The Big Apple:

An etymological dictionary

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

Rome: Copper City (nickname)

The city of Rome, in New York's Oneida County, once produced one-tenth of the copper used in the United States. The Rome Brass & Copper Co. advertised that Rome was "The Brass and…

Ex-Lax Fish (escolar nickname)

Escolar is sometimes mistakenly or fraudulently sold as "white tuna." The fish contains indigestible wax esters and eaters soon spend time in the bathroom. The escolar nickname of…