https://barrypopik.com/ An etymological dictionary of American words, names, quotations and phrases, including regional dictionaries of New York City, Florida, Oregon and Texas. en bapopik@aol.com Copyright 2026 2026-04-10T03:52:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/summary_why_is_new_york_called_the_big_apple https://barrypopik.com/blog/summary_why_is_new_york_called_the_big_apple Above, the header from the February 18, 1924 New York (NY) Morning Telegraph newspaper column of John J. Fitz Gerald. Click to see a portion of the column which includes his use of “Big Apple.” Part of a December 1, 1926 column is also available.          Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, where New York Morning Telegraph track writer John J. Fitz Gerald last lived. Google Maps. Dedicated, 1997. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.  Replaced with a green sign, July 2024.   Above, John J. Fitz Gerald (1892-1963), from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY)  Press, pg. 14.  Also see a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.   Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple restaurant/nightclub at West 135th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.   Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce “The Big Apple,” a hit song from 1937 for the “Big Apple” dance craze. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey’s Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich. Also listen to another 1937 “The Big Apple” song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra.     “WHY IS NEW YORK CITY CALLED THE BIG APPLE?”—SHORT SUMMARY:   “The Big Apple” (now the popular nickname of New York City) was the catchphrase of New York Morning Telegraph track writer John J. Fitz Gerald (1892-1963) in the 1920s. He explained “Big Apple” twice and it was the name of three of his columns. He picked up the term from African-American (“dusky,” he called them) stable hands at the Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, probably on January 14, 1920.    John J. Fitz Gerald possibly first used “big apple” in print in the New York Morning Telegraph of May 3, 1921, when he wrote, “J. P. Smith, with Tippity Witchet and others of the L. T. Bauer string, is scheduled to start for ‘the big apple’ to-morrow.” Fitz Gerald’s first New York Morning Telegraph “Around the Big Apple” column, on February 18, 1924, proudly declared:  “The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.”  The “Big Apple” racing circuit had meant “the big time,” the place where the big money was to be won. Horses love apples, and apples were widely regarded as the mythical king of fruit. In contrast, the smaller, poorer tracks were called the “leaky roof circuit” or “bull ring” tracks. The five original New York tracks of the “Big Apple circuit” were Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, Empire City Race Track (now Yonkers Raceway), Jamaica Race Course (closed in 1959) and Saratoga Race Course.  “The Big Apple” became the name of a restaurant/nightclub in Harlem in 1934, and Harlem itself was referred to as “the Apple” at this time. A night club in Columbia, South Carolina also took the “Big Apple” name, and it was here that 1937’s short-lived national “Big Apple” dance craze began.   “The Big Apple” was revived in the 1970s by Charles Gillett (1915-1995), president of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau (later called NYC & Company and now New York City Tourism + Conventions). A 1976 ”“I’m crazy about the Big Apple” ad campaign by William E. (“Bill”) Phillips (1930-2018), of the advertising firm Oglivy & Mather, further popularized the nickname.  The origins of “the Big Apple” were solved in the 1990s by Gerald Cohen and Barry Popik.  A “Big Apple Corner” street sign was dedicated in 1997 at West 54th Street and Broadway, where Fitz Gerald last lived. The honorary street sign has been frequently stolen.        “THE BIG APPLE” WEBSITE INTRODUCTION (July 2004):  The African-American stablehand who first called New York City “the Big Apple” at the Fair Grounds Race Track in New Orleans has never been honored. Not by New York City. Not by New Orleans. This information is not even on the Fair Grounds web site. The stablehand doesn’t even have a name, mostly because almost no one has helped look for him.  The New York track writer who popularized “the Big Apple” in the 1920s is buried in an unmarked grave in Menands, New York. The “Big Apple” plaque that I put on the building at Broadway and West 54th Street in 1996 was quickly removed during renovations and has never been replaced. The historic “Big Apple” columns are nowhere on the web.  If you search the web looking for an answer about New York City’s nickname, you’ll probably be told that “the Big Apple” comes from whores (a hoax).  It is now the summer of 2004. “Big Apple” sculptures are about to be placed in front of NYC buildings. The Republicans will soon have their convention here. Thanks for reading this. If you want the stablehands honored at last, please write to the mayor. I doubt that he has any knowledge of the information on this site.    “BIG APPLE” ARTICLES:  PRE-1920sApples and HorsesBet a Big AppleBig Apples Are Top of the BarrelBig Time and Big TownLands of the Big Red ApplesBig Apple Township, Oregon County, Missouri (1895)Big Red Apple City, Wenatchee, Washington (1908)  1920s: JOHN J. FITZ GERALD AND THE NEW YORK MORNING TELEGRAPH1920s Vaudeville/Ragtime “Big Apple” Citations1920s Non-Horseracing “Big Apple” CitationsNumerous 1920s ‘Big Apple” Citations in the New York Morning Telegraph“Big Apple” date?: January 15, 1920First “Big Apple” citation: May 3, 1921First “Big Apple” citation in New Orleans: July 17, 1921First “Big Apple” citation in Saratoga: March 10, 1922First “Big Apple” explanation: February 18, 1924Big Red Apple (sculpture in Cornelia, Georgia, 1926-present)Second “Big Apple” explanation: December 1, 1926Big Apple Circuit (five New York race tracks)1925-1929: “Big Apple” in The Inter-State TattlerBig Apple (Broadway, in columns by Walter Winchell and O. O. McIntyre, 1927-1928)1928: “On the Big Apple” column1931: “Around the Big Apple” column1963: John J. Fitz Gerald obituariesWitness (1998): Washington Post writer Shirley PovichWitness (2006): Joe Zito  1930s: JAZZING THE BIG APPLE“Big Apple” in the 1930s (Two clubs, plus song and dance)“Big Apple—the major tracks of the country” (1933)Big Apple (Harlem bar/restaurant, 1934)Big Apple kiosk (Mumbles, Swansea Bay, Wales, 1930s-present)Big Apple dance craze (1937)Big Apple cap or Big Apple hat (named after the dance, 1937-present)“Big Apple” (song by Bob Emmerich and Buddy Bernier, 1937)La Grosse Pomme (Paris nightclub, 1937-1938)Canned Apple (Big Apple dance + Can-Can dance, 1937)“I feel like doin’ a Big Apple” (Mae West on a 1937 radio show)Big Apple (football play at Davidson College, 1937)Big Apple Inn (Somerdale, NJ, 1937-1999)The Big Apple (Arcadia, MI restaurant, 1937-2020)Big Apple (drinks using applejack, 1938)“Apple” defined