The Big Apple:

An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.

Lung Block

The term "Lung Block" described an area of the Lower East Side in the early 1900s where there were high instances of tuberculosis. The name was probably coined by Ernest Poole for the…

White Light Belt (Broadway)

Broadway is known for its bright lights, and has been called the "Bulb Belt," "Great Bright Way," "Great White Way," "Incandescent District," "Lane of…

Gay Set

The term "gay set" originally meant people who like the nightlife scene. "Gay set in Paris" was cited in an 1893 newspaper article titled "French Society; American Women…