"The Big Apple" -- one more incorrect etymology

[Joel S. Berson]

At 12/21/2013 10:30 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
>
>On Dec 21, 2013, at 10:12 AM, Cohen, Gerald Leonard wrote:
>
> > 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.
>
>You do realize that this "etymology" is proposed
>by Ron Burgundy, yes?  (Or at least by someone
>in his biopic, which I confess I haven't seen;
>I'm not sure what to infer from the wording
>below--"it's explained".)  I think this is a
>different category from the seriously proposed
>(or even seriously bluffed) explanations
>invoking Eve's Apples house of prostitution or
I
>seem to have repressed the other suggestions
>that have appeared in at least purportedly
>serious print.  A debunking is hardly in order here.

Except of the Tweeters?  I get the impression
from Barry 's posting that many of them take it
as true, although there isn't enough text to prove that.

Joel


>LH
> >
> > 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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>
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