Satan’s Circus
Another name for the "Tenderloin" area of Manhattan, just below "Hell's Kitchen," is "Satan's Circus." The term is historical and is not used today, but…
Quisqueya Heights (Washington Heights)
Washington Heights (in upper Manhattan) has so many residents from the Dominican Republic that it is often called "Quisqueya Heights." "Quisqueya" is an informal nickname of the…
Tennis “Bagel”
A "zero" looks like what? A donut? A bagel? In the 1970s, the American tennis players Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon were called the "Bagel Twins" or the "Bagel…
“You cannot be serious!” (John McEnroe)
Tennis player John McEnroe spouted this bit of "Queens-ese" at Wimbledon in 1981. Wikipedia: John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is a former World No. 1…
“I’m from Missouri, and you’ve got to show me” & Show Me State (Missouri nickname)
Gerald Cohen is a professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO). He started the research on "Big Apple," and he also started the research on "I'm…
Jewish Champagne (Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda, seltzer)
"Jewish champagne" is the nickname for both Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Soda/Tonic and for seltzer. "Description of celery tonic: Jewish champagne" was printed in the "On…
Dough Nut or Doughnut or Donut; Cruller
New York author Washington Irving has long been cited with the first appearances of the words "dough nut" (now spelled "doughnut" and "donut") and "cruller."…
Rugelach
I found one of the first citations (1941) for "rugelach." This is a difficult food to trace because the names and spelling vary widely.…
Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
The "Cosmopolitan" cocktail (also called "Cosmo") was probably invented in San Francisco. It was popularized by Odeon bartender Toby Cecchini in the late 1980s. He recently…
Fraudway; Queerialto; Double-Crossroads of the World
Fraudway (for Broadway) and Queerialto (for Rialto) and Double-Crossroads of the World (for Crossroads of the World) are some of the cynical Broadway nicknames from the 1920s that didn't…
Vincent’s Sauce
The Original Vincent's restaurant is in Little Italy at 199 Mott Street. Vincent's proudly declares that it's been around for a century, since 1904. I don't particularly care…
Root Beer Float or Ice Cream Float
It has been said that the "root beer float" or "ice cream float" (ice cream plus root beer or cola or other soda) was invented in New York City. This cannot be verified, but…
Manhattan Special Espresso Coffee Soda (from Brooklyn)
Manhattan Special ("since 1895") proudly proclaims on its web site (www.manhattanspecial.com) that it makes "the world's most famous espresso coffee soda." Other sodas…
Gyro
"Gyro" is the Greek version of New York's Italian "hero" sandwich. I've traced the "gyro" citational origins to the 1960s and the Parthenon Restaurant in…
Cake Day (New Year’s Day, from Scotland)
It's been declared that New Year's Day in New York was once called "Cake Day." I went through several databases of New York material without finding s single citation for…
“Dixie” or “Dixie’s Land” (1859)
The song "Dixie Land" was written by Daniel Decatur Emmett and performed at Bryant's Minstrels at 472 Broadway, New York City, on April 4, 1859. Emmett had included the name…
Soda (for “pop”)
"Soda." Only "soda." Not "pop." Not "soda pop." Not "soft drink." Not "cola," although people will understand that. Not "coke,"…
Sprinkles (Jimmies)
New York is a "sprinkle" town. If you call them "jimmies," you're probably the type of person who roots for the Boston Red Sox. I found the earliest citation for…
Chinese Apple (for “pomegranate”)
Do New Yorkers call it a "Chinese apple" while everyone else calls it a "pomegranate"? (Dictionary of American Regional English)Chinese apple n A pomegranate (Punica…
Bridal Row; Wedding Row
A Lower East Side Street (I forget which) was said to have so many wedding shops that it was called "Bridal Row." That name doesn't seem to come up in the digitized New York Times…