The Big Apple

[James Smith]

--- Gerald Cohen <gcohen at UMR.EDU> wrote:
>   The 1920 New Orleans stable hand could not have
> been referring to Aqueduct Racetrack when he spoke
of "the big apple": ....

He could have been referring "the big apple" to
anything he wanted, at the moment he spoke it.

Fitz Gerald's two versions of the conversation between
the stable hands differ in many ways, indicating a
less-than perfect recollection of the details and
license in his use of quotation marks.

> ...Fitz Gerald interpreted the remark as referring
to
> the NYC racetracks....

On this we can agree; modern usage derives from Fitz
Gerald's interpretation of the remark.



=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
South SLC, UT                  |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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