Random.
Buffalo, NY Dictionary:
ALLENTOWN - a historic neighborhood in the
vicinity of Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue,
just north of Downtown Buffalo. Allentown
is home of one of the nation's largest historic
preservation districts and the Allentown Art Festival,
the country's largest outdoor art festival.
Allentown the Buffalo neighborhood is not
to be confused with Allentown, Pennsylvania.
See also BOYS TOWN.
ALL PAPER - signifies a bingo game that
does not use reusable bingo cards.
The cards in an "all paper" game consists of a pad
with many newsprint bingo sheets.
Numbers are marked by a bingo marker or
crayon, and a used sheet is torn off
the pad at the end of the round.
THE AUD - Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium
in Downtown Buffalo, former home of the Buffalo Sabres
and a growing number of unusual ...
okay, schlock sports teams like the Buffalo Bandits
(lacrosse) and the Buffalo Stampede (roller hockey).
BACKHOUSE - a house in the back of a
(usually narrow) lot which contains more
than one freestanding house, the other
being in the front of the parcel by
the street (fronthouse).
Common on Buffalo's West Side and in Black Rock.
See also REAR.
BARFALO - a nickname for Buffalo
used by Canadians, particulatly
those in the Hamilton and Toronto area.
The term is usually intended to evoke
memories of Buffalo's decline in importance compared
to the Toronto area. Barfalo can also refer to
the city's abundance of bars and late last call
(4:00 AM) compared to Canadian cities.
BEEF ON WECK - a roast beef sandwich on a salty kimmelweck roll.
A Beef on Weck is considered a local delicacy,
ranking with chicken wings, char-broiled hot dogs and Texas Hots.
BEEF ON WICK - alternative spelling
and pronunciation of Beef on Weck,
usually used by older Buffalonians and eastern suburbanites.
THE BIG BLUE WATER TOWER -
a large, blue, somewhat phallic water
tower in the Town of Amherst, used as a landmark
by radio traffic reporters for the interchange
of the Youngmann Expressway (I-290)
with the New York State Thruway (I-90).
BLUE - Labatt's Blue Beer.
BUFF STATE - SUNY College at Buffalo.
Not to be confused with UB. See also MUFF STATE.
BUMPER SKATING -
hanging of the bumper of a car and sliding
with it along an ice-covered street.
See also POGEYING, SKEDDING, SKEECHING.
THE BOULEVARD - Niagara Falls Boulevard,
one of the area's suburban strip shopping areas.
The Boulevard is rapidly transforming
from a tacky 1960s era commercial
strip to the region's largest and busiest retail center.
BON-TON - the name of the York,
Pennsylvania-based department store
chain which bought out AM&As. French
for "good tone," roughly equivalent in meaning to "good taste".
BOYS TOWN - a nickname for the
Allentown neighborhood, so called
because of the relatively high concentration
of male residents which practice an "alternative lifestyle."
See also ALLENTOWN.
BREWER'S RETAIL - government-owned beer
stores in Canada. Ontario law prohibits
the sales of alcoholic beverages in supermarkets,
convenience stores and other related outlets.
See also BLUE.
BUTTANA - Italian profanity meaning "c**t."
Often used among Buffalo area Italian-Americans
to describe a woman with loose morals.
CANADIAN BALLET - a strip joint in Fort Erie
or Niagara Falls, Ontario. Full nudity and lap
dances are permitted by adult entertainment establishments
(strip joints) in Ontario; thus there is a high concentration
of them in Canadian border towns, but relatively
few on the American side.
CANISHIT COLLEGE - derogatory term
for Canisius College. See also BIFFER,
GOOD CATHOLIC FUN, NEO-PREPPY.
CARRIAGE HOUSE - a freestanding garage-type building
which was used at one time for quartering horses,
but later converted to a residential structure.
Carriage houses are usually behind older homes,
particularly mansions, in Buffalo's Delaware District.
See also BACKHOUSE.
CHAR-BROILED HOT - a hot dog cooked on a charcoal grill.
Char-broiled hots are considered a local delicacy,
with the mini-chain Ted's known as serving up the best examples.
CHEEKTOVEGAS - a nickname for the Town
of Cheektowaga, referring to the predilection
of Cheektowagans for tacky art,
both inside and outside of their homes.
CHIAVETTA - barbecued chicken served at lawn fetes
(see definition), named for the catering company
that usually provides it. (sign ex.-
"Our Lady of the Blessed Shroud Lawn Fete - Rides, Bands, Games, Chiavetta").
The word is quickly becoming a generic word for barbecued chicken -
"Let's gota' Boston Chicken's and get some Chiavetta.
" See also LAWN FETE.
CHOWDER - chicken chowder, a tomato/chicken/vegetable "soup"
that is >> primarily known in Niagara Country,
traditionally served at volunteer fire department field days.
THE CITY OF GOOD NEIGHBORS -
one of Buffalo's many nicknames,
refering to the hospitality of its residents.
THE CITY OF NO ILLUSIONS -
a nickname for Buffalo popularized by
T-shirts sold by New Buffalo Graphics
on Elmwood Avenue. The phrase, conceived in the early 1980s
, refers to the good news-bad news nature of living
in Buffalo and coping with its occasional setbacks,
like plant closings and Super Bowl losses.
CRICK - creek, stream or other small flowing body of water.
CROSS-BORDER COMMUTING -
the act of a Canadian citizen residing
in the United States, particularly
Buffalo or its suburbs, and commuting
to their job in Canada, taking advantage
of lower housing costs in the United States.
CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING - the act of
Canadian citizens shopping in the United States,
particularly Buffalo-area shopping malls and supermarkets,
to take advantage of lower prices and taxes.
(ex.- "Gordy and Louise drove all the way
from Mississauga to do some cross-border shopping.")
DERE - Cheektowaga accent/Polish
ethnolect pronunciation of "there,"
sometimes used at the end of sentences
(see example in the DUPA definition),
much like Canadians use "eh?". Occasionally spelled "der."
DOOVILLE - The Buffalonain pronounciation
of D'Youville College, a small,
four year institution of higher learning
on the West Side known for its allied health programs.
DUPA - Polish for "butt." Used as an insult
among Buffalo area Polish- Americans.
