“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…
Unique New York (tongue twister)
This was on the internet group rec.humor, "Tongue Twisters Wanted," on May 2, 1991: Unique New York.Unique New York.I love to live inUnique New York. There are 581 Google hits for…
“New York’s Picture Newspaper” or “New York’s Picture Paper” (New York Daily News slogan)
"...the New York Times, the Daily News..." So sang Billy Joel, when in a "New York State of Mind." The New York Daily News began as the Illustrated Daily News. The New York…
Bialy
Remember the character of Max Bialystok in The Producers? The "bialy" was probably named in New York City. Its origins are Bialystok, Poland, but it was Polish immigrants in New York City…
SoHo (South of Houston Street)
"SoHo" means SOuth of HOuston Street. The Oxford English Dictionary has no mention of New York's Soho, but has this for London: The name of a district in the West End of London,…
DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass)
DUMBO = Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. DUMBO? A New York City neighborhood named after a 1941 Disney movie about a flying elephant with large ears? The name "DUMBO" originated in…
Pizza
New York claims "pizza" (from Naples, Italy) for the rest of this country and hemisphere. Here are some early citations. 18 February 1866, New York Times, pg. 6:Recollections of New-York…
“I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it”
The famous New Yorker cartoon was on December 8, 1928, with a drawing by Carl Rose and text by E. B. White: Young Mother: "It's broccoli, dear."Young Daughter: "I say it's…
Molten Chocolate Cake
New York takes the molten chocolate cake? This is from Arthur Schwartz, as cited on e-Gullet: According to Jean-Georges, the cake was not deliberately developed but the result of a mistake. He…
Dem Bums (Brooklyn Dodgers)
"Dem Bums" (or "them bums" or "our bums") were the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team and their fans. American cartoonist Willard Mullin of the New York (NY)…
Traffic Court
New York City has had a "traffic court" since at least 1916. (Oxford English Dictionary)traffic court orig. U.S., a court of law with jurisdiction over motoring offences.1919 Evening Star…
Play Street
A "play street" is a street closed to vehicular traffic so that children can play. "Play streets" -- cited in New York since 1915 -- usually are designated during the summer,…
Pasta e Fagioli (“Pasta Fazool”)
The next time you're at La Guardia airport, mention that someone, somewhere there, should serve this dish. 21 August 1937, Lima (Ohio) News, pg. 7, col. 3:Goin' to town with MARK…
MePa (Meat Packing District)
The "meat packing district" on the west side of Manhattan, around 14th Street, has turned into a "meet" market almost overnight. The new name is "Mepa" or…
Hash House Lingo
"Sunny side up!" Where does that come from? New York City (and Chicago) provided the nation with a hash house lingo that was spoken for over fifty years. Most of the lingo is lost to…
Jewish Penicillin
Chicken soup for the New York soul. (Dictionary of American Regional English)Jewish peniclllin nChicken souo.1968 DARE (Qu. HH30, Things that are nicknamed for different nationalities) Inf NJ30,…
Yellow Journalism
In the mid-1890s, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, the World, published The Yellow Kid. This is sometimes called the first comic in a newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer's and William Randolph…
Empire City, Empire State
New York State is the "Empire State," and New York City is the "Empire City." New York City's tallest building for many years was the Empire State Building. "Empire…
Curry Hill (curry + Murray Hill)
The Indian restaurant "Curry in a Hurry," at Lexington Avenue and 28th Street, helped give rise to the neighborhood nickname "Curry Hill." The neighborhood is just south of…