Elmo effect
n.— «People were referring to it as the “Elmo effect” because it got people into the stores way ahead of what is normally seen as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season.» —“Hot-selling US toy Elmo was well-kept secret before debut” in East Aurora, New York International Herald Tribune (Paris, France) Dec. 19, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Nancy Gabriel from Ithaca, New York, recalls her father’s no-nonsense responses to minor injuries when she was a child: After making sure she was really all right, he’d say, It’s far enough from your heart; it won’t kill you. Other times he might...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...