English

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Etymology

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Popularized by John J. Fitz Gerald in horse-racing articles in the 1920s - an apple being a treat for a horse, and New York being a prize location for horse-racing at the time. From usage among African American stable hands. See the Wikipedia article.

 

The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York.

 

Proper noun

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the Big Apple

  1. A nickname for New York City.
    • 1976, “Song for Sharon”, in Hejira, performed by Joni Mitchell:
      Sharon, I left my man
      At a North Dakota junction
      And I came out to the Big Apple here
      To face the dream's malfunction

Translations

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See also

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References

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  • Michael Quinion (2004) “Big Apple”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.
  • John J. Fitz Gerald (1924) “Around the Big Apple”, in New York Morning Telegraph[1]

French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English Big Apple.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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Big Apple f

  1. Big Apple (nickname for New York City)
    Synonym: Grosse Pomme