Troy: Collar City (nickname)
Troy was known for its Arrow shirt factory and its detachable collars. It acquired the nickname "Collar City." There is a "Collar City Bridge" there today. "THE Troy Times…
Archive for 04/2005
Thousand Islands: Thousand Islands Dressing
The "Thousand Islands" refers to the Thousand Island of upstate New York. However, was this dressing popularized in New York City or Chicago? (Oxford English Dictionary)thousand island…
Saratoga: Saratoga Potato (Chip)
Saratoga is famous for giving birth to the "potato chip" (or, Saratoga chip) in the early 1850s. I couldn't find anything that early, but below are some interesting citations. 17…
Syracuse: Salt City (nickname); Salt Potato
An early nickname for Syracuse was "Salt City" because of its role in the salt trade. Wikipedia: Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse (/ˈsɪrəkjuːs/ or local /ˈsɛrəkjuːs/) is a city in and…
Rochester: Garbage Plate (or Dumpster Plate)
The "garbage plate" (or "dumpster plate") is a Rochester specialty. Roadfood:The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 500 of the Best Barecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors,…
Rochester: White Hots; Pop Opens
Rochester hot dogs are often called "white hots" or "pop opens." 7 August 1933, Zanesville (Ohio) Signal, pg. 5 ad:WHITE-HOTSThis sausage was originated exclusively for Kroger…
Rochester: Flour City (nickname)
An early nickname for Rochester was "Flour City" because of its role in the production and transportation of flour. "Rochester, the great flour city" was cited in an 1847…
Long Island: “Longuyland”
"Longuyland" is, supposedly, how New Yorkers in the 1920s and 1930s pronounced "Long Island." The name "Longuyland" has been cited in print since at least 1925, and…
Long Island: Long Island Ice(d) Tea
JAY LENO: I think this Amy Fisher has gone way too far. Now bars are selling an Amy Fisher Cocktail. Have you had this? It's a Long Island iced tea with a shot on the side.-- NEWSDAY, 31…
Buffalo: Sponge Candy
Buffalo is also known for "sponge candy," but it probably didn't originate here. Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 500 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream…
Buffalo: Beef-on-Weck
"Beef-on-Weck" is roast beef on kimmelweck bread, a Buffalo (NY) specialty. Wikipedia: Kaiser roll A variation called a kümmelweck (alternatively spelled "kimmelweck" or…
Binghamton: Spiedie
The "spiedie" is an Endicott-Binghamton specialty, brought to the area by immigrants from Italy. The "spiedi" or "spiedie" (pronounced "speedy") began with…
Albany: Albany Beef
"Albany beef" is a jocular name for sturgeon, once plentiful in the Hudson River in the 1700s. "This fish is a favorite with the Dutch, at Albany, and is on that account by some…
Orange Julius & Orange Juice Gulch
Times Square used to be known as "Orange Juice Gulch." It appears that Walter Winchell coined this term in the New York Graphic in 1928. (Unfortunately, the New York Public Library…
Little Persia
Little Persia? I was walking on East 30th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. These are some Persian carpet stores. There's a Persian restaurant called Ravagh…
BBQ people (Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens)
"BBQ people" is rarely used, but it comes from the same time period (1970s) as "bridge and tunnel" people. Perhaps it will be revived, now that there is genuine "Big Apple…
Jughead
"Jughead" (Jones) is the name of a character in the Archie comic strip, starting in December 1941. The United Homeless Organization (UHO) has members in front of many New York businesses,…
Successful Fire (Jewish Lightning)
On June 5, 2000, NYU librarian George Thompson submitted this, on "successful fires" and "Jewish lightning," to the American Dialect Society list. I'll try to update it…
“Ice Cream” (1995) (“Butter-Pecan Rican” lyric)
In "Ice cream" (1995) from the album Only built 4 Cuban linx, Raekwon (born Corey Woods; also known as The Chef, Rae, Lex Diamonds) described his favorite flavors. "One love to my…
East 62nd Street Lemon Cake
The "East 62d Street Lemon Cake" became famous from the 1970 New York Times article below. Maida Heatter included it in her cookbooks and credited her daughter, Toni Marks, with its…