New York will be a nice town when it’s finished
On January 1, 2006, in his inaugural address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated: "It was O. Henry who once wrote that 'New York will be a great place -- if they ever finish…
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Chicken and Waffles
Harlem likes to take credit for the combination of "chicken and waffles." Several recent articles claim that Wells Supper Club started the tradition there in 1938. It isn't so.…
Moving Day (May 1st)
May 1st of every year was "moving day," according to old New York City tradition. (Oxford English Dictionary)MOVING DAY, n. 1. The day of a move to a new residence; (U.S.) the day on…
Egg Roll, Won Ton (Cantonese Cuisine)
Chinese (Cantonese) cuisine was the most popular cuisine in Chinese-American restaurants in the 1900s. Lum Fong (who owned a Chinatown restaurant on Canal Street) was credited for introducing many…
Cheesecake
New York City did not invent the cheesecake (the German immigrants brought it over), but New York certainly perfected it. 6 October 1931, Syracuse (NY) Herald, pg. X, col. 5:New York Cheese…
Tabloid Headlines (“FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD”)
The New York Post, the Daily News and New York Newsday are tabloid newspapers that have had memorable headlines. On many days, the headlines are the same for the same story. NEW YORK POST HEADLINE:…
Third Degree
"The thrid degree" was the punishment the police inflicted on a prisoner to procure a confession. It was officially made illegal in the early part of the 1900s. The third degree is the…
Garrison Finish
A "Garrison finish" is a come-from-behind win at the last second. It was named, naturally enough, after a jockey named Edward H. "Snapper" Garrison (1868-1930). According to…
New York Stud (stud poker)
"New York Stud" is a variation of stud poker. The game of "New York Stud" has been cited in print since at least 1949. Wikipedia: Stud pokerStud poker is any of a number of…
Greek Salad
"Greek Salad" was probably named this in either New York or Chicago, two cities with large populations of Greek immigrants. In Greece itself, it is simply "salad" or…
Yoots or Yutes (youths)
"What is a yute?" asked the Southern judge to a lawyer (played by Joe Pesci) in the movie comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992). Vinny (from New York City) was perplexed that his dialect…
Bagel; Bagel & Lox; Bagel “All the Way”; Everything Bagel
Bagels did not originate in New York City, but were brought to the city by Eastern European immigrants. Cited below is a forgotten "old world" citation referring to the 1870s in…
“Not chopped liver” (“What am I? Chopped liver?”)
Chopped liver became a popular side dish in Jewish cuisine in New York City by at least 1910. It was so common that it wasn't thought of as anything special. "What am I? Chopped…
Frozen Custard
Try the frozen custard at the new Shake Shake at Madison Square Park. It's a treat straight out of Coney Island. 23 June 1939, Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, pg. 5, col. 4:One of the…
Big Apple Fest (2004)
The Big Apple Fest was organized for the summer and fall of 2004. Like the 2000's Cow Parade before it, huge sculptures are painted and auctioned off for charity. This time, they're Big…
Nesselrode Pie
"Nesselrode pudding" was supposedly invented by the first "celebrity chef," the great Antonin Careme. However, "Nesselrode pie" appears to be a New York City original…
New York Cut Sirloin Steak
It appears that "New York Cut" comes from San Francisco, about 1900. The full-text Chicago Tribune doesn't have it much at all, nor does the New York Times. However, New York Cut…
Rush Hour
"Rush hour" is often believed (incorrectly) to have originated with the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge on May 24, 1883. "Rush hour" traffic occurred in the morning (when people…
Block Party
The Oxford English Dictionary added "block party" in 1997, and OED's earliest citation is 1919. I've found "block party" from 1907. Unfortunately, the first New York…
Loisaida
"Loisaida" is Spanish for "Lower East Side." Some claim that "Lower East Side" is below Houston Street, and "Loisaida" is above Houston Street. Puerto Rican…