(ex.- "Stash, you dupa, you have to
hook up the fire hose before you open the hydrant dere!")
THE EASTTOWNS - the eastern suburbs
of Buffalo, including Cheektowaga, Sloan Village,
Depew Village, Lancaster, Lancaster Village and Alden.
Seldom used, in comparison to
"the Northtowns" and "the Southtowns."
EGGERTSVILLE - a neighborhood in the Town of Amherst,
in the proximity of the intersection of Main Street
and Eggert Road, adjacent to the northeast corner
of the City of Buffalo. Eggertsville contains some
of Buffalo's most affluent neighborhoods,
and was developed from the late 1920s to the early 1950s
. Because Eggertsville has its own mailing address,
separate from Amherst, it is often mistakenly
considered a separate town or entity.
THE FAIR - the Erie County Fair,
held for two weeks at the end of August.
The Erie County Fair is the United States'
largest county fair, despite the urban nature
of Erie County, and traditionally marks the end of summer.
FISH FRY - a breaded, often beer-battered fish,
traditionally served in most Buffalo area restaurants
on Friday. Many Catholics do not eat red meat on Friday
because of an (outdated) prohibition on eating meat that
day by the Catholic Church, so many restaurants serve fish fry
as an alternative. Unlike wings,
it is impossible to find a bad fish fry.
FLAT - a dwelling unit in a multi-family house where
one apartment is above the other ("two-flat" or "three-flat").
Flat is considered a British English word,
but its usage is quite common in Buffalo.
FORT MAKOWSKI - a plan by former Buffalo
Mayor Stanley Makowski to build a maze-like
stricture around the McKinley Monument in Niagara Square.
Loud protest by citizen groups and preservationists
blocked Fort Makowski from ever being built.
FRONT - (1) the front unit in a multi-family telescoping
house which has one unit in the front, another in the back.
(2) the main house on a lot which has a carriage house
or other smaller freestanding dwellings in the rear
of the lot. (3) see also FRONTHOUSE.
FRONTHOUSE - the house at the front of a
(usually narrow) lot which contains more than one
freestanding house, the other(s) being in the rear
of the parcel (backhouse). Common on Buffalo's West Side. See also FRONT.
FUNGULA - Italian for "f**k." Often pronounced
fahn-GOOO. Fungala is used interchangably with
the English profanity by many Buffalo area
Italian- Americans.
(ex.-"Fungula! Nova's put friggin' anchovies on 'dis pizza!")
GALLERIA MALL - the Walden Galleria.
Many locals call the Walden Galleria the
"Galleria Mall" because all enclosed
shopping centers previous to its opening had the suffix "mall."
Buffalo had no "squares," "centers," "commons,"
"fairs" or "gallerias," common suffizes for shopping
center names in other parts of the country.
Because the habit of calling a shopping center
"[something] Mall" was hard to break, people
just naturally added the non-existent "mall" sufix
to the Galleria when it first opened.
GENNY - Genesee Beer. Sometimes spelled "Jenny."
See also GREEN DEATH, POUNDERS, SCREAMERS.
GOLDEN - Molson Golden Ale.
GOOD CATHOLIC FUN - engaging in an activity
traditionally overrepresented by Canisius College
or Catholic single-sex high school students
(Canisius High, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, Bishop Timon,
Nardin Academy, Sacred Heart Academy, ad infinitum)
such as crew, ordering from J. Crew, lacrosse or hanging
out in a bar with lots of wood and brass. Good Catholic Fun
activities are usually preppy in nature, as opposed to more
blue-collar Catholic church-related entertainment
such as lawn fetes (see definition),
bingo and spaghetti dinners.
See also BIFFER, CANISHIT COLLEGE, NEO-PREPPY.
GORDY - derogatory term for a Canadian.
Supposedly, many Canadians are named Gordy.
Someone who is real Canadian can be called a "Gordy McGordy,"
or, as many Buffalo area waiters and waitresses say,
"Donut-eatin', eh-sayin', factory outlet shoppin',
curling playin', high stickin', one A.M. bar closin',
buyin' gas by the liter and Molson by the two-four,
low tipping Gordy. See also NORK.
GREEK RESTAURANT - An independently-owned
"family-style" table service restaurant or diner.
Many restaurants of this type in the Buffalo
area are owned by Greek immigrants.
See also "ORIGINAL HOME OF THE SOUVLAKI."
GREEN DEATH - Genesee Cream Ale.
See also GENNY, POUNDERS, SCREAMERS.
GREEN LIGHTNING - a short-lived neon
sculpture displayed in the median strip of the
Kensington Expressway near Downtown Buffalo,
which depicted four dancing penises.
Green Lightning was ordered removed by then-mayor
Jimmy Griffin after it was first unveiled.
(Buffalo was known for its many examples
of public neon art, much of which has fallen into disrepair.)
See also JIMMY.
GROUND FLAT - see LOWER FLAT.
GST - Goods and Services Tax, charged on most
purchases in Canada. The GST is often called
"Go South Tax" and "Go Shop in Tonawanda"
by some wittier Canadians. See also CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING.
HOME OF THE ORIGINAL SOUVLAKI -
What every one of Buffalo's 100+ Greek
restaurants claims to be. See also GREEK RESTAURANT.
HYDRO - Canadian English for "electricity.
" Most electric utility companies in Canada
are named "[region] Hydro," and the word evolved
to become equivalent with "electric".
Appliances are not plugged into the
electrical socket, but rather the "hydro socket."
INFILL - the act of building new homes on vacant lots
located close to the center of the city.
Many parts of Buffalo's Lower East
Side are experiencing a large amount
of infill development.
IRON ISLAND - a nickname for
Buffalo's Lovejoy neighborhood. "Iron Island"
refers to the neighborhood being completely
surrounded by railroad tracks. Lovejoy is a
working and middle class neighborhood whose
residents are mostly of Polish and Italian descent.
THE ISLAND - The town of Grand Island, located
between the Town of Tonawanda and the city of
Niagara Falls. The Island is isolated from the New York
State mainland by the East and West Branches of
the Niagara River, and is accessible only by crossing
one of the Niagara Thruway (I-90) bridges
on the north and south end of the town.
JIMMY - James D. Griffin, the previous mayor of Buffalo.
