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:
“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)
20-20-20 Rule (for eyes) (3/27)
More new entries...

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


Entry from April 05, 2016
“What’s black and white and never right?”/“A hockey referee.”

An ice hockey referee wears a black-and-white jersey. Vern Buffey titled his hockey memoir, Black and White and Never Right: A Hockey Referee (1980). It not known when the “black and white and never right” saying began in hockey, but the book’s title helped to popularize it.
 
The expression has also been used in other sports where officials wear black-and-white jerseys. “Black and white and always right” has been less frequently used (and is a saying that also applies to formal wear).
 
     
Wikipedia: Official (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an administrative role rather than an enforcement role.
 
On-ice officials
As the name implies, on-ice officials do their job on the hockey rink. They are traditionally clad in a black hockey helmet, black trousers, and a black-and-white striped shirt. They wear standard hockey skates and carry a finger whistle, which they use to stop play. They communicate with players, coaches, off-ice officials, both verbally and via hand signals. Starting in 1955 with the introduction of the black-and-white jersey, NHL on-ice officials wore numbers on their back for identification.
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Black and white and never right : a hockey referee
Author: Vern Buffey; Robert Soucie; Michael R Monty
Publisher: Toronto : Wiley, ©1980.
Edition/Format:   Print book : Biography : English
 
Google Groups: soc.penpals
Black and White and Never Right
David Baker
3/9/94
...but never wrong!  Looking to correspond with anyone that is into amateur hockey officiating.  I’ve been at it for 18 years now and would love to talk with others who enjoy it.  We could share problems, experiences, interpretations, etc.
 
Google Books
Kids’ Hockey:
The Parents’ Guide

By Gary Abraham with Michael Smith
Willowdale, ON: Firefly Books
2000
Pg. 158:
There is an old saying in hockey which goes, “black and white and never right,” but don’t let this get you down.
 
Google Books
Jokelopedia: The Biggest, Best, Silliest, Dumbest, Joke Book Ever
Edited by Ilana Weitzman
New York, NY: Workman Publishing
2006
Pg. 80:
What’s black and white and never right?
A hockey referee.
 
Twitter
Willy Wonka
‏@GrizzlyBCanada
“Whats black and white and never right?..A referee.” #joke #hockey #football #lacrosse
10:45 AM - 27 Sep 2010
 
Twitter
Bay
‏@ordinarybailey
What’s black and white and never right? ....NBA referees
7:30 PM - 29 Apr 2013
Mooresville, IN
 
The Hockey Writers
Black and White and ALWAYS Right!
MAY 25TH, 2015 BY RICK COLE
Last Tuesday evening we spent a most enjoyable and informative evening at Mike Wilson’s hockey museum in Toronto with three iconic on-ice officials from the National Hockey League’s recent past.  Bruce Hood, Ron Wicks and Bryan Lewis regaled the assembled group of hockey writers, historians and enthusiasts with stories of “the good old days” and their impressions on today’s game.

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CitySports/Games • Tuesday, April 05, 2016 • Permalink


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.