Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 38,000 entries.
"They call it the World Series...but it is usually played in the Bronx!" can be found in Google Groups, May 25, 2001. Here's a reference to this now-popular T-shirt wisdom: (GOOGLE…
The statue of "Diana" that graced the old Madison Square Garden (at Madison Square) is now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A copy is in the Metroplitan Museum of Art. "Diana"…
Want to own a piece of New York City history? Evelyn Beatrice Longman (1874-1854) designed this 1916 statue of "Electricity," or "Spirit of Communication" (nicknamed…
The "Jumbotron" television screen (from the word "jumbo" and the brand name of Sony's "Trinitron" screens) caused a sensation when it debuted in Times Square in…
"All you need is a dollar and a dream" and "Hey, you never know" are two successful slogans of Lotto, the New York State lottery. The money from Lotto is supposed to go to New…
"Mr. Met" is the mascot of baseball's New York Mets. The comic character appeared on the cover of the team's 1963 Year Book, complete a page inside devoted to him. The character…
"MoMA" is the Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org), located at 11 West 53rd Street in Manhattan. It was located in Queens during recent renovations, reopening November 20, 2004.…
"Book Row" (or "Booksellers' Row") was lower Fourth Avenue, between 9th and 14th Streets. Another "Booksellers Row" opened on Fifth Avenue, near the Barnes and…
This "Chicken Divan" dish was the signature of the Divan Parisien Restaurant, 33 East 48th Street. Dining, Wining and Dancing in New YorkBy Scudder MiddletonNew York, NY: Dodge Publishing…
It's universally accepted that Leo Hirschfield invented the "Tootsie Roll" in New York City in 1896, naming it after his daughter. That might be correct, but I have a few questions.…
LoHo. Yes, it's another "SoHo" knockoff real estate invention. No, it has nothing to do with whores. "LoHo" and "NoLiTa" do sound a bit scandalous, though.…
"Bargain District" is a modern promotional slogan for Orchard Street and the Lower East Side, but the area itself does have some history behind it. Wikipedia: Orchard Street…
Most people credit Katz's Deli for "Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army," but it actually comes from Louie the Waiter. Wikipedia: Katz's DelicatessenKatz's Delicatessen,…
"Superflack" was mentioned in William Safire's "On Language" column of March 18, 1979. It follows "superman," "superstar," and "supermodel."…
"SoCo" is "south of Columbia" University. (GOOGLE)Columbia College Today... at 107th and Broadway. Now the real estate folks are calling the area SOCO (SOuth of COlumbia). Can…
"SoHa" is "SOuth of HArlem." Morningside Heights is the traditional name. Yes, it's another derivative from "SoHo." Attention Brooklyn real estate developers!…
"SpaHa" is a new term for "Spanish Harlem." SoHo! SpaHa! Get it? (GOOGLE)PUERTO RICO HERALD: Return of Puerto Ricans Revives Spanish Harlem As a result, voguish restaurants and…
The "ladies' mile" is that stretch of Manhattan shopping on Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), roughly from 14th to 23rd Streets. The exact date that the "Ladies'…
The "zipper" is that strip of news that goes around the building at 1 Times Square, at 42nd Street and Broadway. The "zipper" has been "down" a few times in its…
The Fur District moved uptown in the twentieth century, then faced decline. It's near the Garment District (another district that has declined). John Jacob Astor (a nineteenth century New York…