Jimmy was known for being in office practically forever
(1978-1993), his short temper and colorful personality.
Originator of the phrase "Go get a six-pack."
See also GREEN LIGHTNING.
THE KENSINGTON - the Kensington Expressway
(NY 33), the primary arterial between Downtown
Buffalo and the eastern suburbs. While traffic
reporters and locals refer to "the Kensington",
it is not named on any signs.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW - snow generated when
moisture-laden winds pass over Lake Erie.
(Perhaps a meterologist can offer a more detailed technical explanation.)
LAWN FETE - an outdoor carnival held at a
Roman Catholic church, usually during the summer.
(Protestant churches do not have lawn fetes,
because there are very few of them in Buffalo
and their congregations are much smaller than
the massive Catholic patrishes.) See also CHIAVETTA.
LIGHT RAIL - see METRO RAIL.
LOGANBERRY - An uncarbonated
fruit drink made from loganberry juice.
LOWER - see LOWER FLAT.
LOWER FLAT - the downstairs
or "lower" apartment in a two-flat
residence. See also FLAT, TWO FLAT, UPPER FLAT.
THE MAINLINE - the New York State
Thruway (I-90), excluding the Niagara
Thruway (I-190).
MARY ON THE HALF SHELL - display of a
Virgin Mary statue under a partially buried,
upright clawfoot bathtub or similar object.
More common in blue collar eastern suburbs
(Cheektowaga, Depew, Sloan) than other areas.
See also POLISH PORCH.
METRO - (1) Canadian terminology for Toronto,
because it has what s called a "metropolitan" form
of government with shared services among several
suburban communties. This term is often heard but
rarely used by United States residents.
(2) see METRO RAIL.
METRO BUS - the NFTA (see definition)
bus system, serving Erie and Niagara counties.
See also NFTA, METRO RAIL.
METRO RAIL - Buffalo's rapid transit system.
Sometimes called "light rail" because the trains
are powered by overhead wires, as opposed to
"Heavy rail" which is powered by a third rail
along the tracks. Also called "the train to nowhere,
" since the system is far from complete.
See also METRO BUS, NFTA.
MEXICAN - A sundae consisting of vanilla ice cream,
chocolate syrup and topped with spanish peanuts
(the salty red ones w/skins).
THE MISTAKE ON THE LAKE - a nickname
used for Buffalo during the 1970s, then the
city's overall future was in doubt.
"The Mistake on the Lake" more commonly refers to Cleveland.
MUFF STATE - SUNY College at Buffalo
(Buffalo State College), so called because
of the school's high ratio of women to men,
and their reported liberal attitude towards
casual sex.
See also BUFF STATE.
THE NAP - North Americare Park,
a baseball stadium in downtown
Buffalo that was formerly called Pilot Field.
NIAGARA - Canadian terminology for the region
that includes the cities of Fort Erie, Port Colborne,
Welland, Thorold, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines
in Ontario, excluding any parts of the United States.
Rarely used by United States residents.
(ex.- The QEW passes through Niagara on the way to Toronto.)
THE NIAGARA FRONTIER - A nickname for
the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area,
including Erie and Niagara Counties in New York
state and the Regional Municipality of Niagara in
Ontario. The origin of this term is unknown,
but its usage dates back to the late 1800s.
NICKEL CITY - CB slang for Buffalo.
(Remember Indian nickels, the pre-1938
5 cent coins with the buffalo on the rear?)
NFTA - Niagara Frontier Transportation
Authority. A quasi-public governmental body
that operates public transit in Buffalo, the Greater
Buffalo International Airport, the Niagara Falls
International Airport, and the Port of Buffalo.
The NFTA is a rough equivalent to the
Port Authority of New York.
See also METRO BUS, METRO RAIL.
NEO-PREPPIE - a member of the resurgent group
of early-1980s style preppies
(see Lisa Birnbaum's "The Preppy Handbook" for origins).
Neo-preppies are usually Canisius College students,
alumni and "wannabes." Neo-preppies generally dominate the crowd
at any city bar that has stained wood and brass rails in it
(Colter Bay Grill, Mother's, Gabriel's Gate,
Cole's, J.P. Bullfeather's, Central Park Grill,
Checkers, The Shebeen, ad nauseaum.)
See also BIFFER, CANISHIT COLLEGE, GOOD CATHOLIC FUN.
NORK - derogatory term for a Canadian.
(North + dORK) See also GORDY.
THE NORTHTOWNS - the northern suburbs
of Buffalo, including Tonawanda, Kenmore Village,
Amherst, Williamsvile Village and Clarence.
May or may not include Wheatfield,
Tonawanda City and North Tonawanda, depending on speaker.
N.T. - North Tonawanda, an industrial
suburb between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
O.P. - Orchard Park, an affluent
suburb located southeast of Buffalo.
ORANGE CRATE - the nickname
for Lackawanna's City Hall,
so called because it looks like a big orange milk crate.
ORIGINAL HOME OF THE SOUVLAKI -
what every Greek restaurant in Buffalo claims to be.
POGEYING - hanging of the bumper of a car
and sliding with it along an ice-covered street.
This term is mainly used in the Kensington
neighborhood.
See also BUMPER SKIING, SKEECHING, SKEDDING.
POLONIA - once the name of Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborghood
, but now referring to Buffalo's Polish community as a whole.
(ex. - "Polonia is very supportive of
Dr. Atwal's efforts to provide surgical equipment to Polish clinics.")
POLISH PORCH - a garage that is used as a substitute
for the living room during the summer months,
having a large screen door replacing the
normal garage door. Polish Porches
are quite common in Cheektowaga and
Depew, communities that have a large
Polish-American population.
See also MARY ON THE HALF SHELL.
POP - the one true word for
a flavored carbonated beverage or soft drink.
POUNDER - a sixteen ounce (530 ml) bottle
of Genesee Beer or Cream Ale.
See also GENNY, GREEN DEATH, SCREAMER.
THE QEW - the Queen Elizabeth Way,
an expressway linking Buffalo and Toronto.
Also called the Queen E, QE and the Road With No Potholes.
THE QUEEN CITY - an older nickname for Buffalo.
The origins of this name are questionable,
referring either to Buffalo's status as the
second largest city in New York State or
its previous position as a major Great Lakes port.
