Whaddya, Whaddya (Whaddaya, Whaddaya)
"Whaddya, whaddaya" (or "whaddaya, whaddaya") is supposedly a New York City saying, but it can also be found on The Sopranos television program. It means "what do…
“Feel Like a Kid Again!!” (Uncle Louie G’s)
Uncle Louie G's is a new Italian ices and ice cream chain from Brooklyn, but it has an old-time Brooklyn feel to it. Its slogan is "Feel Like a Kid Again!!"…
“Shop Like a Chef” (Gourmet Garage)
Gourmet Garage started in SoHo, but has spread to several stores. "Shop Like a Chef" is its newish slogan. http://www.gourmetgarage.com/story.htmOur StoryGourmet Garage was founded in…
“Calling All Men,” “Select, Don’t Settle,” “No Bunk. No Junk. No Imitations” (Barney’s)
Barney's clothing store has had a few slogans. "No bunk. No junk. No imitations" was the first one, from 1923-24. "Calling all men...to Barney's" is its famous sloagn…
Tax Payer (Will B. Johnstone cartoon character)
The cartoon character of the taxpayer wearing only a barrel (held up by suspenders) is the creation of Will B. Johnstone. It was a regular feature in the New York World-Telegram. The Tax Payer was…
“Instrument of the Immortals” (Steinway & Sons)
Steinway & Sons pianos have been an institution in Queens. The company's 1920 slogan was "The Instrument of the Immortals." http://www.steinway.com/steinway/Since 1853, Steinway…
“The #1 Family Shoe Chain in NY/NJ” (Fabco Shoes)
Fabco Shoes calls itself "The #1 Family Shoe Chain in NY/NJ." That means that a family owns the shoe stores -- not that the shoes descend from one family member to another.…
“What New Yorkers Watch” & “As New York As It Gets” (WNYW, Fox 5)
Channel 5 (FOX network) television (WNYW) has the slogan "What New Yorkers Watch." The news program's slogan is "As New York As It Gets." http://www.fox5ny.com/…
“Glorifying the American Girl” (Ziegfeld Follies)
"Glorifying the American Girl" was the slogan of the Ziegfeld Follies (1907-1931). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziegfeld_Follies
“We’re Good For You” (Apple Bank)
After the "Big Apple" was re-popularized in the 1970s, it was only a matter of time (1983) before a New York City bank took the "apple" name. Apple Bank's slogan is…
Five and Ten Cent Store (5 & 10, or Five and Dime)
The "five and ten cent store" was popularized by the F. W. Woolworth Company, former owners of the Woolworth Building (once the world's tallest). Today they're called…
“Worth Every Penny” (Jack’s 99-cent stores)
The 99-cent stores (selling items costing 99-cents or below, but some stores have pricier merchandise) began in California, about 1980. Actually, Woolworth's pioneered the idea of the…
“What New Yorkers Line Up For” (Soup Man)
The "Soup Man," Al Yeganeh, became famous overnight after the "Soup Nazi" episode of the tv show Seinfeld. (See "Soup Nazi" in the food section here.) He has…
Polish Tea Room (Cafe Edison at Hotel Edison)
The Edison Hotel is located at 228 West 47th Street, in the heart of the theatre district. The Cafe Edison is joking referred to as the "Polish Tea Room," after the more famous Russian…
“Un cuadrangular en sabor (A home run of flavor)” (El Nuevo Caridad restaurant)
El Nuevo Caridad restaurant, at 191st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, is a place to watch Dominican baseball players. The restaurant's slogan is ""Un cuadrangular en sabor (A home…
Boss
"Boss" comes from the Dutch term and was used in New Amsterdam, then New York City. (Oxford English Dictionary)boss, n.[ad. Du. baas master (older sense 'uncle'), supposed to be…
“It’s not fitness. It’s life” (Equinox)
Equinox fitness clubs have the slogan "It's not fitness. It's life." Equinox has many clubs in the metro area, but also can be found in Chicago, California, and Florida.…
Bedpan Alley (Hospital Row or Hospital Land)
The East Side and the West Side of Manhattan have rows of hospital buildings. They are called "Bedpan Alley" (similar-sounding to "Tin Pan Alley") or "Hospital Row" or…
“(I Love to Play Piano) Let Me Bang Your Box” (1954)
"(I Love to Play Piano) Let Me Bang Your Box" is a 1954 novelty song by The Toppers. Robin Byrd (www.robinbyrd.com) plays the song at the end of her Manhattan cable tv sex show, "The…
“I seen my opportunities and I took ‘em” & “Honest graft” (George Washington Plunkitt)
George Washington Plunkitt, a corrupt politician of Tammany Hall days, is known today for the term "honest graft" and the saying "I seen my opportunities and I took 'em."…