A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from February 27, 2013
TWA Tea (dirty joke)

Trans World Airlines (TWA) existed from 1925 through 2001 and was once one of the world’s largest airlines, with a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. A popular dirty joke has a TWA stewardess attending to a male passenger and asking, “Would you like to try our TWA coffee?” “No thanks,” the male passenger responds, “but I’d sure like to have some of your TWA tea (i.e., T-W-A-T).”
 
The dirty joke has been cited in print since at least 1941. NYC Aviation sells a “TWA Tea Shirt.”
 
TWA has been nicknamed “Teeny Weeny Airlines,” “The Worst Airline” and “Try Walking Again.”
 
   
NYC Aviation
TWA Tea Shirt
$14.99
Celebrate this classic airline that we all miss by showing everyone part of their signature service! The teacup is on the front with a small single-color NYCAviation logo on the upper back.
 
Wikipedia: Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) on intercontinental routes from 1946 until deregulation in 1978. TWA had hubs at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport for much of its history. Focus cities also existed at various times in Kansas City, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the 1980s it built up a hub in Atlanta, an operation which was reduced in the 1990s. TWA had pilot bases in Frankfurt and Berlin during the 1980s and it operated Boeing 727-100 type aircraft within Europe. The company flew inter-European routes between Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Zurich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Vienna, Amsterdam and Istanbul.
 
Flying to most major U.S. cities, TWA was one of the largest domestic airlines; before deregulation TWA, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines were collectively known as the “Big Four”. It also had a substantial feeder operation from smaller cities in the Midwestern United States. Beyond the U.S., TWA had a large European and Middle Eastern network, served mainly from its hub, the iconic TWA Flight Center, at John F. Kennedy International Airport. For a few years its routes circumnavigated the globe. Along with Pan Am, it was considered to be a secondary unofficial flag carrier for the United States, especially after Pan Am was dissolved in the early 1990s.
     
Google Books
The Elevator Constructor
Volume 38
1941
Pg. 23:
“And would you care to try some of our coffee,” she sweetly asked the traveling man, “We have a special grind and blend made up for us and is known as TWA coffee. I can assure you that it is very good.”
 
“No thank you,” replied the passenger. “I really don’t care for coffee, it doesn’t agree with me. But I would like to try your TWA tea.”
JOSEPH K. CURRY.
MEMPHIS, TENN.
 
Google Books
The Sensation
By Norman Keifetz
New York, NY: Atheneum
1975
Pg. 196:
She had had a drink, maybe two or three, for she stood at his door laughing, while telling an off-color joke about the man who took a TWA flight and when asked by the hostess if he would like some TWA coffee, he said no, he’d take some TWA tea.
 
Google Books
Dirty Stories For All Occasions
By Andrew L. Cleveland
New York, NY: Galahad Books
1980
Pg. 147:
A stewardess on a TWA Airliner was serving lunch. As she placed a tray on a gentleman’s lap, she asked, “Will you have some of our TWA coffee?” The passenger gazed longingly at the beauty and softly replied, “No thanks. But I wouldn’t mind having some of your TWA tea.”
 
Google Books
Jokes My Mother Never Told Me
By Mark Barry
New York, NY: Shapolsky Publishers
1990
Pg. 118:
Stewardess to gentleman on plane: “Would you like some TWA coffee, TWA soda, or TWA wine?”
Gentleman: “No, but I would like some TWA Tea!”
 
Google Books
The Cunning Linguist:
Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun

By Richard Lederer
New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press
2003
Pg. 18:
When I travel on an airplane, I like to be served TWA milk and TWA coffee. But I love to be served TWA tea.
 
Urban Dictionary
airline beverage
From the old joke:
 
Stewardess: “Would you like some TWA Orange Juice, or some TWA Coffee?”
Passenger: “No thanks. But could I wouldn’t mind some of your TWA Tea.”

A Twat - a generally stupid or useless person, e.g. who will never get past the second round at Wimbledon despite the alcoholic chantings of work-shy sadsters on a soggy hill.
That Tim Henman is a bit of an airline beverage.
by Anon2 Jul 29, 2006
   
B3ta Board
(Photo with word balloons—ed.)
STEWARDESS: Would you like some of our TWA coffee, sir?
MALE PASSENGER: No, but I’d love some of your TWA tea.
Sea Tramp the thinking woman’s 8 Ace, Thu 23 Dec 2010, 23:56, archived

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityTransportation • Wednesday, February 27, 2013 • Permalink


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