New Yorkers sometimes have a (probably unfair) reputation of being rude to tourists. If a tourist asks "Do you have the time?" or "Do you know the way to the Empire State…
The expression "you're one in a million" means that a person is very special; a literal calculation of a million people is not intended. There is an expression "even if…
In her The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), author Jane Jacobs suggested that crime could be reduced by having "eyes on the street." The term began to be used by many…
Some people feed pigeons in New York City, and rats eat the same food. "Feed a pigeon, breed a rat" was a poster made by New York City's Health Department. New York TimesF. Y. I.Feed…
A joke on the New York City accent was posted on Twitter by Bob Kostic (and others) on January 11, 2015: "Foible. In England, it's a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's…
"From hell to Harlem" (or "from Hades to Harlem") is a variation of the older expression "from hell to breakfast." It means a considerable distance or a long time, or…
"God created Brooklyn is a humorous story that has been cited in print since at least 2011. Google Groups: Brooklyn Prep Class of 1969Fw: god created Brooklynfrank killea 2/20/11And God…
"Going all city" means putting your graffiti on trains in every borough. Two movies -- Style Wars (1983) and Bomb the System (2005) -- have profiled "graffiti artists" or…
People from Brooklyn and Queens are often said to be going to "the city" when they go into Manhattan. New York City has five boroughs. Each borough is part of "the city." The…
The New York Lottery Instant Games have used the trademarked slogan "Good Things Happen in an Instant" since July 8, 2002. In 2011, Instant Games used the slogan "Be Ready>"…
American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) wrote in January 1923: "Another innocent bystander was shot in New York yesterday. You just stand around this town long and be innocent and…
In the first half of the 20th century, many Jewish people escaped crowded Manhattan and took the newly built subway line to homes in the borough of the Bronx (often along its popular street, the…
Gilbert Millstein (1915-1999) wrote about Manhattan's famed French restaurant Lutèce (at 249 East 50th Street from 1961 to 2004) in Esquire magazine in January 1962: "He (founder Andre…
"Hello Brooklyn" is a popular saying the borough. There was a 1928 burlesque called "Hello, Brooklyn." "Adios Manhattan and hello Brooklyn" was printed in a 1986 book.…
"Hey There Delilah" (2006) is a song by American rock band Plain White T's. "Hey there, Delilah. What's it like in New York City?" is a question asked at the…
"How can anyone not love New York?" was said in the American teen drama television series Gossip Girl by the character Serena van der Woodsen (played by Blake Lively), on the episode…
American actor, writer, director, comedian and playwright Woody Allen wrote in "Examining Psychic Phenomena" (The New Yorker magazine on October 7, 1972, reprinted in the 1975 bookWithout…
New York City had five boroughs. It's sometimes joked that New York has five burros. A restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens, called "5 Burro Cafe" opened in 1990. "The Five…
The "light bulb joke" has a New York City version: Q: How many New Yorkers does it take to change a light bulb?A: None of your business!A: Go fuck yourself! New York City versions of the…
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz began adding "Brooklynisms" to some street signs in his borough in 2002. The most famous is probably: "Leaving Brooklyn?…