in Cab Calloway’s “Hepster’s Dictionary” (1938, 1944)Big Apple Restaurant (Covington, KY, 1938)Big Apple Cafe (Cincinnati, OH, 1938-1963)Big Apple Cafe (Shamokin, PA, 1938-1947)Big Apple Cafe (Calgary, Alberta, 1938-1940)Big Apple Supermarket (Georgia supermarket chain, 1939-1980)Big Apple Inn (Jackson, MS restaurant, 1939-present)1940s-1950s: ASSORTED BIG APPLE CITATIONS“Big Apple” in the 1940s-1950sBig Apple Cafe (Neosho, MO, 1940-1942)Big Apple (Fort Worth, TX barbecue restaurant, 1941-1968)Big Apple Shine Parlor (Harlem, 1942)“Big Apple” (Dan Burley’s Original Handbook of Harlem Jive, 1944)Big Apple Grocery Store (Harlem, 1945-1949)Big Apple (Yeaju-Dake Escarpment, Battle of Okinawa, 1945)Big Apple (supper club near Buffalo, NY, 1945-1976)Big Apple (USS Appalachian, 1946)Big Apple Concession (City Park in New Orleans, 1947-1949)“The Boys on the Big Apple” (Harper’s Bazaar article, May 1947)“Big Apple” (spoken by Frank Sinatra, 1950)The Big Apple (farm in Wrentham, Massachusetts, 1950-present)“Big Apple as mecca“ (Jet magazine, 1952)Big Apple Bar & Restaurant (New Orleans, 1952-1970s?)“New York is the Big Apple” (Stephen Longstreet’s The Real Jazz: Old and New, 1956)Bill Johnson’s Big Apple (Arizona restaurants, 1956-2015)Big Apple Cafe (Puryear, TN and Murray, KY, 1950s-present)“Big Apple” nightclub (The Three Faces of Eve film, 1957)Big Apple Restaurant (Asheville, NC, 1957-1991)“Big Apple” (Perry Mason, “The Case of the Jilted Jockey” episode, 1958)Big A (Aqueduct Racetrack nickname, 1959)“To the musicians playing it, New York is ‘The Big Apple‘” (New York Is book, 1959)      1960s: FUN CITYBig Apple (disco in Berlin, Germany. 1962-1979)Big Apple (club in Munich, Germany, 1963-1975)“Big Apple” (Robert S. Gold’s A Jazz Lexicon, 1964)“New York, the ‘Big Apple,’ the jazz mecca” (Hart’s Guide to New York City, 1964)“I had heard so much raving about ‘The Big Apple,’ as it was called” (Malcolm X, 1964)“Fun City” nickname (1966)“The Big Apple: Destination New York” (NBC-TV documentary, 1966)Appletown Sporting Goods (store in Harlem, 1966-2015)“New York has been the Big Apple for several decades (in jazz)” (New York Times, 1967)“Get back to the big apple” (Ebony magazine, 1968)“Big Apple” in East Village Other (1968-1971)“Big Apple” in Kurt Vonnegut Jr.‘s novel Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)“New York’s the Big Apple, bub, the heaviest scene in the world” (Rolling Stone magazine, 1969)“Rapping about how the Big Apple is outta sight” (The Last Poets, 1969-1970)“New York, New York, the Big Apple” (The Last Poets, 1969-1970)        1970s: BIG APPLE REVIVALBig Apple 1970s Revival: Charlie Gillett and Lew RudinBig Apple (music venue in Brighton, UK, 1970-1971)Gwen Barrett and 1970s “Big Apple” campaign (1971)“Back in the Big Apple” (Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone? play, 1971)Red Apple Supermarket (supermarket chain, 1971-present)“Some Great Sounds in the Big Apple” (Newport Jazz Festival, 1972)“Penguin at the Big Apple” (instrumental song by The Trammps, 1972)“The Big Apple” (instrumental song by Hugh Masekela, 1972)The Big Apple Band (1972-1977); Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1976)“Big Apple Dreamin‘“ (song by Alice Cooper, 1973)Big Apple Ball (charity ball, May 1973)Big Apple (Robinette’s Apple Haus, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973-present)Big Apple Mini Storage (1974-present)Big Apple (convenience stores in Maine and New Hampshire, 1974-present)Big Apple (tourist information booth, Meaford, Ontario, Canada, 1974-present)“Big Apple” T-shirts from the Daily News (1975)Big Apple Comix (1975)“Save Grand Central. No more bites out of the Big Apple!” (1975)“Big Apple” lyric in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “I’m a Country Boy” (1975)The Year the Big Apple Went Bust (book by Fred Ferretti, 1976)“Talking Big Apple ‘75” (song by Loudon Wainwright III, 1976)“I’m crazy about the Big Apple” (1976 ad campaign)Big Apple (official drink of the Belmont Stakes, 1976)Big Appling (to visit New York City, 1976)“Big Apple” lyric in the Joni Mitchell song “Song for Sharon” (1976)Apple Polisher & Polish the Apple (I Love a Clean New York campaign, 1976-1980)“From the Big Orange to the Big Apple” (Saturday Night Live film short, 1977)Big Apple Circus (1977-present)Big Apple (roller coaster at Astroland, Brooklyn, 1977-2008)Big Apple Cafe (Rochester, NY, 1977-2005)“Big Apple Blues” (song by Slade, 1977)“The Minnesota Night Hawks. I’m coaching. The Big Apple!” (Slap Shot film, 1977)“Big Apple” float (NY Daily News in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1977-2017)“B.A., Buenos Aires, Big Apple” (Evita musical, 1978)“Big Apple” lyric in The Rolling Stones song “Shattered” (1978)“Everybody bites on the Big Apple” lyric in the Cat Stevens song “New York Times” (1978)“Big Apple” (song by Molly Hatchet, 1978)Big Apple (roadside attraction in Thulimbah, Queensland, Australia, 1978-present)Big Apple Turnover (Ray Williams nickname on New York Knicks, 1979)The Big Apple Bash (Jay McShann album, 1979)“Big Apple Waltz” (song by Sweet, 1979)“Big Apple Rock” (disco song by Black Ivory, 1979)Dracula Bites the Big Apple (short film, 1979)Big Apple Copy Center (1979-present)Big Apple Moving & Storage (1979-present)Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps (marching band, 1979-present)Big Apple College Fair (1979-present)2005: Statement from a co-worker of Charles GillettOff Topic: Charles Gillett on Conventions    1970s-PRESENT: FALSE ETYMOLOGIESGovernor Stuyvesant’s Tree (pear, not apple)New Orange (not Big Orange; 1673-1674)Big Apple Whore Hoax (1800s; proposed 1995-2006)Chelsea Apple Orchard (1820s)Slave Codes (1850s)“New York is a sucked orange” (not Big Apple; Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1860)Edward Martin metaphor (1909)Damon Runyon (who never used “Big Apple,” 1920s-1930s)Alain Locke and Harlem Renaissance as the “Big Apple” (1920s; suggested in 1988)Big Apple of Wathena, Kansas (1928-1940)Depression Apple Sellers (1930s)Harlem’s Jazz Musicians (1930s)Fletcher Henderson popularization of “the Big Apple” in the 1930sBig Apple dance craze (1937)La Grosse Pomme (Paris nightclub, 1937-1938)Cab Calloway’s “Hepster’s Dictionary” (1938, 1944)Big A (Aqueduct Racetrack nickname, 1959)Manzana Principal (suggested in 1966)New York City is shaped like an apple (1970s)There are many apples on the tree, but when you pick NYC, you pick the Big Apple (1975)Tightening of Adam’s Apple (suggested in 1978)Big Apple on New Year’s Eve Ball at One Times Square (1981-1988)New York State grows many apples (suggested in 1988)Five Apple Seeds, Five Boroughs (1990s?)Apple Store (2000s)An apple tree on every street (2013 movie explanation)“Big Apple” and the Dutch phrase, “to buy for an apple and an egg” (2020)“Why is New York City called ‘The Big Apple?’ Wrong answers only” (2021)Apple at the foot of the Statue of Liberty (2024) 1980s-PRESENT: BIG APPLE WORK BY GERALD COHEN, BARRY POPIK“Big Apple Rappin’” (rap by Spyder-D, 1980)Home Run Apple (Shea Stadium & Citi Field, 1980-present)Big Apple Pancake House (Chicago Heights and Joliet, IL, 1980-present)Big Apple Airline (New York Air nickname, 1980-1987)Big Apple Minute (WNEW-TV Channel 5, 1980-1987)Big Apple Movie (WNEW-TV Channel 5, 1981-1986)Big Apple logo for New York Urban League (1981-present)Big Apple City (Strawberry Shortcake animation, 1981)Big Apple on New Year’s Eve Ball at One Times Square (1981-1988)Big Apple Dyke News (1981-1988)La Gran Manzana (merengue band, 1982)“Apple” lyric in the Michael Jackson song “Human Nature” (1982)Apple Bank (renamed from Harlem Savings Bank, 1983-present)“Big Apple” (song by Kajagoogoo, 1983)Big Apple Flag (North American Vexillological Association, 1983)Big Apple Car, Inc. (1983-present)Big Apple Chorus (1983-present)The Big Apple (nightclub in El Paso, Texas, 1984-1986)N.Y.C. The Big Apple (Atari video game, 1984)The Big Apple (novel by Pat Booth, 1984)“The Big Apple” (Gimme a Break! episode, 1984)“Nueva York! New York City! The big apple!” (Against All Odds film, 1984)Big Apple logo for Javits Center (1985-present)Big Apple Bagels (Illinois bagel chain, 1985-present)Big Apple Pizza (Israeli pizza chain, 1986-present)“50K don’t get you to first base in the Big Apple” (Wall Street film, 1987)Big Apple logo for New York Cares (1987-present)Big Apple (roadside attraction in Colborne, Ontario, Canada, 1987-present)Big Apple Diner (Whitehall, NY, 1987-present)Big Apple bet (1988, 2003) between mayors of New York City and Columbia, South Carolina“Big Apple Blues” (The Facts of Life episode, 1988)Big Apple Awards (Public Relations Society of America-NY Chapter, 1988-present)“Big Apple” and Donald Trump (Fortune magazine photo, 1989)Big Apple book by Gerald Cohen, Barry Popik (1991. 2011)“Bite the Big Apple” (Murder, She Wrote episode, 1991)Big Apple Florist (1991-present)“Big Apple, 3 AM” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time video game, 1992)Big Apple Greeter (1992-present)Big Apple Meat Market (1992-present)Big Apple Corner (1992-1997)Big Apple on a hockey jersey (New York Rangers practice jersey, 1994)Big Apple Hostel (1994-2014)Big Apple Cafe & Big Apple Tourist Orchard (Bacchus Marsh, Australia, 1994-present)Big Apple Cafe & Event Centre (Waitomo, New Zealand, 1995-present)“God Bless New York City, My Big Apple Pie” (song by Y’all, 1995)“Big Bugs in the Big Apple” (James and the Giant Peach film, 1996)“The Big Apple Can Bite Me” (Cybill episode, 1996)Big Apple plaque (1996)Big Apple Comic Con (1996-present)Big Apple Corner (1997 Law & Today)Big Apple Corner (New York Morning Telegraph site)Big Apple Jazz Tours (1997-present)Big Apple Coaster (New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, 1997-present)Big Apple Pizza & Pasta (Florida pizza chain, 1997-present)Big Apple Stars Awards Program (Hotel Association of New York City, 1997-present)Big Apple Ranch (country-western dance lesson and party, 1997-present)“Bite the Big Apple” (The Devil’s Advocate film, 1997)“It’s the dream, the Big Apple” (Howard Stern’s Private Parts film, 1997)Big Apple (roller coaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, Norfolk, UK, 1998-present)Big Apple Bank (Futurama episode, 1999)“Big Apple” query and Ask Jeeves search engine (1999)Big Apple (sculpture in Medina, New York, 2000-present)Big Apple Martini or Big Apple-tini (cocktail, 2000)“When you got to the Big Apple, they treated you like a worm” (Me, Myself & Irene film, 2000)Big Apple (pachinko parlors in Japan, 2000?-present)Big Apple (crime drama television series, 2001)Big Apple Anime Fest (2001-2003)Iso Omena (Finland’s “Big Apple” shopping center, 2001-present)“Bad Seed in the Big Apple” (Beyblade episode, 2003)Big Apple logo for Made in NYC (2003-present)Big Apple (brand of Schwalbe bicycle tires, 2003-present)Big Apple Innovation Awards (LISC NY, 2003-present)The Big Apple (bar in Ballyforan, Ireland, 2003?-present)The Apple (sculpture in Hudson River Park, 2004)Big Apple Film Festival (2004-present)Big Apple Fest (2004)Betsy Gotbaum and the fictional “Big Apple whores” (2004)Big Apple Fest (2005)Big Apple Shake (Johnny Rockets, 2005)Bacardi Big Apple (apple-flavored rum, 2005)Big Apple Mojito (cocktail, 2005)“It’s another fabulous morning in the Big Apple!” (Madagascar film, 2005)Harlem Big Apple Club plaque removed (2006)Big Apple (sculpture by Romero Britto, LaGuardia Airport, 2006-present)Big Apple Elevator Service and Consulting (2006-present)Big Apple Donuts & Coffee (Malaysia chain, 2007-present)Big Apple Music Awards (2007-2022)Infinity Apple (GreeNYC symbol, 2007)Apple—New York State Symbol (2007)Mr. Met And His Journey Through The Big Apple (children’s book by Aimee Aryal, 2008)Oxford English Dictionary “Big Apple” definition (2008)“New York. The Big Apple” (The Hurt Locker film, 2008)Big Apple (sculpture at Yamanashi Prefectural Museum, Japan, 2008-present)New York Nike LeBron 6 “Big Apple” sneaker (2008)“Big Apple” answer on “Final Jeopardy!” (2009)New York City’s Official Apple Proposal—Newtown Pippin (2009)“Pomme de New York” (Big Apple sculpture by Les Lalanne on Park Avenue and 52nd Street, 2009)“Big Apple” explained in a movie (Barney’s Version film, 2010)“The Big Apple” (Kate Plus 8 episode, 2010)Big Apple Hot Dogs (UK hot dogs, 2010-present)“Our trip to the Big Apple” (The Fairly Oddparents episode, 2011)Rising Apple (New York Mets blog, 2011-present)Big Apple (sculpture by Romero Britto, JFK Airport, 2011-present)Stephan Weiss Apple Awards (2011-2018)The Other Big Apple (Meaford, Ontario nickname, 2011-2014)“Big Apple is fantastic, but cuts you down to size” lyric in Nickelback’s “Kiss It Goodbye” (2011)Big Apple Fashioned (cocktail, 2012)Big Apple Church (Manhattan branch of New York City Church of Christ, 2012-present)Big Apple (cocktail with sake, 2013)Big Apple Showcase Day (race for New York-breds, 2013-present)Big Apple Awards (New York City public school teachers, 2013-present)The Big Apple Shopping Bazaar (Delray Beach, FL, 2013-present)Big Apple Blizzard (Dairy Queen dessert, 2014)Big Apple Hard Cider (2014-present)La Mela Reintegrata or The Apple Made Whole Again (Central Station, Milan, Italy, 2015-present)Apple Awards (Guides Association of New York City, 2015-present)“The Kid from the Big Apple” (two films, 2015 and 2017)“Big Apple or Die Tryin‘“ (Pee-wee’s Big Holiday film, 2016)“The Girl Who Went To The Big Apple” (Asia’s Next Top Model episode, 2016)“Wow! BoJack and Todd in the Big Apple!” (BoJack Horseman episode, 2016)“The Big Apple” (Strut episode, 2016)Big Apple Shoot Out (horse show event, 2016-present)The Big Apple (restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2016-present)Big Apple Ball (Donald Trump Presidential Inauguration, 2017)Big Apple Mall (Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines, 2018-present)“The Big Apple Bites” (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode, 2018)Big Apple of New England (Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center, Lancaster, MA, 2019-present)Big Apple Turnover (Daniel Jones nickname on New York Giants, 2019)Big Apple Turnover (Julius Randle nickname on New York Knicks, 2019)“Are there doctors in New York since it’s called the Big Apple?” (2019)“Big Apple” basketball logo (Big Apple Athletics, 2019; Aimé Leon Dore, 2020)Bigger Apple (Manhattan Institute newsletter, 2020-present)Big Apple Sauce (The Sauce episode in New York City, 2020)“Big Apple” on NPR’s “Ask Me Another” (2020)Big Apple cannabis (2020)Big Apple Doughnut (Krispy Kreme donut, 2020)Big Apple Compost (2020-present)“Back in the Big Apple” (The Real Housewives of New York City episode, 2021)“Big Apple” (Tom and Jerry in New York animated episode, 2021)“What’s a Met Gala?”