. (Oxford English Dictionary)a. upper ten, the upper classes; the aristocracy.…
Uptowner
An "uptowner" is someone who inhabits the "uptown" section (often, but not always, located to the north) of a geographical area. "Up-towners" was cited in print in…
Urban Ranger
An Urban Ranger (or Urban Park Ranger) is a member of the Parks Department who will instruct you on the wildlife in New York City's parks. They've been compared to the National Park…
Wall Dog
The "wall dog" is the person who painted that advertisement on the wall. There were many "wall dogs" in the 1920s, but their numbers have been dwindling with the new…
Wanksta or Wankster (wack/wanker/wannabe + gangster)
The recording artist 50 Cent popularized a term with the title of his cut, "Wanksta" (2002). The term is sometimes given as "wankster' and is a combination of "wack"…
Welfare Queen
A "welfare queen" is a woman who is on public assistance, often fraudulently. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani cut the welfare rolls in the 1990s, dramatically decreasing the "welfare…
West Sider or Westsider
A "West Sider" (or "Westsider," also lowercase "west sider" and "westsider") is someone who inhabits the west side of a geographical area.…
White Collar
A "white collar" worker is a professional or educated worker, or someone who works in an office. A "blue collar" worker is someone of the working class, such as a tradesperson.…
Whitestoner (inhabitant of Whitestone, Queens)
"Whitestoner” is the name of an inhabitant of Whitestone, in the borough of Queens. The name “Whitestoner” has been cited in print since at least 1902. "Whitestoner" should not…
Williamsburger (inhabitant of Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
"Williamsburger” is the name of an inhabitant of Williamsburg, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name “Williamsburger” has been cited in print since at least 1860. Wikipedia: Williamsburg,…
Wise Latina
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1954, from parents of Puerto Rican descent. In Sotomayor's 2009 Senate confirmation hearing, a 2001 statement that she…
Wisenheimer
A "Wisenheimer" (or "wisenheimer") is a "wise guy," a "smarty pants," a "smart aleck" (see "smart aleck" in this section), a fellow…
Woodsider (inhabitant of Woodside, Queens)
"Woodsider” is the name of an inhabitant of Woodside, in the borough of Queens. The name “Woodsider” has been cited in print since at least 1882. Wikipedia: Woodside, QueensWoodside is a…
Working Girl
"Working Girl" was the title of a 1988 New York-based movie, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, and Joan Cusack. "I'm in…
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.…
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,…
Yuppie
"Yuppie" (young urban professional) is still used in New York. The term became a sensation in 1984. However, it appears that "yuppie" did not originate in New York.…