Crooklyn
"Brooklyn," in hip-hop language. It's not a particularly flattering nickname. Spike Lee's 1994 film with this title probably didn't coin the name, but certainly popularized…
Archive for 09/2004
Boogie Down Bronx
The New York City borough of the Bronx is sometimes called the 'Boogie Down Bronx" or simply the "Boogie Down." The term reflects the role that the Bronx played in the birth of…
Borough of Homes
Both Brooklyn and Queens have used "Borough of Homes." The appellation began fairly soon after the cities united into one city with boroughs in 1898. 16 April 1899, Brooklyn Daily…
City of Churches (Brooklyn)
Brooklyn was a city before it became a borough of New York City. Brooklyn had many churches and was called the "City of Churches" by at least 1841. Many other cities around the world have…
Dead Man’s Curve
"Dead Man's Curve" is more popularly known today as a song by Jan and Dean, but it was the corner of 14th Street and Broadway. Some find it irony that a statue of Gandhi now stands…
Labor Day
New York City has long received credit for "Labor Day." Perhaps that's wrong and New York wasn't the first, but New York's Labor Day Parade and tradition is probably the…
Perp Walk
"Perp" means "perpetrator." The New York City "perp walk" is the long walk the perp takes, usually from a vehicle into a building, facing the cameras of the press…
Black-and-White (cookie)
The famous black-and-white "cookie" is actually a "cake." The black-and-white was re-popularized on the television show Seinfeld in the 1990s. Unfortunately, I haven't…
Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT)
A "desk appearance ticket" (DAT) has nothing to do with a desk's appearance. In New York City, many people arrested for misdemeanors and “E” felonies are ordered to appear for…