/“A type of apple found in New York. Also why it’s called the Big Apple” (2021)Big Apple (city ornament of Columbia, SC, 2021)Big Apple sculpture (Bella Abzug Park and Dante Park, 2021-2022)Big Apple Corner (sign stolen, 2021-2024)The Big Apple (ice cream shake at Forty Deuce in Columbus, OH, 2022)“Big Apple” answer in Jeopardy! game show (2022)Big Apple (act on America’s Got Talent, 2022)Big Apple Sauce (Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner nickname on New York Jets, 2022)“Big Apple, 3 PM” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge video game, 2022)Big Apple Connect (free high-speed internet and basic cable TV, 2022)The Queer Big Apple Corps (marching band, 2022-present)“We’re taking a bite out of the Big Apple tonight” (Blue’s Big City Adventure film, 2022)La Gran Manzana (sculpture opposite Radio City Music Hall, 2022)Gala “Big Apple” mascot (Metro Ink, 2023)Big Apple Pierogi (Veselka Restaurant pierogi, 2023)Big Apple Ballers Stadium (Spider-Man 2 video game, 2023)Meet at the Apple (New York Mets podcast, 2024-)“Big Apple” (painting by Vladimir Kush, 2024)“NY is no longer called the Big Apple. It is now called the Rotten Apple!” (artwork, 2024)“Big Flavor in The Big Apple” (New York Apple Association ad campaign, 2024)Big Apple Village (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #1 comic miniseries, 2024)“The Big Apple” (Korean comics or manhwa, 2024)Big Apples (Hudson Valley Renegades baseball team logo, 2024)“Is New York called the Big Apple because everyone living there is fruity?” (2024)“Big Apple” explained (“Countdown” UK game show, 2025)Big Apple (Hozea Massiah, Toronto hip-hop figure, 1971-2025)“The Dead Apple” (hip-hop track by Reason, 2025)Big Apples Fest (fall festival sponsored by Hudson Valley Renegades baseball team, 2025-present)Big Red Apple (red/communist + Big Apple, 2025)Red Apple (red/communist + Big Apple, 2025)Apple Stand (“Big Apple” art exhibit, 2025)Big Apple Triathlon (2026-present)Google censorship of BarryPopik.com, “The Big Apple”“Big Apple” Cohen-Popik Work on Television (?)“Big Apple” Fame and Fortune (?)  “LITTLE APPLE” AND OTHER NICKNAMESIndianappleis & “Move over New York. Apple is our middle name” (Indianapolis, Indiana)Little Apple (Ithaca, New York)Little Apple (Manhattan, Kansas)Little Apple (Roosevelt Island, New York City)Little Apple (Toronto, Canada)Little Apple (Yonkers, New York)Mini-Apple or Minneapple (Minneapolis, Minnesota) “BIG APPLE” IN THE MEDIAThe Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), August 13, 1972Daily News (New York, NY), June 20, 1973Daily News (New York, NY), September 11, 1973Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, HI), May 11, 1975Miami Herald (Miami, FL), May 22, 1975Boston Globe (Boston, MA), December 7, 1975The Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA), April 30, 1978The New York Times (New York, NY), July 5, 1978The New York Times (New York, NY), July 12, 1978The New York Times (New York, NY), July 19, 1978Staten Island Advance (Staten Island, NY), November 12, 1978“Dear Abby” by Abigail Van Buren, September 3, 1982New York Post (New York, NY), May 22, 1986 (GenealogyBank.com)New York Post (New York, NY), May 30, 1986 (GenealogyBank.com)“Dear Abby” by Abigail Van Buren, May 12, 1988“Dear Abby” by Abigail Van Buren, August 2, 1988The New York Times (New York, NY), August 22, 1988The New York Times (New York, NY), February 1, 1989Newsday (New York, NY), April 2, 1992The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY), October 22, 1992 (GenealogyBank.com)Irish America, January/February 1994 (not online)New York Post (New York, NY), October 18, 1995 (GenealogyBank.com)The New York Times (New York, NY), December 6, 1995Newsday (Hempstead, NY), December 7, 1995“Dear Abby” by Abigail Van Buren, January 10, 1997 (with answers from 1988)New York Post (New York, NY), January 30, 1997 (GenealogyBank.com)“Dear Abby” by Abigail Van Buren, February 19, 1997The Word Detective, October 17, 1997New York Amsterdam News (New York, NY), July 30, 1998 (ProQuest)The Straight Dope, September 17, 1999Voice of America, March 24, 2002Gothamist, July 22, 2004The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Ontario), August 14, 2004The New York Times (New York, NY), August 29, 2004The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Ontario), September 4, 2004The New York Times (New York, NY), July 8, 2009Parade, October 2, 2013amNY (New York, NY), April 11, 2014Slate (Lexicon Valley), September 8, 20156sqft (New York, NY), April 13, 2017Untapped Cities (New York City), July 5, 2017AFRO (Baltimore, MD), February 16, 2018The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), September 23, 2018The Wall Street Journal, January 2, 2020Gothamist (New York, NY), January 21, 2020WNYC (New York, NY), January 21, 2020Daily Mail (London, UK), January 22, 2020The Christian Science Monitor, March 12, 2020Harlem Bespoke, November 23, 2020Daily News (New York, NY), May 3, 2021 (Tweeted by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio,)CBS Mornings, May 8, 2021La Voce di New York, September 10, 2022Fox 5 (New York, NY), January 31, 2024Untapped Cities (New York City), February 16, 2024@100YearsAgoNews, February 18, 2024Diario AS, March 21, 2024WRRV (Hudson Valley, NY), August 14, 2024Apples & People, August 16, 2024PIX11 (New York, NY), September 12, 2024Houston Style Magazine (Houston, TX), May 13, 2025Houston Style Magazine (Houston, TX), May 29, 2025 “BIG APPLE” ON WEBSITESWikipedia—“Big Apple”Wikipedia—“54th Street (Manhattan)”Wiktionary—“Big Apple”New York Public LibraryWorld Wide WordsWord OriginsMental FlossThoughtCo.WorldAtlasSecret NYCGotta Love New YorkMinted NYCClassic New York HistoryNew York City AdvisorNew-York ForeverNYBRISKBig Apple SecretsSparkly Maid NYCRent Own Sell—New YorkEpicenter NYCMuseum of the City of New York (from 1998)NY.com (from 1999)StreetEasyAmerica ExplainedThe MarginalianToday I Found OutToday I Found Out (video)HowStuffWorksHotBotFlavor365SlaylebrityHistory ChannelBritannicaDictionary.comUrban Dictionary“BIG APPLE” ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE WIKIPEDIAWikipedia (Armenian)Wikipedia (Bangla/Bengali)Wikipedia (Basque)Wikipedia (Chinese—Traditional)Wikipedia (Croatian)Wikipedia (Dutch)Wikipedia (Estonian)Wikipedia (French)Wikipedia (Georgian)Wikipedia (German)Wikipedia (Indonesian)Wikipedia (Italian)Wikipedia (Japanese)Wikipedia (Korean)Wikipedia (Latvian)Wikipedia (Malayalam)Wikipedia (Norwegian)Wikipedia (Persian)Wikipedia (Portuguese)Wikipedia (Russian)Wikipedia (Spanish)Wikipedia (Turkish)Wikipedia (Ukrainian) New York City, The Big Apple, 2004-07-05T15:43:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/entry-in-progress-bp381 https://barrypopik.com/blog/entry-in-progress-bp381 Entry in progress—BP 2026-04-10T03:52:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/entry-in-progress-bp380 https://barrypopik.com/blog/entry-in-progress-bp380 Entry in progress—BP 2026-04-10T03:52:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/dim-sun-to-fight-effects-of-climate-change https://barrypopik.com/blog/dim-sun-to-fight-effects-of-climate-change     X/Twitter Bob Kostic @causticbob ‘Dim sun to fight effects of climate change,’ say scientists. I don’t see how eating Chinese Tapas is going to make a difference. 