“Wise old owl” poem
The four-line poem "A Wise Old Owl" is cited in print from at least 1883, but is of unknown authorship. A 1904 source (below) credits "the immortal poet Bromley." The wise old…
“Yada, Yada, Yada” (“Yadda, Yadda, Yadda”; “Yatata, Yatata, Yatata”)
"Yada, yada, yada" was popularized by an April 24, 1997 episode of the New York City-based television sitcom Seinfeld. The 1947 Oscar Hammerstein II-Richard Rodgers musical Allegro…
“You are never more than a few feet away from a rat”
"You are never more than a few feet away from a rat" is said about several big cities, but most specifically about London. "You know that wherever you are in London, you're only…
“You belong here/We belong here” (Barclays Center Plaza sign)
Two signs designed by artist Tavares Strachan were placed at the Barclays Center sports arena plaza, at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues in Brooklyn, in October 2021. “We belong here,” in pink, is…
“You can kiss my ass in Macy’s window”
The Macy's department store in Herald Square in New York City is one of the largest stores in the world. "You can kiss my ass in Macy's window" is a New York City insult meaning…
“You go to Los Angeles to become somebody; you go to New York when you are somebody”
"He had heard someone say, 'You go to L.A. if you want to be somebody, to New York if you are somebody, and you're in Miami if you used to be somebody'" was printed in the…
“You go to New York to become somebody; you to go Los Angeles to become famous”
"You go to New York to become somebody; you to go Los Angeles to become famous" is a saying that's popular in the entertainment industry. "If you want to make money, you go to…
“You have to be a little crazy to live in New York, but you’d be nuts to live anywhere else”
The Committee in the Public Interest sought to improve New York City's public image in 1976, leading to its hosting of the Democratic National Convention that year. William E.…
“You haven’t lived until you died in New York”
American critic Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943) wrote in While Rome Burns (1934): "You haven't lived until you died in New York." The one-line saying has been included in lists of…
“You put it down like New York City. I never sleep”
The song "International Love" (2011) by American rapper Pitbull contains the lyrics: "You put it down like New York City. I never sleep." "I never sleep" refers to the…
“You’re fired!” (Donald Trump)
"You're fired!" is that trademark phrase of Donald Trump, the New York City real estate mogul and businessman. The phrase was used on the television show The Apprentice and became…
311 (non-emergency call)
311 was introduced in 2003 to handle non-emergency calls and take the burden off 911. It helps callers to make New York City understandable. Too much noise in the neighborhood? Call 311. Fire? Call…
911 (emergency call)
911 is dialed for emergency calls; 311 is for non-emergency calls. The 911 system was introduced in New York City -- and nationwide -- in 1968. In the 1967 phonebook, Fire was "OPERATOR"…
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…
Alligator in the sewers (urban myth)
It's a popular urban legend that there are alligators in the New York City sewer. I found the first such newspaper article, from 1907. The most famous example is from 1935. Alligators…
Amen Corner
The "Amen Corner" was a place in the old Fifth Avenue Hotel, at Madison Square, where people would meet, agree on issues and all say "Amen." It was named in 1897 in honor of…
An ocean on one side and New Jersey on the other.
New York City, according to the famous writer O. Henry, has "an ocean on one side and New Jersey on the other." August 1904, McClure's Magazine, "A Tempered Wind" by O.…
Apple Awards (Guides Association of New York City)
The Guides Association of New York City (GANYC) is a private group; all members are tour guides licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. An apple is part of the…
Apple-picking (theft of Apple products)
"Apple-picking" means picking apples from a tree, but "Apple-picking" (with a capital "A") refers to thefts of Apple products, such as the iPhone and iPad.…
April 1st & the Bronx Zoo (Telephone Hoax)
It's April 1st. You see a note on your desk to call a Mr. Lyon. Or Mr. Wolf. Or Mr. Katz. Don't do it! It's not known if this telephone hoax began in New York, but it certainly may…