RACHACHA - Rochester, New York.
Rachacha exports to Buffalo include
Kodak film, college students, Wegmans and Screamers.
REAR - (1) the rear unit in a multi-family
telescoping house which has one unit in the
front, another in the back. (2) a carriage
house or other smaller freestanding residence
in the rear of a lot which contains more
than one house. (3) See also BACKHOUSE.
RICH - (1) Formerly Rich Stadium, (now Ralph Wilson Stadium)
in Orchard Park.
ex.- "Da' Bills play in Rich."
(2) an adjective describing Canisius College
students and residents of Amherst, Clarence and Orchard Park.
RIVER RAT - A resident of the Black Rock or
Riverside neighborhoods in the city of Buffalo.
ROCKPILE - A nickname for War Memorial Stadium,
located at the northwest corner of Jefferson
Avenue and Best Street on Buffalo's East Side.
The Rockpile was torn down in 1993.
( The Rockpile was used to film part of the
Robert Redford Movie- The Natural)
THE S-CURVE - Delaware Avenue between
the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198)
and Forest Avenue, named because of its twisting configuration.
Local preservationists have blocked plans to straighten the curves.
THE SCAJQUADA - the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198),
a winding arterial that connects the Kensington Expressway
(NY 33) with the Niagara Thruway (I-190).
Named for Scajaquada Creek, whose course the expressway roughly follows.
SCREAMER - a bottle of Genesee Cream
Ale, named for its laxative qualities.
See also GENNY, GREEN DEATH, POUNDER.
SKEDDING - hanging of the bumper of a car and
sliding with it along an ice-covered street.
See also BUMPER SKIING, POGEYING, SKEECHING.
SKEECHING - hanging of the bumper of
a car and sliding with it along an ice-covered
street. See also BUMPER SKIING, POGEYING,
SKEDDING.
SNYDER - a neighborhood in the Town of
Amherst, in the proximity of the intersection of
Main Street and Harlem Road. Snyder is one of
Buffalo's most affluent neighborhoods, and was
developed from the late 1920s to the early 1950s.
Because Snyder has its own mailing address,
separate from Amherst, it is often mistakenly
considered a separate town or entity.
SODA - what you get at Dairy Queen; soda water
with ice cream amd syrup in it.
SOUTH BUFFALO - A section of Buffalo generally
consisting of all areas within the city limits south of
the Buffalo River and the First Ward and Old Valley
neighborhoods north of the Buffalo River.
South Buffalo is known for being a predominantly Irish neighborhood.
SPLIT - A small bottle of beer or pop, usually
ranging in size from six to seven ounces (125-150 ml).
TELESCOPING HOUSE - an older style of home,
commonly found on the East and West Sides,
where multiple additions were made to the back, each narrower than the last.
TEXAS HOTS - a style of hot dog known for
its hot, spicy sauce. Texas hots originated in the
kitchens of Buffalo's many Greek restaurants,
not in Texas.
THE TONAWANDAS - referring to the
Town of Tonawanda, City of Tonawanda and
the City of North Tonawanda.
TO - Toronto (pronounced tee-oh).
Also pronounced "tronno" and "tronna."
TWIN CITIES - referring to the
City of Tonawanda and the City of North Tonawanda,
excluding the Town of Tonawanda.
TWIN-TON - referring to both Tonawanda
(the city, not the town) and North Tonawanda
. Not related to the Bon-Ton department store chain.
TWO FLAT - a two family residence, with one unit directly
above the other
(unlike a suburban duplex where the units are side-by-side).
The two-flat is a type of house that is unique
to the Buffalo area, common in city neghborhoods
and in older suburban areas such as Kenmore and
Lackawanna.
See also UPPER FLAT, LOWER FLAT, FLAT.
THE SOUTHTOWNS - the southern suburbs of Buffalo,
generally Hamburg, Orchard Park, Boston, Eden, Elma, East Aurora and other towns located south of the Buffalo River.
THE STRIP - a three mile (five kilometer) stretch
of Elmwood Avenue between Forest Street and Virginia Street,
which is home to a vibrant commercial district containing
a large number of bookstores, restaurants, bars, galleries
and other trendy establishments. The Strip is one of the
centers of Buffalo's nightlife, and in some places defined
by a blue neon strip placed between the first and second floors of many buildings.
THE [street name] STRIP - used to refer to other streets
with heavy concentrations of bars, for instance
The Seneca Strip, The Hertel Strip and the
Oliver Strip. Not to be confused with "The Strip,"
which always refers to Elmwood Avenue.
UB - State University of New York at Buffalo
(University at Buffalo).
Not to be confused with Buff State.
UPPER - see UPPER FLAT.
UPPER FLAT - the upstairs apartment
or "upper" in a two flat building.
See also LOWER FLAT, FLAT, TWO FLAT.
VILLA - Villa Maria College,
a two-year institution of higher
learning located on the border
of Cheektowaga and Buffalo's
Schiller Park neighborhood.
Villa is known for its "wholesome"
majors like gerentology and social work.
VIRGIN VAULT - Canavan Hall, an single-sex
female dormitory at Daemen College. Named
because of the dorn's strict intervisitation
policy and the reported Ivory Soap-pure quality of its residents.
WHAT'S DA DAMAGES? - A question a Buffalonian
asks when they're asking for the check at a restaurant,
or otherwise inquiring about charges for a product or service.
WINGS - chicken wings, called "Buffalo wings"
by outsiders. Buffalo-style chicken wings were
originally served at Frank and Teresa's Anchor
Bar on Main Street. Chicken wings are the most
popular regional food originating in Buffalo.
WILLIAMSVILLE - a small, quaint village northeast
of Buffalo, completely surrounded by the affluent
town of Amherst. Often "Williamsville" is used
to refer to a large portion of the towns of Amherst,
Clarence and Lancaster, frequently confusing non-natives.
THE YOUNGMANN - the Youngmann Expressway (I-290),
a six-lane expressway through Buffalo's northern suburbs
of Amherst and Tonawanda, connecting the Thruway
(I-90) with the Niagara Thruway (I-190).
As with the Kensington Expressway, no signs
refer directly to the "Youngmann Expressway."
