Why is new york called 'the big apple'?

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Alan A

Because of the same reason that a rich man will not get into heaven until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.

'Manzana' in Spanish means amongst other things apple, and a city block. So a big block of buildings, such as can be seen in New York, would be gran manzana, which would then be re-translated as big apple.

Oh, and by the way, it's a rope, not a camel.

John B

people find it a pealing

livingfree

"The Big Apple" took on a different connotation when it was made popular in the 1920's by the New York Morning Telegraph sports writer John J. Fitz Gerald. He heard it used by African-American stable hands at the racetrack in New Orleans when referring to New York's racing scene which they considered the "big time." Fitz Gerald liked the phrase so much he titled his racing column "Around the Big Apple." In the introduction to his column from the February 18, 1924 issue Fitz Gerald writes: "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That`s New York."

Honey bee

hi balu,

the name " the big apple" was put into circulation by the jazz musicians of the 1930's and 40's, the Manzana area of New York, known as the Apple Orchard. Another thought is that the "apple" is a slang word for the musician's for engagement, and the date in New York was the "big apple".

whenever a jazzman was asked to do a gig , everyone knew he had to play in the most coveted venue of all, Manhattan, where the audience was the biggest, hippest, and the most appreciative in the country. this was known as the "big apple".

Fletcher Henderson, one of the Big Band leaders has been given the credit for POPULARIZING the name,by some of the older jazzman but such saying have been found to be impossibel to document. this could be so maybe because it is thought that the name was not originally from the jazz world but instead, the horse racetrack!!

It is believed "The New York Morning Telegrah" journal has been given the credit MARRYING the big apple with New York. the journal was one of three, that covered lively scenes such as those of betting men, who had lost bets and were broke. such disgrace in those times and big story sellers for the papers. there is an early reference to the phrase 'Around the Big Apple', piece for the Telegraph on February 18, in 1924, and this is the earliest citation that has been documented in print:

"The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever
threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of
all horsemen. Thereâ€™s only one Big Apple. Thatâ€™s
New York."

John FitzGerald was the feature writer for the above newspaper, situated on West 24th Street, in the 1920's. A site which today is part of the parking lot of the huge Penn South complex. sadly, john died in the 1960's in poverty. He did not coin the phrase but did set it course so it became part of the language.

John or Jack as he was also called, was the FIRST WRITER to use the term "the big apple", in PRINT. he had picked up the term from the Black stable boys. they were glad to come to the big city where there was so much money and so much opportunity. he said, "there is only one Big Apple. That's New
York." ..... A Big Town

the name has also strongly being linked to a slow dance from Columbia, South Carolina in the 1930's. this bacame the biggest dance craze in the American history.

today, the term's origins still remain linked to the jazz scene,

â˜º PeeJ â˜º

nickname or alternate toponym for New York City never used by New Yorkers. Its popularity since the 1970s is due to a promotional campaign by the New York Convention and Visitor's Bureau. Its earlier origins are less clear.

One explanation cited by the New-York Historical Society and others is that it was first popularized by John Fitz Gerald, who first used it in his horse racing column in the New York Morning Telegraph in 1921, then further explaining its origins in his February 18, 1924 column. Fitz Gerald credited African-American stable-hands working at horseracing tracks in New Orleans:

denial001

new york is called the big apple because of a curious incident which took place in 1904 and recorded in the New York Express newspaper on 3-5-1906. there was at that time a gunslinger called Marok Tihsllub of Czechoslovakian descent. one day this young buck got into a saloon brawl with a gang from out of town. Marok went to pull his gun but produced a banana from his holster! it transpired that his youngest son - as a joke - had swapped Maroks gun for a banana at breakfast that morning. anyways, the out of town gang thought this was hillarious. they all ran out to the local K mart to buy fruit to put in their holsters and had great fun brandishing melons and gooseberries at each other. every year in new york there is a festival of the Big Apple to mark this wonderful occassion. Marok died in poverty with an avacodo in his eye and several raspberry wounds. no mention of Farmer Truss was ever made in the newspaper.

big bird

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THE LARGE APPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY THEN?...

Lucky Bunny - Pikan 4 ART [â™¥LMâ™¥]

I'm not sure on this one, but I think I once heard it is because "Everyone gets a bite". Like I said, I'm not 100% sure of that.

mark t

A film short called The Big Apple came out in 1938, with an all-
Black cast featuring Herbert â€œWhiteyâ€ Whiteâ€™s Lindy Hoppers,
Harlemâ€™s top ballroom dancers in the Swing Era. In a book
published the same year, bandleader Cab Calloway used the
phrase "Big Apple" to mean "the big town, the main stem,
Harlem." Anyone who loved the city would have readily agreed
with Jack FitzGerald: â€œThere's only one Big Apple. That's New
York."

flubberlubberlubber

just popped in 2 see the answers as i didnt actually know!!!

buffeyes

i have no idea

aisling

Because New York has the most amount of fast sood restraunts in the world. And Americans are big and round like an apple

Leopold Bloom

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtDPOdBTQnixLeDCrFjQyGXpFQx.?qid=1006041211280

kellythered

beacause once upon a time in cockoo land a very big apple growed really big in a little place called new york and all the people came to view it in its marvelous grandious state and all took out a chunk and decided it was a very nice apple, but soon none was left so as a memory they called the town lovingly the big apple.

The end

fox5nyc

It is taken from a quote take a bite from the big apple...ie n.y.c,s great.......ok