An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 38,000 entries.

Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival

The annual Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival began in 2002. http://www.harlemonestop.com/event.php?id=235 Historic Harlem Parks Film FestivalThrough Thursday, August 3Presented by Partnerships…

BicyTaxi

In June 2006, Bicytaxis appeared on the streets of New York. They're bicycle-taxis. http://www.bicytaxi.com/advertisingpage.aspx?cid=82Bicytaxi: Advertising in MotionBicytaxi is unique in that…

ViVa (Viaduct Valley)

ViVa (Viaduct Valley) is the small but emerging West Harlem area, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ManhattanvilleManhattanville is the part of Manhattan in New York City bordered on the south by…

Death Street (Houston Street)

Houston Street in Manhattan has sometimes been called 'Death Street" for bicyclists. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/430576p-363009c.html 28 June 2006, New York Daily News,…

“All You Can Eat”

Restaurants used to have "all you can eat" specials for a specific price. In the old days, it was a mere twenty-five cents! It is not known if this practice was popularized in New York…

Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk sounds so simple. When and where did it start? It appears that "chocolate milk" (or "chocolated milk") began in the South and came to New York in the 1920s.…

Ice Cream Cone

The "ice cream cone" was popularized at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The St. Louis firm of Cornucopia Waffles clearly was the major influence in the development of the ice…

Penny Lick

A 'penny lick" was a glass of ice cream that sold for a penny. The term was popular in the 1890s, just before the invention of the ice cream cone. It is not known if the "penny…

Two Cents Plain

"Two cents plain" in the lower east side of the 1920s and 1930s meant a glass of seltzer water. Harry Golden's 1959 New York memoir of this title helped to popularize the old term.…

Red Hots

"Red hots" came into use before the term "hot dogs." Some say that Harry Stevens coined "red hots" at the Polo Grounds in the early 1900s. Like the standard "hot…

Chicken a la King

"Chicken a la king" was widely served in New York hotels in the early 1900s. Several theories have it that the dish is named after a New York "King." Some say that the dish is…