311 (non-emergency call)
311 was introduced in 2003 to handle non-emergency calls and take the burden off 911. It helps callers to make New York City understandable. Too much noise in the neighborhood? Call 311. Fire? Call…
“YESSSSS!”
Marv Albert is known for his Madison Square Garden broadcasts of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, although he's signed for next year to broadcast the New Jersey Nets basktball team.…
“Let’s go to the videotape!”
Warner Wolf did the evening sports for several newscasts for many years. His catchphrase was "Let's go to the videotape!" to cue the sports highlights. 20 January 2005, New York…
PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson); THE (Trans-Hudson Express tunnel)
"PATH" is the "Port Authority Trans-Hudson." It's not bad, as acronyms go. The Port Authority could have stopped there, but now there's-- "THE," the…
Garden State (New Jersey nickname)
"Garden State" is the nickname of New Jersey. Chicago was called "City in a Garden" or "Garden City" from the 1840s, and Illinois became known as the "Garden…
Iron Pipeline (I-95)
Interstate-95 is called the "Iron Pipeline" because it's used to smuggle guns into New York City from the South. It's believed that the term originated in Georgia. 11 October…
Olympics (NYC 2012), the Big Apple, and the “Public Advocate” disgrace
"Public Advocate" Betsy Gotbaum is against the Olympics and seeks to kill it because the mayor is for it. Is this what we need a "public advocate" for? Does she have any ideas…
Betsy Gotbaum and the fictional “Big Apple whores” (2004)
Betsy Gotbaum was elected New York City's Public Advocate in 2001. In 2004, I created this website for the Big Apple Fest. I had told the Big Apple Fest directors that the "Big Apple…
Mark Green and Audrey Munson (“Civic Fame”)
Mark Green was elected "public advocate" in 1993 and again in 1997. His term limits (two terms) were up and he unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2001, losing to Michael Bloomberg. In the…
Adding “public advocate” to the OED
"Public Advocate" is not in the Oxford English Dictionary. OED is currently revising the letter "P." I'm putting "public advocate" in the dictionary! "Public…
Theatre of the Absurd, 2005
This is how it's been for about ten years now:... ...4 March 2005, Tulsa World, "Historical facts," pg. A18:"The big what?" (Feb. 25) about the new campaign by New York…
Summary, or, “How to waste $40 million, violate the City Charter, disregard our Civic Fame, and prom
This is a long story. It may have a somewhat happy ending, or it may have the usual sad ending. It's up to New York. 21 March 2005, AM New York, pg. 4:The race for public advocate(...)To some…
Full Cleveland (clothing term)
The "full Cleveland" is a dress suit that's very 1970s. The tacky term is sometimes applied to the city itself. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=full+cleveland full…
Smoky City (summary)
The Dictionary of Americanisms has 1853 for "Iron City" and 1850 for "Smoky City." "Steel City" would come in the 1890s. All are connected to the same industry and are…
New York of the South
Atlanta was known as the "New York of the South" from the 1870s, but the title was also sometimes given to Charleston or New Orleans. 7 March 1850, National Era (Washington, DC), pg.…
Hotlanta
The Alman Brothers Band played a song called "Hot'Lanta" in 1971. The Atlanta Constitution is being digitized and we'll soon know if there are any earlier citations, but…
Broadway Flip Sundae
Pete's Place is on 256 Third Avenue, at East 21st Street. On the wall is an old-time menu (I was told it's from the 1920s) of a former store at the same location called the Gramercy Sweet…
Mile High City (summary)
In the second-half of the 1800s, it was determined that Denver was a "mile high." Around 1900, Denver became known as the "mile high city." 20 July 1905, Wellsboro (PA) Gazette,…
Motor City or Motown (Detroit nicknames)
Ford's first "Model T" was introduced in 1908. Within ten years, the city had earned the nickname "Motor City." I contributed the 1919 citation to the Oxford English…
Charm City (Baltimore nickname)
"Charm City" is an example of a coined city nickname that has stuck. According to The Sun (Baltimore, MD) on July 11, 1974: "The 'Charm City, U.S.A.' promotion, prepared as…