5:10 PM · Apr 9, 2026 New York City, Food/Drink, Time/Weather, 2026-04-10T03:46:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/the-people-who-write-instructions-for-places-like-ikea https://barrypopik.com/blog/the-people-who-write-instructions-for-places-like-ikea “Manual labor” (physical work) doesn’t involve writing instruction manuals, but there are jokes.   “Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor?” was posted on X/Twitter by josh mueller on May 19, 2009. “Is writing an instruction book manual labor?” was posted on Facebook by Dave Knight on November 8, 2011. “Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour” was posted on X/Twitter by Puns AndOneliners on June 14, 2019. “The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor” was posted on Reddit—Dadjokes on March 20, 2022.     Wikipedia: Manual labour    Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word manual coming from the Latin word for hand) and, by figurative extension, it is work done with any of the muscles and bones of the human body.   X/Twitter  josh mueller @chnkchpmnk Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor? 10:09 AM · May 19, 2009   Facebook Dave Knight November 8, 2011 at 1:40 PM · Is writing an instruction book manual labor?   X/Twitter Traer Schon @traerschon Writing instructional booklets is manual labor 4:57 PM · May 23, 2013   Reddit—Puns nerdEE—May 13, 2015 I refuse to write instruction booklets at work. I hate manual labor.   X/Twitter mo @chuuew Writing instruction booklets is a manual process. 6:44 AM · Sep 29, 2015   X/Twitter Chris Pierce @punforallages Writing instruction booklets is literally manual labor. #pun #groanworthy #englishmajor # 5:59 PM · Jan 6, 2016   X/Twitter Puns AndOneliners @punsandoneliner Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour. https://punsandoneliners.com/randomness/manual-jokes/  #Manual #ManualJokes #Joke #Humour From punsandoneliners.com 3:00 AM · Jun 14, 2019   X/Twitter WSⱯꓛꓤⱯS ꓨNIꓥIꓶ @SarcasmLiving Got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labour. 7:40 AM · Jan 2, 2020   Reddit—Dadjokes TOYST_OF—March 20, 2022 The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor   LaffGaff Instruction Booklets by LaffGaff April 8, 2026 I’ve got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labor. New York City, Work/Businesses, 2026-04-08T17:03:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/does-writing-an-instruction-book-count-as-manual-labor https://barrypopik.com/blog/does-writing-an-instruction-book-count-as-manual-labor “Manual labor” (physical work) doesn’t involve writing instruction manuals, but there are jokes.   “Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor?” was posted on X/Twitter by josh mueller on May 19, 2009. “Is writing an instruction book manual labor?” was posted on Facebook by Dave Knight on November 8, 2011. “Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour” was posted on X/Twitter by Puns AndOneliners on June 14, 2019. “The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor” was posted on Reddit—Dadjokes on March 20, 2022.     Wikipedia: Manual labour    Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word manual coming from the Latin word for hand) and, by figurative extension, it is work done with any of the muscles and bones of the human body.   X/Twitter  josh mueller @chnkchpmnk Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor? 10:09 AM · May 19, 2009   Facebook Dave Knight November 8, 2011 at 1:40 PM · Is writing an instruction book manual labor?   X/Twitter Traer Schon @traerschon Writing instructional booklets is manual labor 4:57 PM · May 23, 2013   Reddit—Puns nerdEE—May 13, 2015 I refuse to write instruction booklets at work. I hate manual labor.   X/Twitter mo @chuuew Writing instruction booklets is a manual process. 6:44 AM · Sep 29, 2015   X/Twitter Chris Pierce @punforallages Writing instruction booklets is literally manual labor. #pun #groanworthy #englishmajor # 5:59 PM · Jan 6, 2016   X/Twitter Puns AndOneliners @punsandoneliner Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour. https://punsandoneliners.com/randomness/manual-jokes/  #Manual #ManualJokes #Joke #Humour From punsandoneliners.com 3:00 AM · Jun 14, 2019   X/Twitter WSⱯꓛꓤⱯS ꓨNIꓥIꓶ @SarcasmLiving Got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labour. 7:40 AM · Jan 2, 2020   Reddit—Dadjokes TOYST_OF—March 20, 2022 The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor   LaffGaff Instruction Booklets by LaffGaff April 8, 2026 I’ve got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labor. New York City, Work/Businesses, 2026-04-08T17:02:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/ive-got-a-new-job-writing-instruction-booklets https://barrypopik.com/blog/ive-got-a-new-job-writing-instruction-booklets “Manual labor” (physical work) doesn’t involve writing instruction manuals, but there are jokes.   “Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor?” was posted on X/Twitter by josh mueller on May 19, 2009. “Is writing an instruction book manual labor?” was posted on Facebook by Dave Knight on November 8, 2011. “Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour” was posted on X/Twitter by Puns AndOneliners on June 14, 2019. “The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor” was posted on Reddit—Dadjokes on March 20, 2022.     Wikipedia: Manual labour    Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word manual coming from the Latin word for hand) and, by figurative extension, it is work done with any of the muscles and bones of the human body.   X/Twitter  josh mueller @chnkchpmnk Does writing an instruction book count as manual labor? 10:09 AM · May 19, 2009   Facebook Dave Knight November 8, 2011 at 1:40 PM · Is writing an instruction book manual labor?   X/Twitter Traer Schon @traerschon Writing instructional booklets is manual labor 4:57 PM · May 23, 2013   Reddit—Puns nerdEE—May 13, 2015 I refuse to write instruction booklets at work. I hate manual labor.   X/Twitter mo @chuuew Writing instruction booklets is a manual process. 