Cincinnati, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Cincinnati n.

used in combs. suggesting the city’s reputation for sharp business practice and/or one-time identification with pig products.

In compounds

Cincinnati chicken (n.)

salt pork.

1892		Omaha Dly Bee (NE) 14 Feb. 6/5: A couple of tenderfeet like you don’t know what’s meant by overland trout or Cincinnati chicken.
1898		Bourbon News (Paris, KY) 31 May 4/2: They are now contenting themselves with hard tack, potatoes, onions, Cincinnati chicken (‘sowbelly’) and beans.
1900		Reno (NV) Eve. Gazette 28 Apr. 2/2: The cured ham is ‘Cincinnati chicken.’.
1906		Interior Jrnl (Stanford, KY) 4 Dec. 2/1: Hard tack and Cincinnati chicken are tough on molars.
1917		Labor Advocate (Cincinnati, OH) 12 May n.p.: Here amid the odors of Cincinnati chicken and the perfume of Bermuda onion.
1946		McDavid Collection n.p.: Cincinnati turkey – salt pork. [...] Cincinnati chicken – salt pork.
1950		J. Brown Amer. Cooks 668: Cincinnati chicken is really made of a big pork tenderloin [DARE].
1970		in DARE.

Cincinnati doubloon (n.) [SE doubloon, a coin worth 36/-; the ref. is to the reputation of Cincinnati businessmen as cheats]

(US) a penny, a cent.

1858

Kansas Hist. Collection XIV 99: A cent they call a ‘Cincinnati doubloon’ [DA].

Cincinnati olives (n.)

(US) pigs.

1889–90

Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant I 252/2: Cincinnati olives (American) pigs, because a large quantity of olive oil is manfactured out of Cincinnati lard.

Cincinnati oysters (n.)

(US) pickled pigs’ feet.

1863		Dly Intelligencer (Wheeling, WV) 23 Feb. 3/1: It has become quite fashionable to eat pickled pig’s feet at the theatre [...] know as Cincinnati oytsers [...] by munching and picking at the delicate bones, while the grease runs down the sides of their pretty mouths.
1877		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (4th edn).
1938		H. Asbury Sucker’s Progress 271: For some forty years hogs and Cincinnati were so nearly synonymous in the public mind that pigs-feet were called ‘Cincinnati oysters,’ and in many places were so listed on restaurant menus.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

Cincinnati quail (n.)

(US) pork or bacon, esp. fat pork.

1884		in AS XX (1945) Feb. 71/1: ‘Cincinnati quail—have it fat,’ was the next order. The cook cut off a large slice of fat pork and put it on a plate.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.