Calas (“Belle Calas! Tout chauds!”)
"Calas" (often said in this plural) are Creole fried cakes, usually made of rice. The name is thought to be from the African word kala (stalk of cereal). "Belle Calas! Tout chauds!…
Archive for /P21840
Vain Stem (vain + Main Stem, for Broadway)
"Vain Stem" (vain + Main Stem) was a nickname for Broadway in Manhattan that was used in the 1930s and 1940s. "The newest name for B'way, 'The Vain Stem,'"…
Limousine Alley (56th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column on September 24, 1948: “Many midtown side streets have their own 'personality.' Take 56th between 6th and…
Hobowery (hobo + Bowery)
The Bowery (both the name of a street and a neighborhood) in Manhattan was a depressed area for much of the 1900s. Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) called the place…
Eggs Hussarde
"Eggs Hussarde" ("Oeufs Hussarde") was popularized at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, from about 1950, but the dish dates to at least the 1890s. Poached…
Hobowery (hobo + Bowery)
The Bowery (both the name of a street and a neighborhood) in Manhattan was a depressed area for much of the 1900s. Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) called the place…
Hoboweryite (hobo + Boweryite)
The Bowery (both the name of a street and a neighborhood) in Manhattan was a depressed area for much of the 1900s. Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) called the place…
“What’s a wok?”/“Something you fwow at a wabbit.”
A popular riddle about a wok (a cooking utensil) has been printed on several images: Q: What is a wok?A: Something you fwow at a wabbit when you don't have a wifle. The dialect is that of…
“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be 3 tacos and 2 margaritas”
"I'm just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be 3 tacos, 2 margaritas and an order of queso" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. “I’m also…
“Don’t be upset—eat some spaghett” (“Don’t get upset—have some spaghett”)
"Don’t be upsetti -- eat/have some spaghetti"is a jocular spaghetti saying that has been printed on many images. "Don't be upsetti, have some spaghetti" was posted on…
Eggs Hussarde
"Eggs Hussarde" ("Oeufs Hussarde") was popularized at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, from about 1950, but the dish dates to at least the 1890s. Poached…
Ptomaine Road (Broadway, between 42nd and 49th Streets)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: “Sights You Never See on the New York Map: (...) 'Ptomaine Road' (a stretch in the Broadway…
Tin Pan Handle Alley (West 50th Street and Eighth Avenue)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: "Sights You Never See on the New York Map: (...) 'Tin Pan Handle Alley' (50th Street near…
Bongo Boulevard (51st Street, between Seventh Avenue and Broadway)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: "Sights You Never See on the New York Map: (...) 'Bongo Blvd.' (the short block on 51st…
Ulcer County (Madison Avenue advertising agencies)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: "Sights You Never See on the New York Map: (...) 'Ulcer County,' the sector along Madison…
Glory Road (Eighth Avenue, between 42nd and 44th Streets)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: "Sights You Never See on the New York Map: 'Glory Road' (8th Avenue between 42nd and 44th)…
Thieves’ Market (between Delancey and Houston Streets in Manhattan)
There was a Manhattan market between Delancey and Houston Streets that sold items often of questionable ownership. The WPA Guide to New York City (1939) stated: "The stretch between Delancey…
Burma Road (Asian restaurants on 52nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in September 1948: "There are so many chow mein places on 52nd Street between 6th and 7th now -- the…
“If you don’t smell it, we ain’t got it” (delicatessen sign)
A popular sign in delicatessens in the 20th century was: "If you don't smell it, we ain't got it," African American vaudeville singer Frankie Jaxon may have added this to the…
“New Yorkiest place in town” (Stork Club)
What place in New York City can be described as the "New Yorkiest"? "Is that the New Yorkiest place in town?" was printed in a 1915 novel, referring to Sherry's, an…