An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.

Financial District

The Financial District is the southern tip of Manhattan, especially the area around Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. The term "financial district" appears in 1891, but the…

ATX (Austin nickname)

"ATX" is a nickname for Austin, TX in hip-hop. The three-initial name is similar to "ATL" for Atlanta. Rap DictionaryATX Austin, Texas Wikipedia: City Nicknames in U.S. Austin -…

Little Alsace of Texas (Castroville nickname)

Castroville (near San Antonio) calls itself "The Little Alsace of Texas." The town was founded in 1844 by Henri Castro and a a small group of colonists, mostly from Alsace, France.…

Millionaire Pie (Furr’s cafeterias)

"Millionaire Pie" is a speciality is Furr's cafeterias, a chain that began in New Mexico but has many Texas locations. It's often called "Pineapple Millionaire Pie"…

Billionaire Pie (Furr’s cafeterias)

Billionaire Pie is a specialty of Furr's cafeteria. Furr's began in New Mexico, but has many locations in Texas and throughout the Southwest. Furr's also offers a Millionaire Pie.…

Shoe District

Around 1900, the "shoe district" was on Duane Street, near West Broadway. Major shoe companies such as Endicott-Johnson were located there. Recently, the area of West 8th Street near…

Restaurant Supply District

The Restaurant Supply District (not a tourist area and not normally on any map) is the Bowery, below Houston Street. In the early 1900s, restaurant supply stores replaced the Bowery theaters that…

Printing District

The Printing District is (or was) centered around Hudson and Varick Streets. The old printing district -- originally located in what is now the Financial District at Manhattan's tip -- was…

Texas Dip (sandwich)

A "Texas Dip" sandwich is a new variation on the "French Dip" sandwich that was invented in California. The Texas version consists of thinly sliced brisked, BBQ sauce, and Swiss…

2-3 (Austin’s 78723 zip code)

The "2-3" is hip-hop for the last two digits of Austin's zip code -- 78723. HoustonSoRealAustinSoReal - Check this article on rap from the 2-3In Austin, zip codes are quite…

Texas Dip (debutante curtsy)

The "Texas dip" is a bow or curtsy that Texas debutantes perform, usually to great dramatic effect. It's a difficult meaneuver that requires descending to the floor in style.…

Snow Cone

The snow cone is a descendant of Italian ices. Dallas resident Sammie Bert invented a snow cone-making machine in the 1920s and sold the product for over half a century at the State Fair of Texas.…

Newspaper Row

Newspapers in the 19th century liked to be close to the source of news -- city hall. In the second half of the nineteenth century (roughly 1875-1900), Park Row in Manhattan was also called…

Insurance District

The Insurance District is part of lower Manhattan's Financial District, centered east of Broadway around William Street. The Insurance District began to be named that in the 1880s and was…

Millinery District

Manhattan's "Millininery District" is roughly an older term for what would be called the "Garment District" or "Garment Center," between Fifth and Seventh Avenues…

Toy District (Toy Center)

Manhattan's Toy District is between 21st and 27th streets, from the Avenue of the Americas to Madison Avenue. It is centered around the Toy Center at 200 Fifth Avenue (23rd Street). New York…

Crystal District

The Crystal District is Madison Avenue, between 58th and 63rd Streets, where a conglomeration of stores sell crystal decorative objects and jewellery. The name was coined by New York City's…