6:44 AM · Sep 29, 2015   X/Twitter Chris Pierce @punforallages Writing instruction booklets is literally manual labor. #pun #groanworthy #englishmajor # 5:59 PM · Jan 6, 2016   X/Twitter Puns AndOneliners @punsandoneliner Got a new job writing instruction booklets.  It’s mainly manual labour. https://punsandoneliners.com/randomness/manual-jokes/  #Manual #ManualJokes #Joke #Humour From punsandoneliners.com 3:00 AM · Jun 14, 2019   X/Twitter WSⱯꓛꓤⱯS ꓨNIꓥIꓶ @SarcasmLiving Got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labour. 7:40 AM · Jan 2, 2020   Reddit—Dadjokes TOYST_OF—March 20, 2022 The people who write instructions for places like IKEA must be in good shape. All that manual labor   LaffGaff Instruction Booklets by LaffGaff April 8, 2026 I’ve got a new job writing instruction booklets. It’s mainly manual labor. New York City, Work/Businesses, 2026-04-08T16:11:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/dress-for-the-weather-you-want https://barrypopik.com/blog/dress-for-the-weather-you-want “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have” is an employment adage. Does the same concept apply to the weather you want?       Bluesky Adam Corlett ‪@adamcorlett.bsky.social‬ Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have. Archived from May 13, 2013, 5:15 AM 11:43 PM · Dec 2, 2024   Bluesky Wilson’s World ‪@wilsonsworld.bsky.social‬ Bad Weather Tips: “Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have.” pls share #snOMG Archived from Jan 20, 2016, 5:19 PM 3:58 PM · Dec 9, 2024   X/Twitter UwUTangClan @Executivejeff1 dress for the weather you want 2:43 PM · Apr 1, 2026 New York City, Time/Weather, 2026-04-03T04:09:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/its-so-funny-how-santa-only-gives-presents-to-good-kids-but-the-easter-bunny https://barrypopik.com/blog/its-so-funny-how-santa-only-gives-presents-to-good-kids-but-the-easter-bunny Santa Claus rewards only good girls and boys, but the Easter bunny rewards everyone. This was posted on X/Twitter by slate (the account is now private, but a Bluesky post copies it) on April 15, 2022, and it received over 138,000 likes:   “it’s so funny how santa only gives presents to good kids but the easter bunny is like i don’t give a shit what you did, i just need to offload these fucking eggs.”     X/Twitter Russell Shaw @therussellshaw it’s so funny how santa only gives presents to good kids but the easter bunny is like i don’t give a shit what you did, i just need to offload these fucking eggs 10:24 PM · Apr 16, 2022   iFunny Mazdayasna_2022 27 apr 2022 Tweet slate @PleaseBeGneiss it’s so funny how santa only gives presents to good kids but the easter bunny is like i don’t give a shit what you did, i just need to offload these fucking eggs 23 Tl 973 sa Replying to @PleaseBeGneiss Same, got ten chickens that lay about 8 eggs a day. lve been throwing them at the deer to keep em out of the garden but theyve been licking the eggs off of each other and now they want me to hit em with eggs. Its a complete nightmare.   Bluesky slate ‪@pleasebegneiss.bsky.social‬ twitter is dying so i want to share my favorite interaction [original tweet by @pleasebegneiss: it’s so funny how santa only gives presents to good kids but the easter bunny is like i don’t give a shit what you did, i just need to offload these fucking eggs reply by @bodangle2: Same, got ten chickens that lay about 8 eggs a day. Ive been throwing them at the deer to keep em out of the garden but theyve been licking the eggs off of each other and now they want me to hit em with eggs. Its a complete nightmare. ALT] 12:49 PM · May 3, 2023   X/Twitter Nux @mherlihy0816 Funny that Santa only gives presents to good kids but the Easter Bunny is like “I don’t give a care what you did, I just need to offload these friggin eggs” 2:20 PM · Feb 8, 2025   Facebook All You Can Eat April 2, 2026 at 10:11 AM · Just take the damn eggs. 🥚🤣 (“it’s so funny how santa only gives presents to good kids but the easter bunny is like i don’t give a shit what you did, i just need to offload these fucking eggs” is shown on an image.—ed.) New York City, Food/Drink, Holidays/Events/Parades, 2026-04-03T01:31:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/dese-dem-dose-brooklynese-or-new-yorkese-language https://barrypopik.com/blog/dese-dem-dose-brooklynese-or-new-yorkese-language     Wikipedia: Dese Dem Dose Dese Dem Dose is a 1935 instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and recorded by The Dorsey Brothers orchestra.   YouTube DESE DEM DOSE by the Dorsey Brothers 1935 cdbpdx Nov 1, 2010   American Dialect Society listserv origin of dese dem dose in NYCE Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM Sat Feb 11 00:27:45 UTC 2012 Since I haven’t done a careful analysis, all I can do is offer an impression, based on what now seem like centuries of examining vernacular American literature.   My impression and educated guess is that the “dese, dem, and dose” phenomenon is not represented in white NYC speech (and in comical contexts only) until the late 1880s. Within a decade it was a cliche’. It was specifically associated with the Bowery and a little later the Lower East Side, just as more recently it has been deemed specially typical of Brooklyn.  Pressed further, I’d say it was most usually associated with first- or second-generation Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants. An early ex.: 1887 _Tid-Bits_ (Jan. 15) 2: A can of benzine exploded in a Bowery eating house the other day and the proprietor yelled down the kitchen companion-way - “If yer spill any more of dat coffee I’ll massacree yer!”   Needless to say, the forms “dis,” “dat,” “dese,” “dem,” and “dose” had long been staples of printed representations of AAVE everywhere. 2026-04-02T18:53:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/euripides-says-the-tailor https://barrypopik.com/blog/euripides-says-the-tailor A classic joke involving Euripides (a Greek tragedian of classical Athens) and Eumenides (a Greek tragedy by Aeschylus) has been cited in print since at least 1931. The joke involves a tailor and a customer. “Euripides” sounds like “you rip this?” and “Eumenides” sounds like “you mend this?”   The “dese” for “this” is part of the “dese-dem-dose” of the famed New York City “Brooklynese” accent of the early 1900s. The joke has been popular with history and language students who are required to read the Greek tragedies.       Wikipedia: Euripides  Euripides (/jʊəˈrɪpɪdiːz/; Ancient Greek: Eὐριπίδης, romanized: Eurīpídēs, pronounced [eu̯.riː.pí.dɛːs]; c. 480 – c. 406 BC) was a Greek tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three authors of Greek tragedy for whom any plays have survived in full.     Wikipedia: Oresteia The Oresteia (Ancient Greek: Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BC, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus, and the pacification of the Furies (also called Erinyes or Eumenides). (...) The Eumenides The final play of the Oresteia, called The Eumenides (Εὐμενίδες, Eumenídes), illustrates how the sequence of events in the trilogy ends up in the development of social order or a proper judicial system in Athenian society. In this play, Orestes is hunted and tormented by the Furies, a trio of goddesses known to be the instruments of justice, who are also referred to as the “Gracious Ones” (Eumenides).   