Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.
"Crime Stoppers" began in the 1980s to fight crime. Crimes were re-enacted and publicized in the media, and a tips line (577-TIPS) was set up. People who gave helpful tips were rewarded.…
Wikipedia: Republican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by…
Thomas Nast is also given credit for the Tammany tiger, and again, this is incorrect. Certainly, his November 11, 1871 Harper's Weekly political cartoon is perhaps the most famous in American…
Thomas Nast, a cartoonist of Harper's Weekly, gets credit for the "Democratic Donkey," but credit should go to the New York Daily Graphic. The Daily Graphic's artist was Philip…
I generally agree that cartoonist Thomas Nast should get credit for the Republican elephant. His November 1874 Harper's Weekly illustrations are the clearest exaqmples we have. However, the…
"G.O.P." (or "GOP") for "Grand Old Party" (the Republican Party) was printed in the Wichita (KS) Weekly Beacon on November 39, 1881. There is some debate about who…
Both Democrats and Republican used "Grand Old Party." By 1876 and 1880, the nickname "Grand Old Party" shifted into Republican hands. The Democratic Party is older, however.…
"Downtrown Train" became a big hit for Rod Stewart in 1990, and the song has been recorded by others. It was written and first recorded by Thomas Alan (Tom) Waits for his album Rain Dogs…
Baseball is not played against a clock; there are nine innings and 27 outs before a game is over. Until those 27 outs are recorded, no lead is insurmountable. "There is an old adage that says…
A "repeater" is someone who votes more than once. The term was used frequently in the election of 1867. With electronic voting, it is hoped that the term is now historical. The…
The New Jersey Nets basketball team is proposed to become the Brooklyn Nets in a few years. A new arena is being planned. The same "Nets" team nickname will be used. No new logo has been…
Arrests were made during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Some (by no means all) protesters were arrested and taken to Pier 57 -- a place some called "Guantanamo on the Hudson"…
The New Yorker magazine was first published on February 19, 1925. On that first cover was a "dude" or "dandy" who looked at a butterfly through a monocle. His name was…
There has been some dispute about the naming of the Baby Ruth candy bar, introduced in 1921. The candy company has claimed that it was named after Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth, who died…
There's a candy bar called "Baby Ruth" and another called "Oh, Henry!" It was widely believe in baseball circles that these were named after the home run hitters Babe Ruth…
The Yankees always win. U.S. Steel (or General Motors) - in the 1950s and not today, of course - represented big business. Who could root for that. Ben Zimmer pulled up the 1966 citation that…
"Is Brooklyn still in the league?" or "Are the Dodgers still in the league?" is the famous remark by New York Giants manager Bill Terry on January 24, 1934. The exact wording is…
The music you hear in the subways is often quite good, and there's a reason for that. The performers must first try out under the MTA's "Music Under New York" (MUNY) program.…
The Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team is long gone, but this refrain remains. "Once a Dodger, always a Dodger." It's been used for other teams ("Once a Yankee, always a…
I couldn't find historical citations for "Haircut Street," but if our tourism website says it's so, then it must be. http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=1195Pell…