The Big Apple
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December 14, 2004
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“New York’s My Home” (1956)

"New York's My Home" (1956) was composed by Gordon Jenkins and performed by Sammy Davis, Jr. It contains the lyric "When you leave New York, man, you don't go…

November 15, 2004
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“New York’s Not My Home” (1972)

Jim Croce died in a plane accident in 1973. "New York's Not My home" is one of his thoughtful hits. The lyrics can't be produced in full here, but are available on other sites.…

March 10, 2022
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“New York’s the Big Apple, bub, the heaviest scene in the world” (Rolling Stone magazine, 1969)

Rolling Stone magazine began in New York City in 1967. Although "Big Apple" was popular in jazz music, Rolling Stone mostly reported on rock music. A letter by "Fly Paper" about…

December 18, 2005
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“New York” (2000)

"New York" is on U2's All That You Can Leave Behind (2000). The song isn't one of their biggest hits. http://www.macphisto.net/u2lyrics/New_York.htmlU2 Lyrics - New York(...)New…

September 19, 2015
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Next time, get a speaking part” (theatre joke)

It's an old joke that actors seek speaking parts, and that, in marriage, the speaking part often goes to the wife. A typical joke was cited in 1902: Why did that chorus girl quit?"…

September 29, 2022
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“No applause—just throw money”

"No applause -- just throw money" is an entertainment gag line of uncertain authorship. Some insist that the line is from vaudeville in the early 1900s, but it has been cited in print…

July 21, 2018
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“No matter how beautiful you think the song is, the moment you use it as an alarm, it’s over”

"It stops being your favorite song when you use it as an alarm clock" is an alarm clock saying that was posted on Twitter by "black af" on August 28, 2011. "@evanpd: No…

April 19, 2012
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“No one can whistle a symphony; it takes a whole orchestra to play it” (teamwork aphorism)

“No one can whistle a symphony; it takes a whole orchestra to play it” is a popular saying about teamwork that has been attributed to Halford E. Luccock (1885-1961), a professor of homiletics…

November 11, 2014
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“No Standing—Only Dancing”

"No Standing -- Only Dancing" is a popular poster; the saying appears as wall graffiti between two parked cars. The original photo was taken by Australian photographer Rennie Ellis…

March 24, 2012
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Nobody likes it but the public” (Broadway saying)

"Nobody likes/liked him/it but the public" is said of an entertainer or entertainment receiving a poor critical reception, but that nevertheless draws audiences. The one-liner gently…

October 26, 2025
Buildings/Housing/ParksMusic/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“None of the Seven Dwarfs could water their garden because of the high hose”

"Heigh-Ho" is a famous song in the Disney animate film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). "Heigh-hos" shouldn't be confused with "high hose," but there are…

January 4, 2017
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Not sure if I actually like movies or just like looking at something while I eat popcorn”

Do people go to the movies for the movie or the popcorn? "Noodleberry jam" posted on Twitter on January 12, 2016: "Not sure if I actually like movies or just like looking at…

February 24, 2025
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Nothing good ever happens when opera music plays in the background”

When opera music starts playing in a movie, it's often the sign that something bad will happen. The opera music played is often dark and ominous. "Nothing good ever happens when opera…

February 24, 2025
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Nothing good ever happens when opera music starts playing”

When opera music starts playing in a movie, it's often the sign that something bad will happen. The opera music played is often dark and ominous. "Nothing good ever happens when opera…

August 5, 2020
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Now is probably the perfect time to become a ventriloquist”

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreakThe 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute…

March 25, 2020
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Now Showing: No Close Encounters of Any Kind” (quarantine movie joke)

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic caused many movie houses to close and for people to quarantine and to "socially distance" themselves. The Colonial Theatre (Phoenixville, PA) closed,…

December 18, 2005
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“NYC” (2002)

"NYC" is from Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights (2002). It's not a big hit, but it does mention New York.…

September 2, 2022
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Of all the martial arts, karaoke inflicts the most pain”

"Karaoke" should not be confused with "karate," but there are jokes. "Of all the martial arts, karaoke inflicts the most pain" is a jocular saying that has been…

February 22, 2025
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Of the 400 thousand people who attended Woodstock, a couple million are still alive”

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair on August 15-16, 1969 became synonymous with the counterculture of the 1960s. A great many people claim to have been there, and there's a joke. "Fun fact:…

February 22, 2025
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“Of the 400,000 people who attended Woodstock in ‘69, 1,200,000 are still alive”

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair on August 15-16, 1969 became synonymous with the counterculture of the 1960s. A great many people claim to have been there, and there's a joke. "Fun fact:…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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