Americanisms
Commonly spoken in the American theater before a performance, this seemingly negative idiom actually means "Good luck!"
What is "break a leg"?
Patented in 1873, these sturdy, riveted trousers were originally designed for gold miners and cowboys.
What are "jeans"?
This neon-orange powdered cheese snack brand once launched a formal campaign to get its mascot, Chester Cheetah, onto the U.S. presidential ballot.
What are "Cheetos"?
Bo and Sunny, two dogs of this hypoallergenic breed, roamed the White House during the Obama administration.
What is a "Portuguese Water Dog"?
In 1947, the military claimed a crashed object in this New Mexico city was a weather balloon, but ufologists swear it was a flying saucer.
What is "Roswell"?
This dessert-themed, three-word phrase describes a task or situation that is incredibly easy to accomplish.
What is a "piece of cake"?
In 1937, Bausch & Lomb developed these glare-reducing, tint-changing glasses for U.S. Army pilots, sparking a massive summer fashion trend.
What are aviator sunglasses / Ray-Bans?
Joey Chestnut is a legendary champion of this competitive eating contest held annually at Coney Island every July 4th.
What is the "Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest"?
In 1952, this future president saved his spot on the Republican ticket with a speech centering on his Cocker Spaniel named Checkers.
Who is "Richard Nixon"?
This giant, ape-like creature is the star of cryptography, but skeptics say the famous 1967 film is just a man in a suit.
What is "Bigfoot"?
If someone ignores your text messages and abruptly cuts off all communication without warning, they have done this to you.
What is "ghosted"?
11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda powder, water, and a stirring stick on his porch overnight in 1905, accidentally creating this frozen treat.
What is a "popsicle"?
This president's 1829 inauguration party became so rowdy that White House staff had to move the liquor outside to get guests to leave.
Who is Andrew Jackson?
President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge had a menagerie of pets including a set of lion cubs, a wallaby, a pygmy hippo, and a black bear. Their most famous pet, Rebecca, was this nocturnal animal, who participated in events like the White House Easter egg roll.
What is a "raccoon"?
This infamous 1990s conspiracy theory alleged that a high-level covert government project was quietly preparing global networks to crash at midnight on December 31, 1999.
What is the "Y2K Bug"?
This expression, meaning to hide your true intentions or emotions behind a completely blank, unreadable facial expression, comes directly from high-stakes poker games.
What is a "poker face"?
Mechanical engineer Richard James accidentally dropped a tension spring in 1943 and watched it "walk" across the floor, inspiring this toy.
What is a "slinky"?
This President hosted a star-studded 1985 White House dinner where Princess Diana famously danced with actor John Travolta in the Cross Hall.
Who is "Ronald Reagan"?
Legend claims that President John Quincy Adams kept a pet reptile of this type in a bathtub of the newly renovated East Room, who he would bring out to scare visitors.
What is an "alligator"?
A terrifying 32-foot-tall blue horse statue with glowing red eyes known as "Blucifer" guards this airport, which is rumored to be the secret underground headquarters for the Illuminati.
What is "The Denver International Airport"?
This phrase means to pursue a completely false lead or look for something in the wrong place, evoking a hunting hound focused on an empty tree where an animal used to be.
What is "barking up the wrong tree"?
Frustrated by weak water pistols, NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson used a heat pump nozzle in 1989 to invent this high-pressure water toy blaster.
What is the "Super Soaker"?
In 2012, this California city suffered an epic 4th of July tech mishap when a computer glitch accidentally detonated all 7,000 (18 minutes' worth) of its fireworks simultaneously in less than 20 seconds.
What is San Diego?
This president's 6 children had a variety of unusual pets while living at the White House, including snakes, guinea pigs, flying squirrels, lizards, barn owls, bears, parrots, Fierce the one-legged rooster, Shetland ponies, Bill the hyena, a zebra, a coyote, Josiah the badger, and others, who frequently roamed both inside and outside the White House.
Who is Theodore/Teddy Roosevelt?
David Icke popularized the bizarre theory that the global elite is entirely made up of shape-shifting versions of these cold-blooded animals.
What are "reptilians / lizard people"?