Big Apple in NY Times

[Gerald Cohen]

     Today¹s NY Times column ³On Language² incorrectly considers Edward
Martin¹s 1909 mention of ³the big apple² as the first attestation of NYC¹s
famous nickname.  As I have already explained to ADS-L (and earlier in my
1991 book (_Origin Of New York City¹s Nickname ³The Big Apple_), this is a
red herring.  The real meaning of Edwards¹ 1909 attestation is ³overweaning
big shot² (in reference to NYC).  It was no more NYC¹s nickname in 1909
than ³the big enchilada² would be Washington D.C.¹s nickname if someone
happened to refer to it this way in a conversation about political power.

      Barry Popik yesterday told ADS-L that he has read through all of
Martin¹s writings and found only ³Gotham² as NYC¹s nickname there.  He
accurately points out that someone is not likely to coin a nickname and
then never use it again.

        And as I have earlier pointed out, prior to 1921 (Fitz Gerald¹s
first use of ²the big apple² = NYC racetracks) there are no other
attestations at all of ³the big apple² (with or without capitalization) as
NYC¹s nickname.  I renew my offer of $100 to the first person who can
provide me such an attestation.  No, let¹s make that $200.  The offer is a
serious one but I see my money as quite safe.

      Mr. Safire¹s column seeks credibility in the 1909 Edwards attestation
by pointing to some tentative, uncertain remarks on the subject by Jonathan
Lighter in his _Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang_. The
real news in those remarks is that Lighter is distancing himself from the
earlier assumption that Edwards¹ 1909 attestation can be taken at face
value.

     And since _RHHDAS_ is referred to, might I point out Lighter¹s remark
just a few sentences earlier: ³Big Apple... The development and
dissemination of [two of its meanings] are traced in meticulous detail by
G. Cohen et al. in _Comments on Etymology_ (Jan. 1989ff.).²

        Lighter evidently did not yet have my 1991 book when he sent the
manuscript of his first volume (published 1994) to Random House.  And he
did not yet have the two updates I prepared (in my _Studies in Slang_, vols
3,4), based primarily on Barry Popik¹s research.  And still--even in the
relatively early stage of research into whole subject--Lighter looked to my
writings (with due credit given throughout) for guidance on the origin of
³The Big Apple².

        Before dismissing the conclusions that Popik and I had reached, it
might have been good for the NY Times to double check with Popik, Lighter
and me to see how things stood. It would have been good to have read
Popik¹s and my material before dismissing it.

     Incidentally, Kathleen Miller (Mr. Safire¹s assistant) did check with
me beforehand, but even though I responded promptly, the deadline was
already upon her, and there was no time to rewrite the item; and
withdrawing it evidently was not an option.  I frankly do not know just
what Mr. Safire and his assistant now think of the matter.

      In one sense, this is all water under the bridge, and yet there is no
escaping the enormous influence of the NY Times, especially if no
correction is made.  And despite Barry Popik¹s call for a correction, it is
unlikely that one will in fact be made.  But I remain ever ready to be of
service to Mr. Safire¹s office if contacted again.

       Meanwhile, a point of uncertainty does exist and will take a bit of
checking (Was Fitz Gerald in 1924 the first to use ³The Big Apple² in
reference to NYC outside of a horseracing context?).  Also, in a day or so
I¹ll print for ADS-L John J. Fitz Gerald¹s two items (1924, 1926)
explaining how he acquired the expression ³the big apple² from two African
American stable hands in New Orleans.

      Those two items are invaluable for understanding the early history of
³the big apple,² and yet despite considerable research I failed to locate
them (I did not know of their existence).   But Barry Popik, with his
extraordinary searching, located them. It was a crowning etymological
achievement.

---Gerald Cohen





gcohen at umr.edu