Mark Wozniak provides this insight into
the naming of the Youngmann Expressway -
ALLENTOWN - a historic neighborhood in the
vicinity of Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue,
just north of Downtown Buffalo. Allentown
is home of one of the nation's largest historic
preservation districts and the Allentown Art Festival,
the country's largest outdoor art festival.
Allentown the Buffalo neighborhood is not
to be confused with Allentown, Pennsylvania.
See also BOYS TOWN.
ALL PAPER - signifies a bingo game that
does not use reusable bingo cards.
The cards in an "all paper" game consists of a pad
with many newsprint bingo sheets.
Numbers are marked by a bingo marker or
crayon, and a used sheet is torn off
the pad at the end of the round.
THE AUD - Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium
in Downtown Buffalo, former home of the Buffalo Sabres
and a growing number of unusual ...
okay, schlock sports teams like the Buffalo Bandits
(lacrosse) and the Buffalo Stampede (roller hockey).
BACKHOUSE - a house in the back of a
(usually narrow) lot which contains more
than one freestanding house, the other
being in the front of the parcel by
the street (fronthouse).
Common on Buffalo's West Side and in Black Rock.
See also REAR.
BARFALO - a nickname for Buffalo
used by Canadians, particulatly
those in the Hamilton and Toronto area.
The term is usually intended to evoke
memories of Buffalo's decline in importance compared
to the Toronto area. Barfalo can also refer to
the city's abundance of bars and late last call
(4:00 AM) compared to Canadian cities.
BEEF ON WECK - a roast beef sandwich on a salty kimmelweck roll.
A Beef on Weck is considered a local delicacy,
ranking with chicken wings, char-broiled hot dogs and Texas Hots.
BEEF ON WICK - alternative spelling
and pronunciation of Beef on Weck,
usually used by older Buffalonians and eastern suburbanites.
THE BIG BLUE WATER TOWER -
a large, blue, somewhat phallic water
tower in the Town of Amherst, used as a landmark
by radio traffic reporters for the interchange
of the Youngmann Expressway (I-290)
with the New York State Thruway (I-90).
BLUE - Labatt's Blue Beer.
BUFF STATE - SUNY College at Buffalo.
Not to be confused with UB. See also MUFF STATE.
BUMPER SKATING -
hanging of the bumper of a car and sliding
with it along an ice-covered street.
See also POGEYING, SKEDDING, SKEECHING.
THE BOULEVARD - Niagara Falls Boulevard,
one of the area's suburban strip shopping areas.
The Boulevard is rapidly transforming
from a tacky 1960s era commercial
strip to the region's largest and busiest retail center.
BON-TON - the name of the York,
Pennsylvania-based department store
chain which bought out AM&As. French
for "good tone," roughly equivalent in meaning to "good taste".
BOYS TOWN - a nickname for the
Allentown neighborhood, so called
because of the relatively high concentration
of male residents which practice an "alternative lifestyle."
See also ALLENTOWN.
BREWER'S RETAIL - government-owned beer
stores in Canada. Ontario law prohibits
the sales of alcoholic beverages in supermarkets,
convenience stores and other related outlets.
See also BLUE.
BUTTANA - Italian profanity meaning "c**t."
Often used among Buffalo area Italian-Americans
to describe a woman with loose morals.
CANADIAN BALLET - a strip joint in Fort Erie
or Niagara Falls, Ontario. Full nudity and lap
dances are permitted by adult entertainment establishments
(strip joints) in Ontario; thus there is a high concentration
of them in Canadian border towns, but relatively
few on the American side.
CANISHIT COLLEGE - derogatory term
for Canisius College. See also BIFFER,
GOOD CATHOLIC FUN, NEO-PREPPY.
CARRIAGE HOUSE - a freestanding garage-type building
which was used at one time for quartering horses,
but later converted to a residential structure.
Carriage houses are usually behind older homes,
particularly mansions, in Buffalo's Delaware District.
See also BACKHOUSE.
CHAR-BROILED HOT - a hot dog cooked on a charcoal grill.
Char-broiled hots are considered a local delicacy,
with the mini-chain Ted's known as serving up the best examples.
CHEEKTOVEGAS - a nickname for the Town
of Cheektowaga, referring to the predilection
of Cheektowagans for tacky art,
both inside and outside of their homes.
CHIAVETTA - barbecued chicken served at lawn fetes
(see definition), named for the catering company
that usually provides it. (sign ex.-
"Our Lady of the Blessed Shroud Lawn Fete - Rides, Bands, Games, Chiavetta").
The word is quickly becoming a generic word for barbecued chicken -
"Let's gota' Boston Chicken's and get some Chiavetta.
" See also LAWN FETE.
CHOWDER - chicken chowder, a tomato/chicken/vegetable "soup"
that is >> primarily known in Niagara Country,
traditionally served at volunteer fire department field days.
THE CITY OF GOOD NEIGHBORS -
one of Buffalo's many nicknames,
refering to the hospitality of its residents.
THE CITY OF NO ILLUSIONS -
a nickname for Buffalo popularized by
T-shirts sold by New Buffalo Graphics
on Elmwood Avenue. The phrase, conceived in the early 1980s
, refers to the good news-bad news nature of living
in Buffalo and coping with its occasional setbacks,
like plant closings and Super Bowl losses.
CRICK - creek, stream or other small flowing body of water.
CROSS-BORDER COMMUTING -
the act of a Canadian citizen residing
in the United States, particularly
Buffalo or its suburbs, and commuting
to their job in Canada, taking advantage
of lower housing costs in the United States.
CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING - the act of
Canadian citizens shopping in the United States,
particularly Buffalo-area shopping malls and supermarkets,
to take advantage of lower prices and taxes.
(ex.- "Gordy and Louise drove all the way
from Mississauga to do some cross-border shopping.")
DERE - Cheektowaga accent/Polish
ethnolect pronunciation of "there,"
sometimes used at the end of sentences
(see example in the DUPA definition),
much like Canadians use "eh?". Occasionally spelled "der."
DOOVILLE - The Buffalonain pronounciation
of D'Youville College, a small,
four year institution of higher learning
on the West Side known for its allied health programs.
DUPA - Polish for "butt." Used as an insult
among Buffalo area Polish- Americans.
