Mush (sauerkraut & roll)
No one seems to know much about "mush." The Brooklyn Historical Society Library will re-open in 2005. The Brooklyn Public Library will perhaps continue its digitization of the Brooklyn…
Eurotrash
Did Taki coin the term in the early 1980s? Usage note: it can be Euro-trash, Eurotrash, euro-trash, or eurotrash. It is not a complimentary term for Europeans; refrain from using it. 6 December…
Alternate side of the street parking
"Alternate Side" seems like some ancient tradition carried over from the Dutch, but it's only from about 1950. It's called "street cleaning regulations" now. 17…
“Don’t Even THINK of Parking Here,” “No Parking, No Standing, No Stopping, No Kidding”
These two signs both date from 1982. As many of you know, I am a parking judge. I have never seen a summons for "thinking" or "kidding," however. 15 June 1982, New York Times,…
Flagel (Flat Bagel, or Flat)
The "flagel" (FLAY-gel) -- also called a "flat bagel," "bagel flat" and "flat" -- appears to have been invented in Long Island or New York City in the 1980s…
Nuyorican
"Nuyorican" means New York Puerto Rican.I couldn't easily beat these latest citations, from the revised Oxford English Dictionary. Neorican, n. and a.orig. and chiefly U.S. [<…
Chop Suey
San Francisco and New York City both have Chinatowns, and both claim "chop suey." New York appears to have the earliest citations for the dish (that was not invented in 1896). Museum of…
NoHo (North of Houston Street)
"NoHo" means "north of Houston Street." I was told that a bus tour guide has joked that it's because the area contains no whores, or "no ho's." Those bus…
Bet a Big Apple
People began betting a big (red) apple since at least 1839. A "big apple" was a prized fruit and a popular non-monetary reward. Why didn't they bet a big banana? Why not a big…
“On Line” (not “in line”)
New Yorkers say "on line" where other Americans say "in line." The Dictionary of American Regional English, volume III I-O, has this on page 877: in phr. on line: In line.…
Power Breakfast; Power Lunch
It's difficult to say the precise date and place when the "power breakfast" or the "power lunch" came into being. It appears that such "breakfast" and…
Little India (East 6th Street in Manhattan)
"Little India" on East 6th Street in Manhattan, between First and Second Avenues (there is also a "Little India" in Jackson Heights, Queens), began in 1968 when the first Indian…
Murder, Inc.
"Murder, Inc." is the name of the old criminal association of the 1930s and 1940s. The name was coined in a New York World-Telegram headline, from headline writer Asa Bordages…
Little Brazil
"Little Brazil Street," West 46th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway, was dedicated in 1996. 30 April 1968, New York Times, pg. 49:City's Brazilians Cluster Colorfully in West…
New Jack City
"New Jack City" is a hip-hop term for New York City. The 1991 film of this name popularized the term, but also limited its use. If you say "New Jack City," people think…
Hymietown; Jew York (Jew + New York)
"Jew York" and "Hymietown" are two terms that reflect New York City's large Jewish population. Both terms are usually considered derogatory. The poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972)…
Orient Express or International Line (7 train)
The "Orient Express" is the 7 train that takes you to the many Asian neighborhoods of Queens. "International Line" is the "politically correct" term. The real…
Little Poland (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
"Little Poland" is today Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Various other areas had previously used this name. Wikipedia: Greenpoint, BrooklynGreenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New…
Little Odessa; Little Ukraine
Little Ukraine (a term from at least the 1950s) is near Cooper Square in the East Village, around East 7th Street, in Manhattan. Little Odessa (a term from the 1970s) is Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.…
Santa Claus & Sidewalk Santas
What would Christmas be without New York City? "A Visit From St. Nicholas," also known from its first line of "'Twas the night before Christmas," was published in 1822. It…