Newspapers.com 26 March 1931. Ashland (NE) Gazette, pg. 3, col. 2: There is a cute little quip about the sewing business which goes   Tailor: “Euripides?” Customer: “Yah, Eumenides”/   Must have happened in Greece!   Newspapers.com 15 April 1931. Lexington (KY) Leader, pg. 16, col. 2: PAGE THE LEXICOGRAPHER Tailor—“Euripides?” Customer—“Yah. Eumenides.”—Malteaser.   Reddit—Jokes [deleted]—May 14, 2012 A Guy Walks Into A Tailor In Ancient Greece He tosses a toga onto the counter. The tailor picks it up, turns it over and finds a gash across the waist. The tailor looks up at the man and says, “Euripides?” The man nods and says, “Yeah. Eumenides?”   Reddit—Jokes _danielthomas—November 26, 2013 a classics professor goes to a tailor… A classics professor goes to a tailor to get his trousers mended. The tailor asks: “Euripides?” The professor replies: “Yes. Eumenides?”   Reddit—Jokes 2040009—October 31, 2019 A classics professor goes to a tailor to get his trousers mended. The tailor asks: “Euripides?” The professor replies: “Yes. Eumenides?”   X/Twitter Bob Kostic @causticbob An ancient Greek walks into his tailor’s shop with a pair of torn pants. “Euripides?” says the tailor. “Yeah, Eumenides?” replies the man. 7:33 PM · Mar 28, 2026 New York City, Education/Schools, Work/Businesses, 2026-04-02T03:39:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/a-socialist-a-communist-a-liberal-and-a-progressive-all-walk https://barrypopik.com/blog/a-socialist-a-communist-a-liberal-and-a-progressive-all-walk “A guy walks into a bar…”  is a typical form of what has been called the “bar joke.” A political version is:   “A Socialist, a Communist, a Liberal, and a Progressive all walk into a bar. Who’s buying the drinks?”   The joke was posted on Sickipedia on March 31, 2026.     Sickipedia innit March 31, 2026-Other-Food and Drink A Socialist, a Communist, a Liberal, and a Progressive all walk into a bar. Who’s buying the drinks?   X/Twitter John @sosayweall1 A Socialist, a Communist, a Liberal, and a Progressive all walk into a bar. Who’s buying the drinks? 2:20 AM · Apr 1, 2026   X/Twitter Bob Kostic @causticbob A Socialist, a Communist, a Liberal, and a Progressive all walk into a bar. Who’s buying the drinks? 6:33 PM · Apr 1, 2026 New York City, Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health, Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores, 2026-04-02T03:22:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/made-my-last-car-payment-i-still-owe-a-lot https://barrypopik.com/blog/made-my-last-car-payment-i-still-owe-a-lot “🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore” was posted on X/Twitter by Brent Terhune on October 24, 2020, and this received over 16,000 likes. The “joke” is that the speaker is not debt free; the speaker has so much debt that it cannot be paid off.   “🎉🗣made my last student loan payment!!!🗣🎉I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore” was posted on X/Twitter by Hater on October 25, 2020.     X/Twitter Brent Terhune @BrentTerhune 🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 9:22 AM · Oct 24, 2020 X/Twitter Hater @Hater164 🎉🗣made my last student loan payment!!!🗣🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 12:20 AM · Oct 25, 2020     X/Twitter  MAJひ⁶𓅓 @ykmaj6 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 5:07 PM · Jul 6, 2022   Bluesky Kofi ‪@blackkingkofi.ca‬ 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 8:33 AM · May 23, 2023   X/Twitter Elizabeth @lizloveforeve 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 12:26 PM · Aug 18, 2023   X/Twitter Ovo Luther @Purplemouse256 🎉made my last student loan payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 3:57 PM · Aug 28, 2023     X/Twitter ᴛᴏᴋʏᴏ @millitarytokyo Parody account 🎉made my last car payment 🎉 i still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore..😩 9:11 AM · Aug 15, 2025 New York City, Banking/Finance/Insurance, Transportation, 2026-03-29T03:32:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/hello-gorgeous https://barrypopik.com/blog/hello-gorgeous “Hello, gorgeous!” is what a man in the 1920s might have said to an attractive woman. The saying appears in print in Ainslee’s magazine in September 1926. The saying appeared in several comic strips in 1928. The song “Hello, Gorgeous” (1932) by American popular songwriter Walter Donaldson (1893-1947) became a modest hit.   The movie Funny Girl (1968) starred Barbara Streisand and was based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice (1891-1951). In the film, Streisand looks at herself in the mirror, and to give herself some confidence, says, “Hello, gorgeous!”   In March 2026, the saying “Hello, gorgeous!” was put on a sign to motorists on the Brooklyn Bridge, entering Manhattan.       Google Books September 1926, Ainslee’s, “Mallory’s Wife” by Winston Bouve, pg. 79: “Hello, gorgeous!”   Newspapers.com 18 January 1928, Austin (TX) Statesman, “Good Time Guy” comic strip by Frank Smiley, pg. 8, col. 3: “HELLO, GORGEOUS.”   Newspapers.com 26 March 1928, San Bernardino (CA) Daily Sun, “Etta Kett” comic strip by Robinson, pg. 6, col. 5: Hello Gorgeous   Newspapers.com 25 August 1928, Saginaw (MI) Daily News, “All the King’s Horses” by Katharine Brush, pg. 3, col. 3: “Hello, Gorgeous!” That was the inevitable greeting.       IMDb Funny Girl Quotes  [first lines] Fanny Brice: [looking in the mirror] Hello, gorgeous.   YouTube Funny Girl - “Hello Gorgeous” Cinema Obsession ug 4, 2014 One of my favourite scenes from the film “Funny Girl” ENJOY!!   YouTube Layton & Johnstone - Hello! Gorgeous (1932) RobinsRareRecordings Mar 27, 2021 Male vocal duettists, with Turner Layton on piano. Words & music: Walter Donaldson.     X/Twitter Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 @bradhoylman The Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge is being improved ahead of the World Cup so New Yorkers and visitors can explore the city safely on foot or by bike. At the gateway to our borough, where we say “Hello Gorgeous,” the experience should live up to the welcome. @NYC_DOT @NYCMayor @TransAlt Last edited 2:35 PM · Mar 27, 2026   X/Twitter Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 @bradhoylman You’re looking at the new sign that will greet people as they enter the Borough of Manhattan. (The “Hello, gorgeous!” sign is shown.—ed.) 4:55 PM · Mar 27, 2026   New York (NY) Post City installs ‘Hello, Gorgeous!’ sign on Brooklyn Bridge — but few get the reference By Ella Morrison, Craig McCarthy and Natalie O’Neill Published March 27, 2026, 5:35 p.m. ET Hello who?   A new sign declaring “Hello, Gorgeous!” on the Brooklyn Bridge is welcoming folks to Manhattan — but nobody seems to get the reference.   