(ex.- "Stash, you dupa, you have to
hook up the fire hose before you open the hydrant dere!")
THE EASTTOWNS - the eastern suburbs
of Buffalo, including Cheektowaga, Sloan Village,
Depew Village, Lancaster, Lancaster Village and Alden.
Seldom used, in comparison to
"the Northtowns" and "the Southtowns."
EGGERTSVILLE - a neighborhood in the Town of Amherst,
in the proximity of the intersection of Main Street
and Eggert Road, adjacent to the northeast corner
of the City of Buffalo. Eggertsville contains some
of Buffalo's most affluent neighborhoods,
and was developed from the late 1920s to the early 1950s
. Because Eggertsville has its own mailing address,
separate from Amherst, it is often mistakenly
considered a separate town or entity.
THE FAIR - the Erie County Fair,
held for two weeks at the end of August.
The Erie County Fair is the United States'
largest county fair, despite the urban nature
of Erie County, and traditionally marks the end of summer.
FISH FRY - a breaded, often beer-battered fish,
traditionally served in most Buffalo area restaurants
on Friday. Many Catholics do not eat red meat on Friday
because of an (outdated) prohibition on eating meat that
day by the Catholic Church, so many restaurants serve fish fry
as an alternative. Unlike wings,
it is impossible to find a bad fish fry.
FLAT - a dwelling unit in a multi-family house where
one apartment is above the other ("two-flat" or "three-flat").
Flat is considered a British English word,
but its usage is quite common in Buffalo.
FORT MAKOWSKI - a plan by former Buffalo
Mayor Stanley Makowski to build a maze-like
stricture around the McKinley Monument in Niagara Square.
Loud protest by citizen groups and preservationists
blocked Fort Makowski from ever being built.
FRONT - (1) the front unit in a multi-family telescoping
house which has one unit in the front, another in the back.
(2) the main house on a lot which has a carriage house
or other smaller freestanding dwellings in the rear
of the lot. (3) see also FRONTHOUSE.
FRONTHOUSE - the house at the front of a
(usually narrow) lot which contains more than one
freestanding house, the other(s) being in the rear
of the parcel (backhouse). Common on Buffalo's West Side. See also FRONT.
FUNGULA - Italian for "f**k." Often pronounced
fahn-GOOO. Fungala is used interchangably with
the English profanity by many Buffalo area
Italian- Americans.
(ex.-"Fungula! Nova's put friggin' anchovies on 'dis pizza!")
GALLERIA MALL - the Walden Galleria.
Many locals call the Walden Galleria the
"Galleria Mall" because all enclosed
shopping centers previous to its opening had the suffix "mall."
Buffalo had no "squares," "centers," "commons,"
"fairs" or "gallerias," common suffizes for shopping
center names in other parts of the country.
Because the habit of calling a shopping center
"[something] Mall" was hard to break, people
just naturally added the non-existent "mall" sufix
to the Galleria when it first opened.
GENNY - Genesee Beer. Sometimes spelled "Jenny."
See also GREEN DEATH, POUNDERS, SCREAMERS.
GOLDEN - Molson Golden Ale.
GOOD CATHOLIC FUN - engaging in an activity
traditionally overrepresented by Canisius College
or Catholic single-sex high school students
(Canisius High, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, Bishop Timon,
Nardin Academy, Sacred Heart Academy, ad infinitum)
such as crew, ordering from J. Crew, lacrosse or hanging
out in a bar with lots of wood and brass. Good Catholic Fun
activities are usually preppy in nature, as opposed to more
blue-collar Catholic church-related entertainment
such as lawn fetes (see definition),
bingo and spaghetti dinners.
See also BIFFER, CANISHIT COLLEGE, NEO-PREPPY.
GORDY - derogatory term for a Canadian.
Supposedly, many Canadians are named Gordy.
Someone who is real Canadian can be called a "Gordy McGordy,"
or, as many Buffalo area waiters and waitresses say,
"Donut-eatin', eh-sayin', factory outlet shoppin',
curling playin', high stickin', one A.M. bar closin',
buyin' gas by the liter and Molson by the two-four,
low tipping Gordy. See also NORK.
GREEK RESTAURANT - An independently-owned
"family-style" table service restaurant or diner.
Many restaurants of this type in the Buffalo
area are owned by Greek immigrants.
See also "ORIGINAL HOME OF THE SOUVLAKI."
GREEN DEATH - Genesee Cream Ale.
See also GENNY, POUNDERS, SCREAMERS.
GREEN LIGHTNING - a short-lived neon
sculpture displayed in the median strip of the
Kensington Expressway near Downtown Buffalo,
which depicted four dancing penises.
Green Lightning was ordered removed by then-mayor
Jimmy Griffin after it was first unveiled.
(Buffalo was known for its many examples
of public neon art, much of which has fallen into disrepair.)
See also JIMMY.
GROUND FLAT - see LOWER FLAT.
GST - Goods and Services Tax, charged on most
purchases in Canada. The GST is often called
"Go South Tax" and "Go Shop in Tonawanda"
by some wittier Canadians. See also CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING.
HOME OF THE ORIGINAL SOUVLAKI -
What every one of Buffalo's 100+ Greek
restaurants claims to be. See also GREEK RESTAURANT.
HYDRO - Canadian English for "electricity.
" Most electric utility companies in Canada
are named "[region] Hydro," and the word evolved
to become equivalent with "electric".
Appliances are not plugged into the
electrical socket, but rather the "hydro socket."
INFILL - the act of building new homes on vacant lots
located close to the center of the city.
Many parts of Buffalo's Lower East
Side are experiencing a large amount
of infill development.
IRON ISLAND - a nickname for
Buffalo's Lovejoy neighborhood. "Iron Island"
refers to the neighborhood being completely
surrounded by railroad tracks. Lovejoy is a
working and middle class neighborhood whose
residents are mostly of Polish and Italian descent.
THE ISLAND - The town of Grand Island, located
between the Town of Tonawanda and the city of
Niagara Falls. The Island is isolated from the New York
State mainland by the East and West Branches of
the Niagara River, and is accessible only by crossing
one of the Niagara Thruway (I-90) bridges
on the north and south end of the town.
JIMMY - James D. Griffin, the previous mayor of Buffalo.
