"The Big Apple" -- one more incorrect etymology

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

Barry Popik has informed me of one more incorrect etymology for "The Big Apple". He writes about it on his website (barrypopik.com),
and I now forward his item to ads-l. Btw, anyone familiar with New York City knows that the suggestion of an apple tree growing
on every street is nonsense.

Gerald Cohen
co-author (with Barry Popik), _Origin of New York City's Nickname "The Big Apple"_ ,  2nd edition, 2011 (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang).
P.S. Popik's extraordinary website (a true labor of love) now contains over 10,000 entries.

[Item posted on barrypopik.com]:

Entry from December 20, 2013

An Apple Tree on Every Street (2013 movie explanation)


In the comedy film Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), television news anchorman Ron Burgundy (played by actor Will Ferrell) takes a job with e 24-hour news channel in New York City. It’s explained that New York City is called the “Big Apple” because there’s an apple tree on every street.

 This is not true, of course.


Wikipedia: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a 2013 American comedy film, and the sequel to the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. As with the original film, it is directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow, written by McKay and Will Ferrell, and stars Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate all reprising their roles from the first film. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was released on December 18, 2013 to positive reviews.

Plot
 With the 70s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to take New York’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.

Twitter
 cole santa
‏@colestewart4
“Whys it called the big apple?” “Because there is an apple tree on every street”
11:52 PM - 17 Dec 13

Twitter
 jack lame
‏@alrightcoool
“They call it the big apple because there’s an apple tree on every street.”
 “That’s a fact. Google it.”
 “Is it really?”
 “No.” @versusshae
 4:00 PM - 18 Dec 13

theVINE
 ANTHONY MORRIS Wednesday 18 Dec 2013 - 9:30 AM
Anchorman 2: The Legend Of Dumb Jokes Continues
 (...)
 Our story begins – well, it begins with Ron about to be eaten by a shark, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s the 80s, and Ron (Will Ferrell) and his now wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) are husband and wife newsreaders in the Big Apple (so named because there’s an apple tree on every corner – and if you look closely, it’s true!).

Twitter
 Robbie Panasuk
‏@PimpDaddyPan
 Why do they call it the big apple? Well I believe it’s because there’s an apple tree on the corner of every street.
 10:36 AM - 18 Dec 13

Twitter
 Taylor Bear
‏@taymac98
 Jack thought that there was an apple tree on every street in New York and that was why it was called the big apple…
3:03 PM - 20 Dec 13

Twitter
 Dale Duignan
‏@daledegz
 According to anchorman New York is called the big apple cos there is an apple tree on every street
 7:19 PM - 20 Dec 13

Posted by Barry Popik
New York City • The Big Apple • 1970s-present: False Etymologies • Friday, December 20, 2013 • Permalink

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