“New Yorkers Since 1784” (Bank of New York)
The Bank of New York began in 1784 and is still around today. http://www.bankofny.com/htmlpages/ahi.htmOur history began on February 23, 1784, with a small advertisement featured in The New York…
Tenement House
The "tenement house" is believed to have started in New York City, on Cherry Street in 1838. "Tenement" is from the Latin tenere (to hold). (Oxford English Dictionary)tenement…
Calendar Girl
"I love, I love, I love my calendar girl" sang Brooklyn-born Neil Sedaka. The birth of the "calendar girl" is moderately disputed, but she appears to have been born in New York…
“Eat at Joe’s” (Joe’s Restaurant)
"Eat at Joe's" signs were popular in cartoons and lore of the 1930s and 1940s and 1950s. They symbolized ubiquitous advertising, especially on highways. It probably all began with…
V-J Day Kiss (August 14, 1945)
Life magazine published a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt of an American sailor kissing a woman in Times Square to celebrate V-J Day (August 14, 1945). Eisenstaedt never recorded the couple's…
How am I doing?
Ed Koch made "How am I doing?" famous when he ran successfully for mayor in 1977. However, this was a popular line in the 1930s as well. 17 January 1932, Washington Post, pg.…
Jints (Giants)
Ben Zimmer of the American Dialect Society added this "Jints" comment on the ADS listserv in November 2005. One for Barry (surprised it's not already on his site)...Someone on…
“Since 1898” (Entenmann’s)
Entenmann's bakery started in Brooklyn in the 1890s. It is now part of the George Weston Bakeries family. http://entenmanns.gwbakeries.com/history.cfmIn the late 1800s, a young teenager named…
“Your Neighborhood Store And So Much More” (Key Food)
Key Food was founded in 1937 and is headquartered on Staten Island. "Your Neighborhood Store And So Much More" is its slogan, apparently not trademarked.…
“Everything on a Bagel” (Ess-a-Bagel)
The Ess-a-Bagel ("ess"=eat) stores have the slogan "everything on a bagel." They sell more than bagels, however. Ess-a-BagelHistory Ess-a-Bagel, Inc., was established in 1976 on…
Brooklyn born, Brooklyn bred, and when I die I’ll be Brooklyn dead
"Brooklyn born, Brooklyn bred, and when I die I'll be Brooklyn dead" is a new statement of Brooklyn pride. http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/brooklyn/nyc-fred0728,0,5172852.story…
Buttermilk Channel
The "Buttermilk Channel" is an old term for the separation between Governors Island and Brooklyn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk_ChannelThe Buttermilk Channel is a small tidal…
New York Gypsy Festival
The 2005 New York Gypsy Festival could become an annual event. The Festival celebrates the cultures of Bulgaria, Tyrkey, Russia and the Balkans. http://nygypsyfest.com/aboutus.htmAbout The Festival…
Pokey Award
The "Pokey Award" (a snail trophy, of course) is given out by NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives to the slowest public transportation in New York City.…
The Elevated Acre
"The Elevated Acre" is the first downtown Manhattan park/private space developed since the 9-11-2001 attacks. It has cost $7 million.…
Downtown
It appears that "downtown" (or "down town") originates from New York City. A person who lives in or who frequently goes downtown is a "downtowner." "Just like…
Apple Week
Slow Food USA has run an Apple Week in New York City. Historically, and "Apple Day" or "Apple Week" has occurred around Halloween on October 31.…
Leaping Louie (Prometheus statue in Rockefeller Center)
Prometheus was the Greek god who brought fire to mankind. Paul Manship's statue of him is in Rockefeller Center, just above the skating rink. An early, 1930s-1940s nickname was "Leaping…
Bell of the Unforgotten
The "Bell of the Unforgotten" was put in place on October 16, 2005 to commemorate the unnamed victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The bell is supposed to…
Cathedral of the Skies (Empire State Building)
The Empire State Building (briefly nicknamed the "Empty State Building"--see above) is also called the "Cathedral of the Skies." This is a nod to the old Woolworth Building, the…