Jimmy was known for being in office practically forever
(1978-1993), his short temper and colorful personality.
Originator of the phrase "Go get a six-pack."
See also GREEN LIGHTNING.
THE KENSINGTON - the Kensington Expressway
(NY 33), the primary arterial between Downtown
Buffalo and the eastern suburbs. While traffic
reporters and locals refer to "the Kensington",
it is not named on any signs.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW - snow generated when
moisture-laden winds pass over Lake Erie.
(Perhaps a meterologist can offer a more detailed technical explanation.)
LAWN FETE - an outdoor carnival held at a
Roman Catholic church, usually during the summer.
(Protestant churches do not have lawn fetes,
because there are very few of them in Buffalo
and their congregations are much smaller than
the massive Catholic patrishes.) See also CHIAVETTA.
LIGHT RAIL - see METRO RAIL.
LOGANBERRY - An uncarbonated
fruit drink made from loganberry juice.
LOWER - see LOWER FLAT.
LOWER FLAT - the downstairs
or "lower" apartment in a two-flat
residence. See also FLAT, TWO FLAT, UPPER FLAT.
THE MAINLINE - the New York State
Thruway (I-90), excluding the Niagara
Thruway (I-190).
MARY ON THE HALF SHELL - display of a
Virgin Mary statue under a partially buried,
upright clawfoot bathtub or similar object.
More common in blue collar eastern suburbs
(Cheektowaga, Depew, Sloan) than other areas.
See also POLISH PORCH.
METRO - (1) Canadian terminology for Toronto,
because it has what s called a "metropolitan" form
of government with shared services among several
suburban communties. This term is often heard but
rarely used by United States residents.
(2) see METRO RAIL.
METRO BUS - the NFTA (see definition)
bus system, serving Erie and Niagara counties.
See also NFTA, METRO RAIL.
METRO RAIL - Buffalo's rapid transit system.
Sometimes called "light rail" because the trains
are powered by overhead wires, as opposed to
"Heavy rail" which is powered by a third rail
along the tracks. Also called "the train to nowhere,
" since the system is far from complete.
See also METRO BUS, NFTA.
MEXICAN - A sundae consisting of vanilla ice cream,
chocolate syrup and topped with spanish peanuts
(the salty red ones w/skins).
THE MISTAKE ON THE LAKE - a nickname
used for Buffalo during the 1970s, then the
city's overall future was in doubt.
"The Mistake on the Lake" more commonly refers to Cleveland.
MUFF STATE - SUNY College at Buffalo
(Buffalo State College), so called because
of the school's high ratio of women to men,
and their reported liberal attitude towards
casual sex.
See also BUFF STATE.
THE NAP - North Americare Park,
a baseball stadium in downtown
Buffalo that was formerly called Pilot Field.
NIAGARA - Canadian terminology for the region
that includes the cities of Fort Erie, Port Colborne,
Welland, Thorold, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines
in Ontario, excluding any parts of the United States.
Rarely used by United States residents.
(ex.- The QEW passes through Niagara on the way to Toronto.)
THE NIAGARA FRONTIER - A nickname for
the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area,
including Erie and Niagara Counties in New York
state and the Regional Municipality of Niagara in
Ontario. The origin of this term is unknown,
but its usage dates back to the late 1800s.
NICKEL CITY - CB slang for Buffalo.
(Remember Indian nickels, the pre-1938
5 cent coins with the buffalo on the rear?)
NFTA - Niagara Frontier Transportation
Authority. A quasi-public governmental body
that operates public transit in Buffalo, the Greater
Buffalo International Airport, the Niagara Falls
International Airport, and the Port of Buffalo.
The NFTA is a rough equivalent to the
Port Authority of New York.
See also METRO BUS, METRO RAIL.
NEO-PREPPIE - a member of the resurgent group
of early-1980s style preppies
(see Lisa Birnbaum's "The Preppy Handbook" for origins).
Neo-preppies are usually Canisius College students,
alumni and "wannabes." Neo-preppies generally dominate the crowd
at any city bar that has stained wood and brass rails in it
(Colter Bay Grill, Mother's, Gabriel's Gate,
Cole's, J.P. Bullfeather's, Central Park Grill,
Checkers, The Shebeen, ad nauseaum.)
See also BIFFER, CANISHIT COLLEGE, GOOD CATHOLIC FUN.
NORK - derogatory term for a Canadian.
(North + dORK) See also GORDY.
THE NORTHTOWNS - the northern suburbs
of Buffalo, including Tonawanda, Kenmore Village,
Amherst, Williamsvile Village and Clarence.
May or may not include Wheatfield,
Tonawanda City and North Tonawanda, depending on speaker.
N.T. - North Tonawanda, an industrial
suburb between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
O.P. - Orchard Park, an affluent
suburb located southeast of Buffalo.
ORANGE CRATE - the nickname
for Lackawanna's City Hall,
so called because it looks like a big orange milk crate.
ORIGINAL HOME OF THE SOUVLAKI -
what every Greek restaurant in Buffalo claims to be.
POGEYING - hanging of the bumper of a car
and sliding with it along an ice-covered street.
This term is mainly used in the Kensington
neighborhood.
See also BUMPER SKIING, SKEECHING, SKEDDING.
POLONIA - once the name of Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborghood
, but now referring to Buffalo's Polish community as a whole.
(ex. - "Polonia is very supportive of
Dr. Atwal's efforts to provide surgical equipment to Polish clinics.")
POLISH PORCH - a garage that is used as a substitute
for the living room during the summer months,
having a large screen door replacing the
normal garage door. Polish Porches
are quite common in Cheektowaga and
Depew, communities that have a large
Polish-American population.
See also MARY ON THE HALF SHELL.
POP - the one true word for
a flavored carbonated beverage or soft drink.
POUNDER - a sixteen ounce (530 ml) bottle
of Genesee Beer or Cream Ale.
See also GENNY, GREEN DEATH, SCREAMER.
THE QEW - the Queen Elizabeth Way,
an expressway linking Buffalo and Toronto.
Also called the Queen E, QE and the Road With No Potholes.
THE QUEEN CITY - an older nickname for Buffalo.
The origins of this name are questionable,
referring either to Buffalo's status as the
second largest city in New York State or
its previous position as a major Great Lakes port.
