“In the weeds”
"In the weeds" is restaurant slang for "lost,' meaning that a waiter or waitress is so swamped with work that he or she is "lost in the weeds" and can't possibly…
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“And nobody got hurt!”
"And nobody got hurt!" was the catchphrase of New York City television sports new anchor Len Berman. Berman had a segment on WNBC called "Spanning the World," featuring…
New York City’s Official Apple Proposal—Newtown Pippin (2009)
In 2009, an effort was made to declare the Newtown Pippin the official apple of the Big Apple. Newtown -- now called Elmhurst, Queens -- had a creek; some time about the 1730s, Gershom Moore…
Bacontrepreneur (bacon + entrepreneur)
"Bacontrepreneur" (bacon + entrepreneur) is a term coined by Seattle's Justin Esch and Dave Lefow in 2007, with the introduction of their product, Bacon Salt. The term…
Bronx Vanilla (garlic)
"Bronx vanilla" has been the diner lingo term for "garlic" since the 1930s. The term is historical and is not used today. Other diner lingo names for garlic include…
“I scream for ice cream” (“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”)
"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream" is the title of a popular 1927 song. However, the spelling "I scream" for "ice cream" has been used in New York…
Texaplex
"Texaplex" was trademarked in October 2008 by David Winans of David Winans GMAC Real Estate. A "Texaplex" video was made about Texas real estate that was distributed on YouTube…
Gourmonster (gourmet/gourmand + monster)
On April 22, 2009, a New York (NY) Post story by Carla Spartos was titled: "Gourmonsters: They're the food police, and they think they're better than you." The new word is a…
“Chocolate milk comes from brown cows” (“Chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows”)
Chocolate milk has been a popular product since the 1920s. The old joke is that city children are so unfamiliar about where food comes from that they believe "chocolate milk comes from brown…
“A woman’s place is in the kitchen”
"A woman's place is in the home" is a phrase that -- with different wording -- dates from at least classical Greece. "A woman's place is in the bosom of her family" is…
Arugulance (arugula + arrogance)
"Arugulance" was popularized by Maureen Dowd's New York (NY) Times column, titled "The Aura of Arugulance," published online April 18, 2009. Dowd had been talking about the…
Toddy (Hot Toddy)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Hot toddyHot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot, believed to have originated in the 18th century to make the taste of Scotch more…
Georgia Ice Cream (grits)
Grits are served in many states in the American South (such as Georgia). During World War II, soldiers called grits "Georgia ice cream." The jocular nickname is still used from Georgia to…
Cocktail Franks (Cocktail Weiners; Cocktail Wieners; Cocktail Weenies)
"Cocktail franks" are small-sized frankfurters often served with a toothpick as hors d'oeuvres during a cocktail hour. Prohibition ended in the United States on December 5, 1933;…
Baked Apple (New York City with legalized marijuana)
On April 20, 2009 ("420" is slang for marijuana), High Times magazine held an annual party and beauty pageant in New York City. The sponsor hoped to “turn the Big Apple into the Baked…
“What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm!”
What's worse than finding a worm in an apple that you're eating? Finding half a worm! (Meaning that one has eaten the other half.) This popular joke appears to have started in 1911. The…
“High taxes don’t redistribute income, they redistribute people”
Entry in progress -- B.P. BizzyBlogNovember 30, 2005Voting with Our Feet, Part 5: Willisms Looks at State Migration Patterns(...)COMMENTSGeorge Gilder summed it up years ago. “Taxes don’t…
The Shack (police reporters area)
"The shack" is the name for the police reporters' room on the second floor of One Police Plaza (built in 1973), near the Brooklyn Bridge. In 2009, the police department announced…
“Why did the skeleton go to the BBQ?”/“He needed some spare ribs!”
"Question: Why did the skeleton go to the barbecue? Answer: He needed some spare ribs!" This joke (cited in print since at least 2000) has appeared in many joke books, especially…
Down Home Cooking
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Free Dictionarydown-home (American)down-home things are simple and typical of life in the countryside (always before noun) It's a diner with down-home American…