Above, a plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at west 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Oct. 17, 1931, Turf Play, p. 7.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce The Big Apple, a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
This site is edited by Barry Popik. Technical matters are handled by Grant Barrett of Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary.
The Big Apple. A series of citations, quotations, and evidence on the true origins of a New York City nickname, with additional material on other words and terms associated with the city. A web site by Barry Popik.
Above, the header from the newspaper column of John J. Fitz Gerald. Click to see a portion of the column which includes his use of "Big Apple." Part of a second column is also available.
Above, a cartoon representing the idea of the "big apple" from the 1920s. Click to see the full version.
SUMMARY: "Why is New York called the Big Apple?"