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.

Recent entries:
“Don’t be a chaser, be the one who gets chased. You are the tequila, not the lime” (3/28)
“Shoutout to ATM fees for making me buy my own money” (3/27)
“Thank you, ATM fees, for allowing me to buy my own money” (3/27)
“Anyone else boil the kettle twice? Just in case the boiling water has gone cold…” (3/27)
“Shout out to ATM fees for making me buy my own money” (3/27)
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Entry from August 30, 2004
“A nickel gets you on the subway, but garlic gets you a seat”
This is listed as an "old New York saying" or "Yiddish saying" on many web sites.

It had better be old. The subway a nickel? I've also seen it on the web as "three nickels."

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it recorded that early.




9 December 1980, Christian Science Monitor, pg. B16:
An old New York Yiddish maxim holds that: "Three nickels will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat."


1 July 1981, Wall Street Journal, pg. 1:
In New York in the days of the five-cent subway, they used to say that you could ride the subway for a nickel but garlic got you a seat.
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Food/Drink • Monday, August 30, 2004 • Permalink


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