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 March 07, 2019
“‘I’ll have a hot dog,’ Tom said frankly”

A “Tom Swifty” (or “Tom Swiftie”) is a quoted sentence with a related pun in the attribution. “‘I had a hot dog for lunch,’ Tom said frankly” was printed in the Bremen (IN) Enquirer on August 8, 1963. “‘I’ll have four hot dogs,’ Tom said frank-ly’” was printed in the Boston (MA) Evening Globe on July 26, 1974.
 
The pun has been regularly printed in Boys’ Life magazine. “Tom Swiftie: ‘I must say that my favorite meat is a hot dog,’ Tom said frankly” was printed in Boys’ Life in August 1986.
 
   
Wikipedia: Tom Swifty
A Tom Swifty (or Tom Swiftie) is a phrase in which a quoted sentence is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is attributed. Tom Swifties may be considered a type of wellerism.
           
8 August 1963, Bremen (IN) Enquirer, “Wacky fads and zany styles seem to run in cycles” (Tom Swifties), pg. 8, col. 4:
“I had a hot dog for lunch,” Tom said frankly.
   
26 July 1974, Boston (MA) Evening Globe, “Knee-slappers” by Herbert A. Kenny, pg. 26, col. 5:
The Tom Swifties require more imagination, and verbal agility.
 
“‘I’ll have four hot dogs,’ Tom said frank-ly.’”
     
Google Books
Science Digest
Volume 81
1977
Pg. 92:
TOM SWIFTIES
Tom Swifties are sentences in which the adverb echoes the subject matter of the quotation: “This hot-dog needs ketchup,” he said frankly.
   
Google Books
August 1986, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 66, col. 3:
Tom Swiftie: “I must say that my favorite meat is a hot dog,” Tom said frankly. —Bradley Mulm, Elgin, Ill.
 
28 November 1993, NPR (Washington, DC), “Wil Shortz challenges last week’s puzzle winner,” Weekend All Things Considered (radio program):
LIANE HANSEN, Host: This is “Weekend Edition”. I’m 63 across, Liane, L-i-a-n-e, `Radio Hostess, Hansen.’ The creator of that clue for the Thanksgiving New York Times crossword puzzle is its editor, our puzzle master, Wil Shortz, who today joins us from the studios of WNYC in New York. Hi Wil.
(...)
SHORTZ: Well, let’s see. Today I have some Tom Swifties. And a Tom Swiftie is a line of dialogue that ends in a punningly appropriate adverb. For example, ‘This hot dog isn’t so good,’ Tom said frankly.
   
Google Books
February 2002, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 57, col. 2:
Tom Swiftie: “I want a hot dog! ” Tom said frankly. — Jack Harrigan, Leawood, Kan.
   
Google Books
May 2003, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 58, col. 1:
Tom Swiftie: “I want a hot dog!” Tom said frankly. — George Bukur, Valparaiso, Ind.
 
Twitter
elizabeth norikane
@enorikane
i could use a hot dog, said tom frankly.
12:37 AM - 28 Feb 2009
   
Twitter
Allie
@shockkwave
Tom Swifties. <3 "I'd like a hot dog," Tom said frankly.

4:26 PM - 16 May 2010
     
Google Books
July 2011, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 51, col. 3:
Tom Swiftie: “Boy, this hot dog is delicious!” Tom said frankly.
Adam McDonald, Parkville, Mo.
 
Twitter
Peter.
@theversusverses
“I could use a hot dog right now,” said Tom frankly. #tomswiftie
12:21 PM - 25 Oct 2011
 
Reddit—Oneliners
Posted by u/197708156EQUJ5 March 7, 2019
“I’ll have a hot dog.” Tom said frankly

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Thursday, March 07, 2019 • Permalink


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