The Big Apple:

An etymological dictionary

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

Quesapita or Quesa-Pita (quesadilla + pita)

A "quesapita" (or "quesa-pita") is a quesadilla served using pita bread instead of a tortilla. The restaurant chains The Pita Pit and Mr. Pita both offer quesapitas.…

“Shot heard ‘round the world”

The "shot heard 'round the world" was how Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) described the first shots of the American revolution at Concord, Massachusetts. Emerson's hymn was sung…