“86” (not from Chumley’s or Empire State Building)
"Eighty six," in restaurant lingo, means to be out of an item. It is sometimes claimed that it comes from Chumley's, at 86 Bedford Street, or that it comes from the Empire State…
“9/11 jokes always fall flat”
Jokes about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center are numerous, although not politically correct. One popular joke was posted on Twitter on February 6,…
“A car is useless in New York, essential everywhere else. The same with good manners”
American journalist and author Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) wrote in The Second Neurotic's Notebook (1966) and The Complete Neurotic's Notebook (1981): "A car is useless in New…
“A man in a hat got a tan” (Manhattan)
How to spell "Manhattan"? One easy way for people to remember "Manhattan" is this: "A man in a hat got a tan." (It must have been a bad hat!) Variants include "A…
“A New Yorker is someone who longs for New York”
The blog Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, written by the pseudonymous author Jeremiah Moss, posted on June 19, 2008: "In the end, the NYPL host quoted Milan Kundera as saying, 'A…
“A person who speaks good English in New York sounds like a foreigner”
New York speech (or "New Yorkese") is, perhaps, not perfect English. "A person who speaks good English in New York sounds like a foreigner" is a popular quote from comedian…
“Always Real, Always Harlem” (Coca-Cola slogan)
"Always Real" has been a Coca-Cola slogan since 1993. "Always Real, Always Harlem" has been a Coca-Cola advertisement on some Harlem stores since at least 2004. flickrALWAYS…
“Are there doctors in New York since it’s called the Big Apple?”
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a famous saying. New York City is called the "Big Apple." "there are no doctors in New York because it’s the Big Apple" was…
“Big Apple or Die Tryin’” (Pee-wee’s Big Holiday film, 2016)
"Big Apple or Die Tryin'" is what a sign said on the back of fictional character Pee-wee Herman's car in the movie Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016). Herman, a resident of…
“Big deal, New York. I drop the ball all the time”
New York's Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve shouldn't be confused with the expression "dropping the ball," but there are jokes. "Big deal, New York. I drop the…
“Bringer” show
New York City comedy clubs have developed "bringer" shows. A comedian must "bring" two or more paying guests. The more paying guest, the longer time on stage. This often results…
“Brooklyn is the bedroom of New York”
"Brooklyn is the bedroom of New York" means that people may work in Manhattan, but they live in Brooklyn. Perhaps Walt Whitman coined this. Brooklyn has also been called the…
“Brooklyn looks like an ice skating dragon”
"Brooklyn looks like an ice skating dragon" was posted on Twitter by American writer and cartoonist Nathan W. Pyle on December 4, 2018, and again on Twitter on March 29, 2019. Pyle showed…
“Close, but no cigar”
A cigar was traditionally one of the rewards at carnivals for winning at games of skill or chance. Coney Island offered many such games in the early 1900s. Most people did not win a prize; for…
“Crime in New York is really serious. The Statue of Liberty had both hands up”
Comedian Jay Leno said on NBC's The Tonight Show in September 1990: "That crime problem in New York is getting really serious. The other day the Statue of Liberty had both hands up."…
“Curb Your Dog” and Pooper Scooper Law (1978)
"Curb Your Dog" signs began appearing in the 1930s in an effort to get the "dog dirt" off the sidewalks. In 1978, a "pooper scooper law" was created. Activist Fran…
“Defining deviancy down” (Daniel Patrick Moynihan)
"Defining deviancy down" was the title of an essay by New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in The American Spectator (vol. 62, no. 1, winter 1993, pp. 17-30). The subtitle was…
“Denise” and “Denephew” (New York dialect joke)
New York dialect has historically pronounced "these-them-those" and "dese-dem-dose." A joke (cited in print to at least 1972) usually attributes this comical dialect to someone…
“Did you hear about the man who jumped in the Hudson River? He committed sewercide”
The Hudson River -- especially around New York City -- has a reputation of pollution. A joke is: "Did you hear about the man who jumped in the Hudson River? He committed sewercide." The…
“Difference between my girls and married women is that my girls give a man his money’s worth”
New York City is no stranger to prostitution. Polly Adler wrote a book about it (A House Is Not a Home). Some of her quotes have been memorable. Wikipedia: Polly AdlerPearl "Polly" Adler…