The Big Apple
About Archives Categories Index Search
About Archives Categories Index Search

June 29, 2022
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple, 3 PM” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge video game, 2022)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (1992) is a video game in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The game opens up at Scene 1. "Big Apple, 3 AM" appears on the screen…

May 11, 2021
The Big Apple1940s-1950s: Assorted Big Apple citations

“Big Apple” (Dan Burley’s Original Handbook of Harlem Jive, 1944)

Dan Burley (1907-1962) was an American pianist and journalist. From Dan Burley's Original handbook of Harlem Jive (1944): Big Apple -- Harlem, New York City, any Big TownBig Red with the Long…

May 12, 2024
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry PopikArt/Sculpture

“Big Apple” (painting by Vladimir Kush, 2024)

Russian-born American painter Vladimir Kush unveiled his new painting "Big Apple" (oil on canvas 73x30 in) in May 2024. Kush explained his painting in a short video on Facebook on May 7,…

May 5, 2021
The Big Apple1940s-1950s: Assorted Big Apple citations

“Big Apple” (Perry Mason, “The Case of the Jilted Jockey” episode, 1958)

The term "Big Apple" usually refers to the racetracks of New York City (and, by extension, the city itself), but the racetrack term sometimes includes the Saratoga Race Course at Saratoga…

June 21, 2021
The Big Apple1960s: Fun City

“Big Apple” (Robert S. Gold’s A Jazz Lexicon, 1964)

Robert S. Gold published A Jazz Lexicon (1964), providing historical citations for many terms. A follow-up book was Jazz Talk (1975). This entry is from A Jazz Lexicon, page 7: apple, (big), [by…

March 25, 2005
The Big Apple1930s: Jazzing the Big Apple

“Big Apple” (song by Bob Emmerich and Buddy Bernier, 1937)

"The Big Apple" is a 1937 song that was associated with the dance craze of that year. Music is from Robert Emmerich, lyrics from Buddy Bernier, and it was performed by Tommy Dorsey's…

April 25, 2021
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” (song by Kajagoogoo, 1983)

"Big Apple" is a 1983 song by the British pop band Kajagoogoo. A repeated lyric in the song is: "Life in the big apple moves very fast and so must you." A YouTube video of…

June 11, 2021
The Big Apple1970s: Big Apple Revival

“Big Apple” (song by Molly Hatchet, 1978)

"Big Apple" is a song on side one of the album Molly Hatchet (1978), the self-titled debut album by American southern rock band Molly Hatchet. The song begins: "New York City,…

June 25, 2021
The Big Apple1940s-1950s: Assorted Big Apple citations

“Big Apple” (spoken by Frank Sinatra, 1950)

American singer and actor Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) had a radio show called Light-Up Time, sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. On the show for March 28, 1950, this is how Frank Sinatra introduced…

May 20, 2025
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” (Tom and Jerry in New York animated episode, 2021)

Tom and Jerry in New York is an American animated television series that premiered on HBO Max on July 1, 2021, and ran for two season. The classic cartoon characters are Tom (the cat) who chases…

May 3, 2021
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” and Donald Trump (Fortune magazine photo, 1989)

A famous photo of New York City businessman Donald Trump was taken by Michael O'Brien and published in Fortune magazine on September 11, 1989. The same photo was used for the cover of…

December 20, 2021
The Big Apple1970s-present: False Etymologies

“Big Apple” and the Dutch phrase, “to buy for an apple and an egg” (2020)

"To buy something for an apple and an egg" (meaning to buy something cheaply) is an idiom in German ("fürn Appel und ein Ei" or "etwas für einen Apfel und ein Ei…

April 22, 2022
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” answer in Jeopardy! game show (2022)

The American television game show Jeopardy! asked on April 21, 2022: "This nickname was first used in connection with New York City in the 1920s." The correct answer is, "The Big…

November 18, 2017
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” answer on “Final Jeopardy!” (2009)

The etymology of "Big Apple" was used on the television game show Jeopardy! as a "Final Jeopardy!" question on July 1, 2009. The answer:"A 19th century gambling term…

July 21, 2024
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry PopikSports/Games

“Big Apple” basketball logo (Big Apple Athletics, 2019; Aimé Leon Dore, 2020)

"Big Apple" has been used in logos for New York basketball. Big Apple Athletics, based in Long Island City. uses a "Big Apple" basketball logo. The website has a 2019 copyright.…

July 5, 2004
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” Cohen-Popik Work On Television (?)

Although New York City is the media capital of the world, the "Big Apple" story would be completely ignored. Neither Gerald Cohen nor Barry Popik has been invited on any television…

July 12, 2004
The Big Apple1920s: John J. Fitz Gerald and the N.Y. Morning Telegraph

“Big Apple” date?: January 15, 1920

It is probable (although not certain) that we have almost the exact date for the "Big Apple" utterance by the New Orleans Fair Grounds stable hands. John J. Fitz Gerald wrote that he had…

May 1, 2025
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” explained (“Countdown” UK game show, 2025)

Countdown (a British game show on Channel 4) explained "Big Apple" in a segment of the show that aired on February 6, 2025: "Well, I couldn't not do Big Apple for y0u and where…

November 18, 2017
The Big Apple1980s-present: Big Apple work by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik

“Big Apple” explained in a movie (Barney’s Version film, 2010)

The origin of "Big Apple" was explained in the 2010 Canadian comedy-drama film Barney's Version, with a screenplay by Michael Konyves. This dialogue does not appear in the novel…

May 13, 2021
The Big Apple1970s: Big Apple Revival

“Big Apple” float (NY Daily News in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1977-2017)

the Daily News (New York, NY) newspaper had a "Big Apple" float in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1977 until 2017 (except for the years 1990, 2000 and 2004). Three…

Previous
1 2 3 4
Next
Last

About the Website and Editor

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.

Read more About the Website and Editor
About
Privacy Policy
RSS

© 2026 Barry Popik. All rights reserved.