An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.

“Choking Poster” in restaurants

Remember the "choking poster"? Do you still see it at restaurants? It's in some out-of-the-way place and looks really old and kinda yellow, right? The poster that no one reads? The…

Great Lawn (Central Park)

"The Great Lawn" in Central Park was not always there. It was designed and added in 1931. Today, the Parks Department is trying to protect the grass by limiting the Great Lawn's use.…

Autism (summary)

My sister has a son with "autism." On October 12, 2002, I first posted this to the American Dialect Society list, then re-posted it to alt.support.autism. The Oxford English Dictionary…

(Barnum’s) Animal Crackers

Everyone knows that "Animal Crackers" were first made by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) in New York City in 1902. They used to be called "Barnum's Animals." Barnum,…

Bicycle Messenger

Bicycle messengers used to be more numerous than they are today. Blame the cell phone and the internet. It appears that this did not originate in New York City. (Oxford English Dictionary)bicycle…

Iron Triangle (Willets Point)

The "Iron Triangle" in Queens is the area near Shea Stadium and the Flushing River that is filled with ugly car repair shops. There have been many plans made for this area, including its…