Harm City
"Harm City" is the perhaps inevitable variant of Baltimore's nickname, "Charm City." It implies a charmless Baltimore that's full of crime. 22 February 1992, Baltimore…
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Sputniks (Metropolitan Opera House chandeliers)
The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center has "starburst" chandeliers than many have called "Sputniks," after the Russian satellite. The chandeliers were a gift from the…
Stone Belt (Kidney Stone Belt)
The "stone belt" (also called the "kidney stone belt") is the area of the United States where people experience the most kidney stones. The term "stone belt" dates to…
City That Lifted Its Face (Weslaco nickname)
The city of Weslaco decided in the 1930s that it wanted to look more like a Spanish village. Buildings on both sides of Texas Avenue (the main street) were given white stucco facades in a Spanish…
City With the Neon Skyline (Weslaco nickname)
The city of Weslaco added neon lighting to its business district in 1936-1937. For a brief time, Weslaco was called the "City With the Neon Skyline." The lights were intended to highlight…
Buharlem or Bukharlem (Bukhara + Harlem)
Queens -- specifically Rego Park and Forest Hills -- is home to many Bukharan Jews from Central Asia, the result of emigration since the 1970s. Rego Park is sometimes given a "-stan"…
Bukharan Broadway or Bukharian Broadway (108th Street in Rego Park, Queens)
Queens -- specifically Rego Park and Forest Hills -- is home to many Bukharan Jews from Central Asia, the result of emigration since the 1970s. Rego Park is sometimes given a "-stan"…
“God bless Texas” (“God blessed Texas”)
"God bless Texas" is a phrase that can be seen on many Texas gift items -- the phrase can even be purchased for a Texas special license plate. The official Texas state song, "Texas,…
Rego Parkistan or Regostan (Rego Park)
Rego Park in Queens has welcomed many immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia. These countries (such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, but usually not including…
Roadhouse (Road House)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Roadhouse (facility)In Australia A roadhouse is a service station in a rural area specifically aimed to service passing traffic on a major intercity route. A…
Bat Bridge (Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin)
"Bat Bridge" is an obvious nickname for the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. That's the bridge where the bats hang out until they start to fly away at dusk.…
McHattan (McDonald’s + Manhattan)
"McHattan" is a blend of "Manhattan" and "McDonald's." The "Mc" prefix has been applied to many words, such as "McJob." "McHattan"…
Wine Ice Cream
Mercer's Dairy in Boonville, New York (Oneida County), introduced wine ice cream in 2007. In July 2008, the New York State legislature approved the manufacture and sale of wine ice cream; a…
“You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.” (Men’s Wearhouse)
Men's Wearhouse was founded in Houston, in 1973, by George Zimmer. Zimmer appears in Men's Wearhouse commercials, saying: "You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee…
Adopt-a-Highway
Adopt-a-Highway programs began in Texas in 1984-1985. James R. "Bobby' Evans, an engineer at the Texas Department of Transportation, noticed the need for cleaner highways when he saw…
“Start Here. Get There.” (Austin Community College)
"Start Here. Get There." is the slogan of Austin Community College, trademarked from 1999. The college emphasizes that it's a good place for local residents to start a career. ACC…
“Make it a Blockbuster night” (Blockbuster)
Blockbuster Inc. began with a Dallas video store in 1985. The entertainment rental store is now the largest such chain in the world, headquartered at the Renaissance Tower in Dallas. "Make it…
“The energy to take you anywhere” (Valero Energy Corporation)
Valero Energy Corporation began in 1980 and takes its name from Mission San Antonio de Valero (better known as the Alamo). The San Antonio-based energy company has many gas stations throughout…
Texas Schmexas (Texas Shmexas)
"Fancy schmancy" (less frequently spelled "fancy shmancy") is a Yiddish expression from the early 1900s, meaning that something may be "fancy," but that it's…
Wham Bam Tram or A Streetcar Named Disaster (Houston’s MetroRail)
The city of Houston's MetroRail system is 7.5 miles of light rail, first opened in 2004. MetroRail had so many accidents in its first months of operation that it was being dubbed the…