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:
•“May the 4th be with you” (Star Wars Day, May 4th) (5/3)
•“My friend was in a quiz and phoned me, ‘What’s the second largest state in the USA?’” (5/3)
•“May the 4th be with you. May the 5th be Cinco de Mayo” (5/3)
•“May the 4th be with you. May the 5th be with tacos” (5/3)
•Entry in progress—BP24 (5/3)
More new entries...

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The Big Apple. An etymological dictionary (over 36,000 entries) investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases, specializing in modern slang, neologisms, nicknames, acronyms, slogans, mottoes, proverbs, adages, idioms. aphorisms, blessings, toasts, mondegreens, riddles, puns, jokes and memes. There are regional dictionaries of New York City, Florida, Oregon and Texas. Established 2004. A website by Barry Popik (etymologist "King of Dad Jokes and Oneliners").

2020 EXTRA: 1400+ Coronavirus (COVID-19) quotes, jokes, riddles, puns, pickup lines, memes, portmanteaus, acronyms, anagrams and terms.

Above, the header from the 1924 newspaper column of John J. Fitz Gerald. Click to see a portion of the column which includes his use of "Big Apple." Part of a 1926 column is also available.

Above, a cartoon representing the idea of the "big apple" from October 11, 1926. Click to see the full version.

SUMMARY: "Why is New York called the Big Apple?"