“Picking up nickels in front of a steamroller”
"Picking up pennies/nickels/dimes/quarters in front of a bulldozer/steamroller" means steadily making investments for a small return, only to be eventually crushed (by a financial crash…
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Dear Leader
North Korea's Kim Jong-il has been called "Dear Leader Comrade" (Chinaehanun Jidoja Tongji) since the end of the 1960s. The title of "Dear Leader" has also been applied --…
“Paper currencies don’t float, they just sink at different rates”
"Currencies do not float, they sink at different rates" is a line popularized by Clyde C. Harrison, a popular financial speaker. Harrison was referring to what is called paper currency or…
Royal Bull Shit (Royal Bank of Scotland or RBS nickname)
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was formed in 1727; its U.S. branch is the Citizens Financial Group (Citizens Bank). The obvious RBS nickname of "Royal B.S." (Royal Bull Shit) has been…
Fed (Federal Reserve)
"The Fed" stands for the Federal Reserve System. "Fed" has meant "federalist" since at least 1788; "fed" has meant "an official of the federal…
Crack Hill (Park Hill, Staten Island)
The Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island was known for its crime in the 1980s and 1990s. The nickname "Crack Hill" has been cited in print since at least 1988. Park Hill has also been…
Killa Hill or Killer Hill (Park Hill, Staten Island)
The Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island was known for its crime in the 1980s and 1990s. The nickname "Killa Hill" (or "Killah Hill" or "Killer Hill") has been…
Chancy Street (Chauncey Street, Brooklyn)
Chauncey Street, in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, is a high crime area. It was reported, in July 2011, that Chauncey Street is nicknamed "Chancy Street." Google…
Debtmageddon (debt + Armageddon)
"Debtmageddon" (debt + Armageddon) became a popular term in July 2011, as the federal government discussed raising the nation's debt ceiling and debated cutting spending (to decrease…
“Miracle on the Hudson” (US Airways Flight 1549)
US Airways Flight 1549 was scheduled to fly from New York's LaGuardia Airport to the Charlotte.Douglas International Airport on January 15, 2009. A flock of Canada Geese got caught in the…
“Manhattan on the Maas” (Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherland and the largest port in Europe, has been nicknamed "Manhattan on the Maas" or "Manhattan on the Meuse" (the Nieuwe Maas/New…
MoMath (Museum of Mathematics)
The Museum of Mathematics was announced in June 2011 for an opening in 2012 at 11 East 26th Street in Manhattan. The museum has been nicknamed "MoMath" by its founders, with a trademark…
“Terrorism is the poor man’s war” (“War is the rich man’s terrorism”)
The actor/writer Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) wrote in 2003, "Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich." The term "terrorism is the poor man's…
“Gas, Grass or Ass—Nobody rides for free”
"Gas, Grass or Ass -- Nobody Rides Free!" was a popular bumper sticker, cited in print since at least May 1978. The message means that, to pay for a ride, the driver will accept gas…
UTEP Two-Step (basketball dribble)
The "UTEP two-step" is a crossover dribble developed by Tim Hardaway of the University of Texas-El Paso Miners basketball team. Hardaway was watching on television Dwayne…
Devil’s Metal (silver nickname)
Nickel has long been called the "devil's copper" or the "devil's metal." Copper is called "Kupfer" in German and nickel is "Kupfernickel." The…
Doctor of Democracy
Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh first called himself the "Doctor of Democracy" in April 1993. The title was meant to show that Limbaugh promotes freedom and liberty…
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" was a conservation motto during World War II, popularized in 1942-43. The saying was frequently credited to New England. "Eat it…
“The last ten hits (to 3,000 career hits) are the hardest”
New York Yankee Derek Jeter joined an exclusive baseball club when he got his 3,000 base hit on July 9, 2011. A month earlier, 3,000-hit-club member Tony Gwynn had advised Jeter, "Fortunately,…
“Politicians, old buildings and prostitutes become respectable with age”
The movie Chinatown (1974), written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Polanski, contained the following memorable line, spoken by the actor-director John Huston: "'Course I'm…