Entry from
July 18, 2004
New York Minute (or, New York Nanosecond)
"New York Minute" comes from Texas!
Perhaps the New York Minute has something to do with Texas Time, or the Mexican Minute. The Dictionary of American Regional English has a first citation of 1967, from Texas. The "New York Minute" was popularly used in the lyrics to songs from Texas in the 1970s. It doesn't show up pre-1970 on computerized databases such as the full-text New York Times.
Channel 5's newscast had a "New York Minute" in the 1980s. Recently, "New York Minute" was used as the title of a movie by the Olsen Twins.
"New York Nanosecond" is a recent, "faster" improvement on "New York Minute."
The shortest length of time in New York City? That's easy.
From William Safire's "On Language" New York Times column, March 7, 2004: "'Do you have a minute?' That's what we used to say when the person we were accosting was in a rush. That notion of a very short time was reduced, not long ago, by the split second, which was defined by New York Traffic Comissioner T.T. Wiley in 1950 as 'the time between the light turning green and the guy behind you honking.'''
T. T. Wiley didn't coin this in 1950.
6 January 1948, Independent Record (Helena, Montana), pg. 4, col. 1
It is said that the smallest measurable unit of time is the interval it takes, after the traffic light turns green, for some damn fool behind you to honk his horn.
15 August 1954, Galveston (TX) News, pg. 22, col. 5:
Island Pickups by...
THE BEACHCOMBER
...Christie Mitchell
(...)
Betty Jean Bird of the Pirate Club has what she claims the smallest French poodle in the nation...It's no bigger than a New York minute and that's only thirty seconds.
8 November 1964, San Antonio (TX) Light, pg. 5F, col. 5:
Believe me, it can happen to you, T. G., in a New York minute (45 seconds).
18 August 1966, Galveston (TX) Daily News, pg. 2B, col. 2:
He could fill all the open spots in a New York minute if he so desired.
Google Groups: soc.culture.jewish
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: (robert.j.brown)
Date: 4 Oct 89 15:31:01 GMT
Local: Wed, Oct 4 1989 10:31 am
Subject: Re: Question on "who is a jew?"
I know several "born Jews" who are part of the "Messianic" (yuk for you I'm sure) movement. If I swatted at Jews on soc.rel.christian like this, I'm sure I'd be charbroiled in a New York nanosecond.
23 July 1992, New York Times, pg. D6:
"You can lose your shirt in this business in a New York nanosecond," a senior executive at a competing Wall Street firm said.
Perhaps the New York Minute has something to do with Texas Time, or the Mexican Minute. The Dictionary of American Regional English has a first citation of 1967, from Texas. The "New York Minute" was popularly used in the lyrics to songs from Texas in the 1970s. It doesn't show up pre-1970 on computerized databases such as the full-text New York Times.
Channel 5's newscast had a "New York Minute" in the 1980s. Recently, "New York Minute" was used as the title of a movie by the Olsen Twins.
"New York Nanosecond" is a recent, "faster" improvement on "New York Minute."
The shortest length of time in New York City? That's easy.
From William Safire's "On Language" New York Times column, March 7, 2004: "'Do you have a minute?' That's what we used to say when the person we were accosting was in a rush. That notion of a very short time was reduced, not long ago, by the split second, which was defined by New York Traffic Comissioner T.T. Wiley in 1950 as 'the time between the light turning green and the guy behind you honking.'''
T. T. Wiley didn't coin this in 1950.
6 January 1948, Independent Record (Helena, Montana), pg. 4, col. 1
It is said that the smallest measurable unit of time is the interval it takes, after the traffic light turns green, for some damn fool behind you to honk his horn.
15 August 1954, Galveston (TX) News, pg. 22, col. 5:
Island Pickups by...
THE BEACHCOMBER
...Christie Mitchell
(...)
Betty Jean Bird of the Pirate Club has what she claims the smallest French poodle in the nation...It's no bigger than a New York minute and that's only thirty seconds.
8 November 1964, San Antonio (TX) Light, pg. 5F, col. 5:
Believe me, it can happen to you, T. G., in a New York minute (45 seconds).
18 August 1966, Galveston (TX) Daily News, pg. 2B, col. 2:
He could fill all the open spots in a New York minute if he so desired.
Google Groups: soc.culture.jewish
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
From: (robert.j.brown)
Date: 4 Oct 89 15:31:01 GMT
Local: Wed, Oct 4 1989 10:31 am
Subject: Re: Question on "who is a jew?"
I know several "born Jews" who are part of the "Messianic" (yuk for you I'm sure) movement. If I swatted at Jews on soc.rel.christian like this, I'm sure I'd be charbroiled in a New York nanosecond.
23 July 1992, New York Times, pg. D6:
"You can lose your shirt in this business in a New York nanosecond," a senior executive at a competing Wall Street firm said.