NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)
"NIMBY" (Not In My Back Yard) has been cited in print since at least 1978, and went viral in 1980. The "NIMBY" term has been said to have been coined by Walton Rodger of Nuclear…
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Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Competitive eating contests have been held since at least the 19th century. It's not known when the first "hot dog-eating contest" was held. Nathan's often claims that it held…
“Pie in the sky”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Pie in the skyPie in the sky is a phrase that means a fanciful notion or ludicrous concept. It was apparently coined by Joe Hill in his song "The Preacher…
Fish-Wrap or Fish-Wrapper (a bad newspaper, good only to “wrap fish in”)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)fish-wrap adj. and n. N. Amer. colloq. (depreciative) (a) adj. of, relating to, or designating a low-quality publication, esp. a newspaper; (b)…
Hot Dog Diplomacy
Can hot dog eating among nations promote world peace? in June 1939, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited the king and queen of England to eat hot dogs at Hyde Park, New York. The term…
Feather Test
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Hobby EconomistSaturday, May 9, 2009Stressed Out(...)History repeats in the short sighted news cycle of the day. The same people have developed new risk models. The…
Greek Nachos (Mediterranean Nachos; Pita Nachos; Pitachos)
"Greek nachos" (also called "Mediterranean nachos") is another variation of Tex-Mex nachos. Tortilla chips are usually replaced with pita bread and feta cheese is used. Other…
“Buy stocks that go up; if they don’t go up, don’t buy them” (Will Rogers)
In his syndicated column of November 1, 1929 (appearing in the New York Times and other newspapers), humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) reflected on the recent stock market crash and said:…
OPM (Other People’s Money)
Entry in progress -- B.P. BusinessDictionary.comother people's money (OPM) Money borrowed as unsecured loans, or contributed by smaller stockholders (shareholders). Equated with its…
Black Wall Street
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: The Black Wall StreetThe Black Wall Street can refer to: . Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma . Jackson Ward, Richmond, Virginia . Parrish Street, in Durham, North…
“Today is a gift—that’s why it’s called the present”
"Today is a gift -- that's why it's called the present" has been cited in print since at least 1993 and possibly originated on a Hallmark greeting card. The newspaper comic…
“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note”
Art Rust., Jr. signed off his WABC (New York City) sports talk radio show with: "Yesterday is a canceled check. Tomorrow is just a promissory note. Today is the only time we have so spend it…
Ball Orchard (Big Ball Orchard in the South Bronx = Yankee Stadium)
Hugh S. Fullerton (1873-1945) began calling baseball parks "ball orchards" in the Chicago (IL) Tribune in 1905. Yankee Stadium (located in the Bronx) first opened in 1923. By the 1930s,…
“Wake up and smell the coffee”
"Wake up!" is an admonition for someone to get a true sense of reality. People often drink coffee in the morning; the full phrase of "Wake up and smell the coffee!" has been…
Kentucky Nachos
"Kentucky nachos" is a variation of nachos. Like potachos, "Kentucky nachos" replaces tortillas chips with potato chips. Barbecued pulled pork is a featured ingredient, and blue…
“Get a $100 lock and a $50 bike” (bicycle adage)
Bicycles frequently get stolen in New York City. In a New York (NY) Times "Spokes" blog column on June 9, 2009, Sean Patrick Farrell wrote that it's "an old saying in New York…
“Raise your kids in Midland; raise hell in Odessa”
Midland and Odessa are two West Texas cities with different identities. "Raise your kids in Midland -- raise hell in Odessa" is a local saying that dates in print to at least 1982.…
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
"KISS" (also called the "KISS principle" or "KISS system") usually stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Like the harmless kiss, the KISS principle -- used in…
Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (“AIDA” of marketing)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: AIDA (marketing)AIDA is an acronym used in marketing that describes a common list of events that are very often undergone when a person is selling a product or…
“Always Be Closing” (“ABC” of selling)
"Always be closing" (the ABC's of selling) dates in print to at least 1950. The phrase was popularized by David Mamet's awarding-winning play, Glengarry Glen Ross, which opened…