“Sunshine and Lollipops” (“Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows”)
"Sunshine and lollipops" means an idealized (and usually unrealistic) utopia of wonderful things. The political commentator Glenn Beck has used the term frequently since 2006, often in…
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“Will work for food”
"Will work for food' is a saying that might appear on a crudely written cardboard sign, carried by a homeless person. It's the picture of despair. Although the saying seemingly dates…
Banana Republic
The banana-growing nations of Central America were called "banana republics' in the 1900s. Short story writer O. Henry (1862-1910) used the term "banana republic" in several of…
Public Appendix (Public Advocate nickname)
New York City's Public Advocate's office (formerly called the President of the City Council) was created in 1993 as a public watchdog to serve as a check on the mayor's office.…
Bunnette
The Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest is famous for its "gurgitators" (eaters), but it also has "bunnettes." A "bunnette" (from the hot dog…
Peaches and Cream
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Peaches and CreamPeaches and Cream is a dessert made of peaches and cream. It is often served at ice cream stands and float shops. Many types of hard candy,…
Crepesadilla (crepe + quesadilla)
"Crepesadilla" is the name for a food that's part "crepe" and part "quesadilla." Like the quesadilla, the crepesadilla contains cheese and other fillings. Like…
“Tipping is not a city in China”
"Tipping is not a city in China" is a sentence placed on many restaurant tip jars, a friendly reminder to the customers that tips are welcome. The saying dates to at least 1975, when New…
Texlahoma (Tex-La-Homa)
"Texlahoma" can mean the areas of the states of Texas and Oklahoma. The term is often written as "Tex-La-Homa," meaning the areas of the states of Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.…
Lincoln Log Sandwich (hot dog with cream cheese)
In May 2007, The Sopranos (an Italian-American television drama set in New Jersey) featured a sandwich called "Lincoln Logs" -- split hot dogs filled with cream cheese. It is not known…
TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party
Tea parties were held across America on April 15, 2009 (tax day) and July 4, 2009 (Independence Day) to protest runaway government spending and bailouts. The events were based on the Boston tea…
“In God we trust (all others pay cash)”
"In God we trust" was the motto of a Philadelphia regiment in 1748. Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner" (1814) contains the words "In God is our trust."…
SOLE Food (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical)
SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) food -- a pun on "soul food" -- was coined by The Ethicurean blog in May 2006. "Ethicurean" is also an invented word; SOLEfood.com…
Cash Cow
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cash cowIn business, a cash cow is a product or a business unit that generates unusually high profit margins: so high that it is responsible for a large amount…
“Comes the revolution, everyone will eat strawberries and cream!”
In the Broadway production of Ballyhoo of 1932, Willie Howard (1886-1949) and his brother Eugene Howard (1991-1965) played in a skit where a soap-box orator told some Columbus Circle (New York…
“If you have to ask, then you probably can’t afford it” (J. P. Morgan?)
"If you have to ask, you (probably) can't afford it" is a saying used to describe purchases of expensive products, such as homes, cars and jewelry. Financier J. P. Morgan (1837-1913)…
“Eat ‘em and Beat ‘em” (Exchange Buffet)
The first Exchange Buffet ("E & B") restaurant opened in 1885 on New Street, near the New York Stock Exchange. The restaurants operated on the honor system -- patrons took food from…
Triple Bottom Line
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Triple bottom lineThe triple bottom line (abbreviated as "TBL" or "3BL", and also known as "people, planet, profit" ) captures an…
Bottom Line (Bottom-Line)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Net incomeNet income is equal to the income that a firm has after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue. Net income can be distributed among…
Square Meal
"Square meal" is a term that appears to have originated in California by 1856. It is sometimes claimed that "square meal" comes from England's Royal Navy (where meals were…