Little Germany (Kleindeutschland)
The East Village was once called "Little Germany," or "Kleindeutschland." Its future was largely destroyed by the deaths in the ship tragedy of the General Slocum in 1904. (See…
Archive for 10/2004
Delicatessen Store (“Deli”)
The "appy" and the "deli" both are associated with New York. "Appetizing stores" sell fish and dairy products. "Delicatessen stores" sell meats. (Oxford…
Appetizing Store (“Appy”)
The "appy" and the "deli" both are associated with New York. "Appetizing stores" sell fish and dairy products. "Delicatessen stores" sell meats. New York…
Op-Ed (opposite editorial)
The New York Times started its now-famous "Op-Ed" section in 1970. However, "op-ed" ("opposite editorial") can be dated to the New York World in the 1920s. New York is…
Meet Me at/under…
New York City has had several famous "meet me" phrases. Judy Garland told everyone to Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and that title is from an authentic period song written for the 1904 St.…
EV (East Village)
First, it was simply the "East Side." Then came "Lower East Side" (now L-E-S). Then came "East Village." Now, "EV"? "East Village" became a popular…
Miss Subways
"Miss Subways" was a beauty contest (actually, talent agencies ran the show and it wasn't much of a "contest") that was featured in the New York subways from 1941-1976. The…
Bed-Stuy (Do or Die); Bed-Stuy and Proud of It
The Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy) is sometimes called "De(a)d-Stuy." It's a tough place. A documentary Bed Stuy (Do or Die), about the ambulance corps, was released…
“Does Macy’s tell Gimbels?”
Macy's is the World's Largest Store, at 34th Street and Herald Square. in New York City. Across the street on 34th Street was once a rival store called Gimbels. "Does Macy's…
Dead End Kids
The wonderful New York play Dead End (1935) started it all. It was made into a film in 1937, and the "Dead End Kids" were on their way to many films and national recognition. Depending on…
Who played for Yankees, Knicks and Rangers in the same year?
Eddie Layton, an organist. This trick question became famous when it was crafted into a Trivial Pursuit question. 3 October 1990, New York Times, pg. B1:His name answers a Trivial Pursuit question:…
Bowery Boy
The "Bowery Boy" is a famous New York street tough. (Oxford English Dictionary)bowery, n.b. attrib., in sense 'of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Bowery'; Bowery boy, a…
Fort Apache (41st Police Precinct in the Bronx nickname)
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…
A New Yorker’s View of the World
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…
Pistol (Carnegie Deli); LEO (Stage Deli)
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…
Greenmarket
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 (West 46th Street)
"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…
Iraq (LeFrak City); Kuwait (Queensbridge)
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)
"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
"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,…