Coney Island whitefish
"Coney Island whitefish" is the slang name for a used condom seen floating in New York waters or seen on the beach. Jon Lighter's Historical Dictionary of American Slang has a…
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Irish Riviera (Breezy Point)
Breezy Point (Far Rockaway) used to be called "the Irish Riviera." Spring Lake, New Jersey also claims the title. A newer nickname for the same area is "Hamptons West."…
NYPD & FDNY
After September 11, 2001, clothing with "NYPD" and "FDNY" became popular sellers. Both sets of initials were trademarked only vary recently. Why do the agencies have these…
Manhattan Silver/White (drugs)
Jonathon Green's Cassell Dictionary of Slang (1998) has these entries: Manhattan silver/white n. [1970s+][drugs] an imaginary brand of marijuana, silver/white because its seeds have grown in…
Vichyssoise
"Vichyssoise" is a soup made of cooked and puréed leeks, potatoes, onions and cream. It was invented by Louis Diat (1885-1957), chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City, allegedly…
Vaudeville
"Variety" had been the name for what became known as "vaudeville" in the United States. (See the entry for "variety" here.) A citation below claims that George Lederer…
Reuben Sandwich (and Rachel Sandwich, Celebrity Sandwiches)
Arnold Reuben (1883-1970) began his restaurant in the 1910s and it became famous for its celebrity-named sandwiches, a tradition continued by the Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli and others. Reuben…
Twofer
In the days just after World War II and before the Times Square TKTS. booth, sagging Broadway shows would offer "two-fers." These are two tickets for the price of one. 5 July 1947, New…
Tiffany Network (CBS)
The Columbia Broadcasting System is sometimes called "the Tiffany Network." "Tiffany" stands for Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany's, whose famous store is now at Fifth…
Manicotti
"Manicotti" (an Italian dish) was first popularized in New York. From the New York Herald Tribune, "Dining Around New York" by Clementine Paddleford, 21 April 1962, pg. 9, col.…
Beefsteak
The "beefsteak" is a New York tradition from the 19th century that has since died out. January 1893, Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, "New York Restaurant Life," pg. 108,…
Swing Street (52nd Street)
"Swing Street" is the name for 52nd Street. At one time, many swing clubs were located here. The name dates from the swing era of the 1930s. 21 November 1937, New York Times, pg.…
“New York City (Such a Beautiful Disease)”
"New York City (Such a Beautiful Disease)" is a popular song by a real New Yorker, Norah Jones. The book Songs in the City needs to be updated for this one. I hear the Norah Jones song…
No Soap. Radio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_soap_radio The Wikipedia entry above is a good explanation of this "joke." Was it born in the Bronx? 18 June 1971, New York Times, pg. 63:No. 1 is the home…
New York Roll (sushi)
The "New York roll" is a recent "sushi bar" invention to counter the popular "California roll" (avocado, crabmeat, mayonnaise encased in rice). "New York…
“If you see something, say something” (safety slogan)
"If you see something, say something" was the Metropolitan Transit Authority's 2003 response to terrorism. The trademarked slogan (used on buses and trains) was created by Allen Kay,…
“Like No Other Store in the World” (Bloomingdale’s)
In 1976, with the opening of its Washington. D.C. store, Bloomingdale's began its memorable advertising campaign, declaring itself to be "like no other store in the world." Typical…
“World’s Largest Store” (Macy’s)
The "World's Largest Store" is, of course, Macy's in Herald Square. However, it appears that Sear's in Chicago once held the title in the early 1900s. 22 February 1925,…
“New York’s alright if you like saxophones”
The group Fear recorded a song in 1982 titled "New York's alright if you like saxophones." The song didn't have very nice things to say about New York City. Then again, Fear is…
“Why do they call it a World Series when it’s always played in the Bronx?”
"They call it the World Series...but it is usually played in the Bronx!" can be found in Google Groups, May 25, 2001. Here's a reference to this now-popular T-shirt wisdom: (GOOGLE…