The slogan is a shout-out to Barbra Streisand’s first line in the 1968 movie “Funny Girl,” in which she plays a rising Broadway star, officials said. New York City, Names/Phrases, 2026-03-29T02:16:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/the-x-is-silent-its-still-pronounced-twitter https://barrypopik.com/blog/the-x-is-silent-its-still-pronounced-twitter The name of “Twitter” (an American microblogging and social networking service) was changed to “X” in 2023, but many people still call it Twitter.   “xtwitter (the x is silent)” was posted on Bluesky by paula on July 28, 2023. “It’s Twitter, the ‘X’ is silent” was posted on X/Twitter by Jacob Larsen on December 9, 2023. “The X is silent. It’s still pronounced Twitter” was posted on X/Twitter by Deann on March 26, 2026, and this received over 63,000 likes.   X (social network) X, formerly known as Twitter, is an American microblogging and social networking service, headquartered in Bastrop, Texas. It is one of the world’s largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, images, and videos in short posts (commonly and unofficially known as “tweets”) and like other users’ content.   Bluesky paula ‪@heyheypaula.bsky.social‬ xtwitter (the x is silent) [The “X” (aka Twitter) logo. Two white bars intersect in an “X” shape on a black background. One bar is a thin line and the other is a thicker slanted black rectangle with a white outline. ALT] 4:16 PM · Jul 28, 2023   X/Twitter Jacob Larsen @jakelarsen It’s Twitter, the “X” is silent 5:19 PM · Dec 9, 2023   Bluesky Thanet Flint ‪@tflint.bsky.social‬ Finally got the invite - now I’m here to learn more from you! I’ve missed your posts so much on XTwitter (pronounced “Twitter” because the X is silent 🤫 ) 11:41 AM · Dec 24, 2023   X/Twitter BisbeeSpeaks @BisbeeSpeaks I call it “Tweeter”! The “X” is silent. Quote blue @bluewmist Mar 3 Like this tweet if you still call it Twitter. x.com/uglyygy/status… 1:42 PM · Mar 5, 2026   X/Twitter Deann @CarpeDeann The X is silent. It’s still pronounced Twitter. 5:30 PM · Mar 26, 2026   X/Twitter Deann @CarpeDeann The X is silent. It’s still pronounced Twitter. 5:32 PM · Mar 26, 2026   X/Twitter stucknmywaiiz @stucknmywaiiz The x is silent 🤫🤫🤫 It’s still pronounced Twitter 😊😊🖕🏽🫶🏽 9:32 PM · Mar 26, 2026   X/Twitter Iqra Rozy @IqraRozy The X is silent. It’s still pronounced Twitter. 2:38 PM · Mar 27, 2026 New York City, Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet, 2026-03-28T23:59:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/if-your-coffee-needs-4-pumps-of-syrup https://barrypopik.com/blog/if-your-coffee-needs-4-pumps-of-syrup Many people order a coffee that seems more like a dessert. This was posted on Facebook by Coffee on March 27, 2026:   “If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle… congratulations, you ordered dessert with anxiety.”     Facebook Coffee March 27, 2026 at 12:32 AM · If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle… congratulations, you ordered dessert with anxiety.     Facebook im not right in the head.com March 27, 2026 at 8:44 AM · If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle… congratulations, you ordered dessert with anxiety.   Threads mrsenfinger March 27, 2026 at 8:53 AM If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle… congratulations, you ordered dessert with anxiety.   Facebook Debz Domingos March 27, 2026 at 3:04 PM · If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle… congratulations, you ordered dessert with anxiety.☕☕🤙🏽🍍😂 New York City, Food/Drink, 2026-03-28T03:57:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/i-look-normal-but-i-talk-to-dogs-like-theyll-reply-to-me https://barrypopik.com/blog/i-look-normal-but-i-talk-to-dogs-like-theyll-reply-to-me     Facebook im not right in the head.com March 27, 2026 at 3:10 PM · Shared by the abnormal Kenneth Wright (The following text is shown on an image.—ed.) I LOOK NORMAL BUT I TALK TO DOGS LIKE THEY’LL REPLY TO ME… New York City, Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses), 2026-03-28T03:51:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/i-recently-bought-a-shire-horse https://barrypopik.com/blog/i-recently-bought-a-shire-horse     LaffGaff Shire Horse by LaffGaff March 27, 2026 I recently bought a shire horse. My existing horse was too outgoing. New York City, Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses), 2026-03-28T03:49:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/we-shouldve-stopped-somewhere-between-discovering-fire-and-filing https://barrypopik.com/blog/we-shouldve-stopped-somewhere-between-discovering-fire-and-filing How did civilization evolve into filing taxes? This was posted on X/Twitter (and also on Bluesky and Threads) by Ꮍᴀᴇʟ on March 26, 2026, and it received over 35,000 likes:   “We should’ve stopped somewhere between discovering fire and filing taxes. We did too much.”     X/Twitter Ꮍᴀᴇʟ @elle91 We should’ve stopped somewhere between discovering fire and filing taxes. We did too much 8:32 AM · Mar 26, 2026   Bluesky Yael ‪@elle91.bsky.social‬ We should’ve stopped somewhere between discovering fire and filing taxes. We did too much 8:32 AM · Mar 26, 2026   Threads the.yael March 26, 2026 at 8:32 AM We should’ve stopped somewhere between discovering fire and filing taxes. We did too much   X/Twitter Kim @Kelvin_i7 We should’ve stopped somewhere between discovering fire and filing taxes. We did too much 8:12 PM · Mar 26, 2026 New York City, Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health, 2026-03-28T03:32:00+00:00 https://barrypopik.com/blog/made-my-last-student-loan-payment-i-still-owe-a-lot https://barrypopik.com/blog/made-my-last-student-loan-payment-i-still-owe-a-lot “🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore” was posted on X/Twitter by Brent Terhune on October 24, 2020, and this received over 16,000 likes. The “joke” is that the speaker is not debt free; the speaker has so much debt that it cannot be paid off.   “🎉🗣made my last student loan payment!!!🗣🎉I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore” was posted on X/Twitter by Hater on October 25, 2020.     X/Twitter Brent Terhune @BrentTerhune 🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 9:22 AM · Oct 24, 2020 X/Twitter Hater @Hater164 🎉🗣made my last student loan payment!!!🗣🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 12:20 AM · Oct 25, 2020     X/Twitter  MAJひ⁶𓅓 @ykmaj6 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 5:07 PM · Jul 6, 2022   Bluesky Kofi ‪@blackkingkofi.ca‬ 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 8:33 AM · May 23, 2023   X/Twitter Elizabeth @lizloveforeve 🎉Made my last car payment 🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 12:26 PM · Aug 18, 2023   X/Twitter Ovo Luther @Purplemouse256 🎉made my last student loan payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore 3:57 PM · Aug 28, 2023     X/Twitter ᴛᴏᴋʏᴏ @millitarytokyo Parody account 🎉made my last car payment 🎉 i still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore..😩 9:11 AM · Aug 15, 2025 New York City, Banking/Finance/Insurance, Education/Schools, 2026-03-25T03:52:00+00:00