An etymological dictionary

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

Goodfellas & Wise Guys

Goodfellas was a popular 1990 movie, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. The screenplay was by Nicholas Pileggi, based…

New York Trigger

A "New York trigger" is a trigger on guns to make it harder to fire. This was intended to cut down on accidental shootings. A "New York trigger" is harder to pull because…

New York Stop (skating)

"New York Stop" is a skating stop, even more difficult that a "power stop." I suppose it's called "New York" because it's the most difficult. It appears to…

New York Crumb Cake

The late and lamented Ebinger's Bakery of Brooklyn probably created the tradition of the "New York crumb cake." Entenmann's now makes "New York crumb cakes" by the…

Big D (Dallas, Texas nickname)

"Big D," a nickname of Dallas, Texas, has been cited in print since at least the January 15, 1933, when it was printed in the Dallas (TX) Morning News. Texas broadcaster Lee Myres…

Garden Apartment

The Queensboro Corporation developed the country's first "garden apartments" in Jackson Heights in the 1910s. The corporation's founder and director was E. A. MacDougall. A…

Tampa: The Big Guava

After the 1970s popularity of "the Big Apple," everybody started getting into the act. "Big Guava" (for Tampa, Florida) is from the 1970s, but it remains popular. Tampa…

Australita

Australita = Australia + Nolita. There's not much on "Australita" now. The article below reviews the Austalian restaurants The Sunburnt Cow (137 Avenue C, between 8th and 9th…