An etymological dictionary

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

Do a Brodie

On July 23, 1886, Steve Brodie jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, survived, and achieved instant fame. Some books state that this was a hoax and that Brodie never jumped, but David Shulman of Brooklyn…

Smoke-Eater; Smoke-Chewer

"Smoke-eaters" are firefighters, also known as New York's "Bravest." "Smoke-chewer" isn't used today, but the 1884 citation below is interesting.…

Zucchini Sticks

It appears that this popular appetizer began in a New York City restaurant, probably Theodore's. 19 February 1949, New York Herald Tribune, pg. 11, col. 6:She folds the veal turnover style,…

Gridlock

"Gridlock" is "grid" + "lock." The Oxford English Dictionary has: "Apparently coined by two U.S. transport engineers, Roy Cottam and Sam Schwartz ('Gridlock…

Bodega

"Bodega" came to us from Spain, through Cuba and Puerto Rico. The term has been used regularly in New York City since at least the 1930s, but most consistently since the 1950s and 1960s…

Brownie; Meter Maid

"Brownie" and "Meter Maid" have been replaced by "Traffic Enforcement Agent." The new term makes sense for two reasons: (1) they now wear black and not brown, and (2)…

Dude

The "dude" craze began in New York City in 1883. The figure had existed before under different names, such as "swell" and "dandy" and "fop" and…

Herald Square and Times Square

"Herald Square" was named after the New York Herald newspaper in 1893. It is the area around West 34th Street. "Times Square" was named after the New York Times newspaper in…

Forty Deuce (42nd Street)

"Forty Deuce," or "Deuce" for short, is (or was) West 42nd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue. The term dates from the seedy 1960s and 1970s, when the block…

Bridge and Tunnel People

The "bridge-and-tunnel people" or "bridge-and-tunnel crowd" is a holdover term from the Studio 54-era of the 1970s. It's usually a disparaging term, but why look down on…

Straphanger

A "straphanger" is someone who rides the trains or buses. NYPIRG has a branch it calls "Straphangers Campaign" that studies transit issues. The subway is about 100 years old,…

City That Never Sleeps

In the song "New York, New York" (1977), Frank Sinatra (in a 1979 recording) said that he wanted to wake up in a city that doesn't sleep. The phrase is much, much older than the…

Cappuccino

Cafe Reggio on Macdougal Street did not invent the "cappuccino," but it certainly was one of the first places in America to offer it. "Cappuccino" was cited in an 1893 guidebook…

General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso's Chicken (deep-fried chicken in a sweet sauce) was popularized at Peng's restaurant in Manhattan on 291 East 44th Street, from about 1973-74. The similar "General…

Naked City

"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them." Does anyone remember that line? There was a tv show called Naked City and a movie called Naked City.…

Statue of Liberty Play (football)

The Statue of Liberty play -- usually called "the old Statue of Liberty Play" -- is a trick football play that fakes a pass, but is really a handoff to someone just behind the passer. The…