Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 40,000 entries.
The movie Fort Apache (1948) was a western directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Shirley Temple. The movie Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), based on the book Fort Apache…
The famous Saul Steinberg 1976 New Yorker cartoon was called "A View of the World from Ninth Avenue," not "A New Yorker's View of the World." The "view of the…
Carnegie Deli, 854 Seventh AvenueStage Deli - 834 Seventh Avenue These two famous New York delis each have their own traditions. "Pistol" is the term for "pastrami" at the…
The simple food experiment of "Greenmarkets" (farmers' markets) -- begun in 1976 -- has blossomed into a great addition to city life. They are many different Greenmarket days and…
"Restaurant Row" is near by the "Broadway" theater district, on West 46th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Ask for the pre-theatre specials. "Harlem's…
More hip-hop, from a rap by Capone and Noreaga. "Iraq" and "Kuwait" are in very limited use - possibly deservedly so. (Google Groups)From: Dee Phunk (deephunk@aol.com)Subject:…
"Brooklyn" chewing gum - from Italy? Didn't chewing gum come from Staten Island? 16 January 2001, New York Times, pg. C4:Italian Confectioner Buying Remainder of Dutch CompetitorBy…
"Little Old New York" is an affectionate term for the city. I couldn't find the term before the song (circa 1898). 22 August 1898, New York Times, pg. 6:And, just incidentally,…
"Museum Mile" along Fifth Avenue contains the following: El Museo del Barrio at 104th Street Museum of the City of New York at 103rd Street International Center of Photography at 94th…
The Gotham Book Mart opened in 1920 at 128 West 45th Street and moved in 1923 to 41 West 47th Street. It has recently moved again, to 16 East 46th Street. "Wise Men Fish Here" is its…
Most people know this from the "Sugar Hill Gang." "Sugar Hill" is the African-American area around Harlem where life is sweet. Wikipedia: Sugar Hill, ManhattanSugar Hill is a…
Lombardi's on Spring Street claims to be the first pizzeria (1905) in the western hemisphere. The problem here is the the telephone directories that I checked list Lombardi's as a…
"Brooklyn is the bedroom of New York" means that people may work in Manhattan, but they live in Brooklyn. Perhaps Walt Whitman coined this. Brooklyn has also been called the…
"Little Syria" was located on Washington Street in lower Manhattan. That neighborhood was destroyed in the 1960s to build the World Trade Center. There was also a "Little Syria"…
"Little Hungary" is part of what is now the "East Village." The term is not used any more, but "Little Hungary" was probably one of the earliest "Little"…
"Little Colombia" is Jackson Heights, Queens. The restaurant bearing this name probably helped. "Chapinero" is a desirable area of Bogota, Colombia. "Little Colombia"…
Lily Tomlin got the character of the "bag lady" exactly right. Her performance should be available on video somewhere. The Historical Dictionary of American Slang has: "Orig. N.Y.C.…
People from Brooklyn and Queens are often said to be going to "the city" when they go into Manhattan. New York City has five boroughs. Each borough is part of "the city." The…
In 1982, 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues was designated "Diamond & Jewelry Way." Diamond and jewelry stores started moving to 47th Street just after World War II. All those…
WINS and WCBS were two of the very first "all news" radio stations in the country. WCBS has used the word "newsradio." WINS has promised "You give us 22 minutes, we'll…