Arthur in New Bern, North Carolina, wonders why we say something that isn’t difficult is as easy as pie when making a pie is a whole lot of work. This phrase most likely refers to the ease of eating a pie, not making one. This is part of a complete...
Paul in Centerville, Massachusetts, says his parents, who hail from Brooklyn, New York, always referred to a fire hydrant as a Johnny pump. This term is largely confined to New York City, and may derive from the fact that these sources of water were...
A woman in Hudson, New York, says her boyfriend, who grew up on Long Island, uses the expression call out sick, meaning “to phone an employer to say you’re not coming to work because you’re ill.” But she uses the phrase call in sick to mean the very...
Jonathan in Santa Monica, California, grew up on Long Island saying he was going to mow food down, meaning eat it very fast. He found an Urban Dictionary entry labeling the expression Northeastern, though people from around the country also reported...
bandit barrier n.— «Kelly said there needs to be a return to the measures put in place in 2003, such as the installation of the bullet-resistant glass, better known as “bandit barriers.”» —“NYPD’s Kelly: Banks need more protection” by Rocco...
cuisine trail n.— «A plan to authorize more “cuisine trails,” including as many as 10 “apple trails” and 10 trails that could include several different foods and wines. The idea is to boost tourism and agriculture products.» —“Paterson’s signs...
