Big Onion (Re: The Onion on U.K. slang) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Barry A. Popik]

In a message dated 11/21/2007 2:11:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL writes:

how did  you search the Brooklyn Eagle?


...
The Brooklyn Eagle is searchable through 1901, as you know. The "Big Onion"
tour company states that the "Big Onion" nickname applied "long before New
York  was called the Big Apple." This is not true, unsupported by any evidence at
 all.
...
Search for "Big Onion" with "New York" with "nickname." It's true, we only
have about 100 million digitized pages, and I'm sure everyone was talking about
 something that's not written down anywhere. The Irish invented all this, but
 they just never wrote it down.
...
Thanks for the 1942 citation by Maurer, but it's definitely post-"Big
Apple"--even post the nation-wide phenomenon of 1937's "Big Apple"  dance.
...
The 1978 New York Times "Big Onion" citation is after Charles  Gillett's
1970s "Big Apple" campaign. "Big Apple" was a popular, re-invented  term in the
1970s. It's a wise remark about the onion bagel and nothing  more.
...
I'll have to add to my entry of three years ago, but I can't say that
there's any solid evidence at all of "big onion" use in these two, scattered,
definitely post- Big Apple cites.
...
"Your website post says: 'The walking tour company is about the only place
you'll see "Big Onion.' '  Not so . . ."
...
Very much so!



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