Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.
Soda jerk slang in New York City (1900-1940) contained some regional terms. "Coney Island bloodhounds" were hot dogs. A "midget from Harlem" was a small chocolate soda. The…
"City juice" and "one of the city" is old soda jerk slang for simple "water." The terms were briefly in use in the 1920s and 1930s, but have long since disappeared. 1…
The term "soul food" is used in Harlem, but it is not clear where the term originated. "Soul food" is cited in print from at least 1960. Wikipedia: Soul foodSoul food is an…
"Striped Bass a la Manhattan" was served at Delmonico's in the 1800s and appeared in several cookbooks. Charles Ranhofer's The Epicurean (1894) detailed many of Delmonico's…
"Apples a la Manhattan" (or "pommes a la Manhattan") was a dish that was often served at the famed Delmonico's restaurant. Perhaps Delmonico's came up with the name.…
The Metropolitan Transit Authority sells a "NYC Subway Hot Sauce." You can "swipe" it on some ribs.…
London developed a "ring of steel" in the 1990s to protect the city against terrorist threats. A similar "ring of steel" has been proposed for downtown Manhattan.…
Brooklyn's classic St. George Hotel received a make-over. "Meet Me at Clark Street" is the new slogan. St George Hotel(718) 624-5000(718) 596-4974100 Henry StBrooklyn, NY 11201…
City Island (in the Bronx) is sometimes called "a little slice of New England in the Bronx." There are many seafood restaurants. Johnny's Reef officially uses the City Island…
New York City is no stranger to prostitution. Polly Adler wrote a book about it (A House Is Not a Home). Some of her quotes have been memorable. Wikipedia: Polly AdlerPearl "Polly" Adler…
"Look for the Union Label" is a well-remembered song, by a labor union that began in New York City. The song encouraged people to "look for the union label" and buy garments…
The first newspaper "columnist" (or "colyumist," as they humorously called themselves) might have been Franklin Pierce Adams (F. P. A.). His popular "Conning Tower"…
Ben & Jerry's (ice cream) wanted to break into the New York City market, and the product called "New York Super Fudge Chunk" certainly helped them to do it. It's great…
Novelist Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. called New York City "Skyscraper National Park" in Slapstick, or Lonesome No More (1976). "Skyscraper National Park" is also the title of a music CD…
Ralph Waldo Emerson called New York City "a sucked orange" in an essay printed in 1860. A "sucked orange" has no juice. Emerson didn't like New York. The "sucked…
"El campeon de los hispanos" ("the champion of the Spanish people") is the slogan of El Diario La Prensa, the Spanish-language daily. "El Diario" means "the…
The Department of Investigation began in the 1870s, after many city scandals. The early version of the DOI wasn't very active. Raymond B. "Fearless" Fosdick was appointed…
American journalist and novelist Christopher Morley (1890-1957) notably called New York City "the nation's thyroid gland." The thyroid affects human growth; New York's…
Byron Rufus Newton (1861-1938) wrote "New York, thy name's Delirium" as the last line of his poem,"Owed to New York." He wrote the satirical poem as a reporter of the New…
The New York Road Runners began a "half-marathon" competition in 2006. http://www.nyrr.org/nychalf/home.phpSunday, August 27- New York City, NYMake history by being part of the inaugural…