RACHACHA - Rochester, New York.
Rachacha exports to Buffalo include
Kodak film, college students, Wegmans and Screamers.
REAR - (1) the rear unit in a multi-family
telescoping house which has one unit in the
front, another in the back. (2) a carriage
house or other smaller freestanding residence
in the rear of a lot which contains more
than one house. (3) See also BACKHOUSE.
RICH - (1) Formerly Rich Stadium, (now Ralph Wilson Stadium)
in Orchard Park.
ex.- "Da' Bills play in Rich."
(2) an adjective describing Canisius College
students and residents of Amherst, Clarence and Orchard Park.
RIVER RAT - A resident of the Black Rock or
Riverside neighborhoods in the city of Buffalo.
ROCKPILE - A nickname for War Memorial Stadium,
located at the northwest corner of Jefferson
Avenue and Best Street on Buffalo's East Side.
The Rockpile was torn down in 1993.
( The Rockpile was used to film part of the
Robert Redford Movie- The Natural)
THE S-CURVE - Delaware Avenue between
the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198)
and Forest Avenue, named because of its twisting configuration.
Local preservationists have blocked plans to straighten the curves.
THE SCAJQUADA - the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198),
a winding arterial that connects the Kensington Expressway
(NY 33) with the Niagara Thruway (I-190).
Named for Scajaquada Creek, whose course the expressway roughly follows.
SCREAMER - a bottle of Genesee Cream
Ale, named for its laxative qualities.
See also GENNY, GREEN DEATH, POUNDER.
SKEDDING - hanging of the bumper of a car and
sliding with it along an ice-covered street.
See also BUMPER SKIING, POGEYING, SKEECHING.
SKEECHING - hanging of the bumper of
a car and sliding with it along an ice-covered
street. See also BUMPER SKIING, POGEYING,
SKEDDING.
SNYDER - a neighborhood in the Town of
Amherst, in the proximity of the intersection of
Main Street and Harlem Road. Snyder is one of
Buffalo's most affluent neighborhoods, and was
developed from the late 1920s to the early 1950s.
Because Snyder has its own mailing address,
separate from Amherst, it is often mistakenly
considered a separate town or entity.
SODA - what you get at Dairy Queen; soda water
with ice cream amd syrup in it.
SOUTH BUFFALO - A section of Buffalo generally
consisting of all areas within the city limits south of
the Buffalo River and the First Ward and Old Valley
neighborhoods north of the Buffalo River.
South Buffalo is known for being a predominantly Irish neighborhood.
SPLIT - A small bottle of beer or pop, usually
ranging in size from six to seven ounces (125-150 ml).
TELESCOPING HOUSE - an older style of home,
commonly found on the East and West Sides,
where multiple additions were made to the back, each narrower than the last.
TEXAS HOTS - a style of hot dog known for
its hot, spicy sauce. Texas hots originated in the
kitchens of Buffalo's many Greek restaurants,
not in Texas.
THE TONAWANDAS - referring to the
Town of Tonawanda, City of Tonawanda and
the City of North Tonawanda.
TO - Toronto (pronounced tee-oh).
Also pronounced "tronno" and "tronna."
TWIN CITIES - referring to the
City of Tonawanda and the City of North Tonawanda,
excluding the Town of Tonawanda.
TWIN-TON - referring to both Tonawanda
(the city, not the town) and North Tonawanda
. Not related to the Bon-Ton department store chain.
TWO FLAT - a two family residence, with one unit directly
above the other
(unlike a suburban duplex where the units are side-by-side).
The two-flat is a type of house that is unique
to the Buffalo area, common in city neghborhoods
and in older suburban areas such as Kenmore and
Lackawanna.
See also UPPER FLAT, LOWER FLAT, FLAT.
THE SOUTHTOWNS - the southern suburbs of Buffalo,
generally Hamburg, Orchard Park, Boston, Eden, Elma, East Aurora and other towns located south of the Buffalo River.
THE STRIP - a three mile (five kilometer) stretch
of Elmwood Avenue between Forest Street and Virginia Street,
which is home to a vibrant commercial district containing
a large number of bookstores, restaurants, bars, galleries
and other trendy establishments. The Strip is one of the
centers of Buffalo's nightlife, and in some places defined
by a blue neon strip placed between the first and second floors of many buildings.
THE [street name] STRIP - used to refer to other streets
with heavy concentrations of bars, for instance
The Seneca Strip, The Hertel Strip and the
Oliver Strip. Not to be confused with "The Strip,"
which always refers to Elmwood Avenue.
UB - State University of New York at Buffalo
(University at Buffalo).
Not to be confused with Buff State.
UPPER - see UPPER FLAT.
UPPER FLAT - the upstairs apartment
or "upper" in a two flat building.
See also LOWER FLAT, FLAT, TWO FLAT.
VILLA - Villa Maria College,
a two-year institution of higher
learning located on the border
of Cheektowaga and Buffalo's
Schiller Park neighborhood.
Villa is known for its "wholesome"
majors like gerentology and social work.
VIRGIN VAULT - Canavan Hall, an single-sex
female dormitory at Daemen College. Named
because of the dorn's strict intervisitation
policy and the reported Ivory Soap-pure quality of its residents.
WHAT'S DA DAMAGES? - A question a Buffalonian
asks when they're asking for the check at a restaurant,
or otherwise inquiring about charges for a product or service.
WINGS - chicken wings, called "Buffalo wings"
by outsiders. Buffalo-style chicken wings were
originally served at Frank and Teresa's Anchor
Bar on Main Street. Chicken wings are the most
popular regional food originating in Buffalo.
WILLIAMSVILLE - a small, quaint village northeast
of Buffalo, completely surrounded by the affluent
town of Amherst. Often "Williamsville" is used
to refer to a large portion of the towns of Amherst,
Clarence and Lancaster, frequently confusing non-natives.
THE YOUNGMANN - the Youngmann Expressway (I-290),
a six-lane expressway through Buffalo's northern suburbs
of Amherst and Tonawanda, connecting the Thruway
(I-90) with the Niagara Thruway (I-190).
As with the Kensington Expressway, no signs
refer directly to the "Youngmann Expressway."
Mark Wozniak provides this insight into
the naming of the Youngmann Expressway -