Yoots or Yutes (youths)
"What is a yute?" asked the Southern judge to a lawyer (played by Joe Pesci) in the movie comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992). Vinny (from New York City) was perplexed that his dialect…
Bagel; Bagel & Lox; Bagel “All the Way”; Everything Bagel
Bagels did not originate in New York City, but were brought to the city by Eastern European immigrants. Cited below is a forgotten "old world" citation referring to the 1870s in…
“Not chopped liver” (“What am I? Chopped liver?”)
Chopped liver became a popular side dish in Jewish cuisine in New York City by at least 1910. It was so common that it wasn't thought of as anything special. "What am I? Chopped…
Frozen Custard
Try the frozen custard at the new Shake Shake at Madison Square Park. It's a treat straight out of Coney Island. 23 June 1939, Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, pg. 5, col. 4:One of the…
Big Apple Fest (2004)
The Big Apple Fest was organized for the summer and fall of 2004. Like the 2000's Cow Parade before it, huge sculptures are painted and auctioned off for charity. This time, they're Big…
Nesselrode Pie
"Nesselrode pudding" was supposedly invented by the first "celebrity chef," the great Antonin Careme. However, "Nesselrode pie" appears to be a New York City original…
New York Cut Sirloin Steak
It appears that "New York Cut" comes from San Francisco, about 1900. The full-text Chicago Tribune doesn't have it much at all, nor does the New York Times. However, New York Cut…
Rush Hour
"Rush hour" is often believed (incorrectly) to have originated with the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge on May 24, 1883. "Rush hour" traffic occurred in the morning (when people…
Block Party
The Oxford English Dictionary added "block party" in 1997, and OED's earliest citation is 1919. I've found "block party" from 1907. Unfortunately, the first New York…
Loisaida
"Loisaida" is Spanish for "Lower East Side." Some claim that "Lower East Side" is below Houston Street, and "Loisaida" is above Houston Street. Puerto Rican…
“We can kick your city’s ass”
"We can kick your city's ass!" was coined by a writer on David Letterman's The Late Show and spoken by Mayor Rudy Giuliani in April 1995. The slogan has been printed on several…
Melting Pot; Mixing Bowl; Mosaic
"Melting Pot" and "Mixing Bowl" and "Mosaic" have all been used to describe New York City or America. "Melting Pot" conveys the image of many many different…
Potatoes O’Brien
Who is O'Brien? Is this a New York City dish? Wikipedia: Potatoes O'BrienPotatoes O'Brien is a dish of pan-fried potatoes along with green and red bell peppers. The potatoes and the…
Nolita (North of Little Italy)
Nolita (NOrth of LIttle ITAly) was coined in the New York (NY) Times on May 5, 1996. The name sounds similar to Vladimir Nabokov's 1950s novel, Lolita. Wikipedia: NolitaNolita, sometimes…
TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street)
"Tribeca" means TRIangle BElow CAnal Street. After the 1960s success of "SoHo," many other neighborhood nicknames were suggested. 'Tribeca" has been cited in print…
The Four Hundred
According to Ward McAllister (1827-1895), in all of New York City, there are only 400 people who really matter. It was later claimed that this "400" was the number of people that Mrs.…
Father Knickerbocker
Father Knickerbocker used to represent New York City in cartoons, much the way Uncle Sam is used for the United States. When did it all start? It all popularly began with this book by Washington…
“Big Apple” in the 1930s (Two clubs, plus song and dance)
The activities of the mid-late 1930s did not coin "the Big Apple" as New York's nickname, but they helped to popularize the term "Big Apple." In 1934, the Big Apple night…
“Big Apple” in the 1940s-1950s
After the 1937 "Big Apple" dance crazed died, World War II came along in the 1940s. There's not much linguistic activity for "the Big Apple" during this period, but here…
Trylon and Perisphere (1939); Unisphere (1964)
The Trylon and Perisphere were built for the 1939-40 World's Fair. The Unisphere (still standing in Queens) was built for the 1964-65 World's Fair. It's not enough for New York City…