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Why new york city called the Big Apple? There are a few theories out there, but the most likely explanation is that it simply comes down to marketing.
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Theories on the Origin of the Big Apple
There are a few theories on how the Big Apple got its nickname. One theory is that it was coined in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph. He used the term to refer to the city’s racetracks, which were then a major part of New York’s nightlife. Another theory is that it was a reference to the city’s early reputation as a place where anything and everything was available.
The racing theory
The expression “the Big Apple” was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph. At the time, New York City was known for its extensive horse-racing culture, and “the Big Apple” served as a metaphor for the prizes that were awarded to successful racehorses.
The jazz theory
The jazz theory is the most prevalent of the Big Apple origin theories. The term “Big Apple” was coined by jazz musicians in the 1920s in reference to New York City. These musicians would often compare the different cities they played in and apples were a common currency, hence the term “Big Apple.” This theory is further supported by the fact that many early jazz songs make reference to the Big Apple, including “The Big Apple” by Django Reinhardt and “Taking a Chance on Love” by Duke Ellington.
The apples theory
One popular theory centers on the seemingly countless apples that blanketed the city’s many public spaces and backyards during the 1800s. cider apples, in particular, were so ubiquitous that in 1821, New York State produced more than 1.5 million gallons of the stuff (enough to fill over five Olympic-size swimming pools). When combined with the city’s apple products — pies, crisps, dumplings, and even apple brandy — it’s easy to see how “The Big Apple” could’ve eventually become a nickname for New York City.
The First Use of the Term Big Apple
The term “Big Apple” was first used in reference to New York City by John J. Fitzgerald in a 1924 article called “Around the Big Apple.” Fitzgerald was a racing journalist who used the term to describe the city’s horse-racing scene. The term was later popularized in the 1970s by tourism ads.
In reference to New York City
The term “big apple” was first used in reference to New York City by John J. Fitz Gerald in a series of articles he wrote for the New York Morning Telegraph in 1921. In those articles, he used the term to refer to the city’s bustling streets and energetic nightlife. The term was picked up by other writers and soon became a popular nickname for the city.
In reference to other cities
New York City was originally called New Amsterdam when the Dutch founded it in 1626. The English took over the colony in 1664 and renamed it New York, after the Duke of York (who later became King James II). There are many stories about how the city got its nickname, “The Big Apple.” The most popular one is that it was coined by Jazz artist John J. Fitz Gerald in the 1920s. He used the term in reference to other cities, not just New York.
The Popularity of the Term Big Apple
The term “Big Apple” was popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitzgerald, a sportswriter for the New York Morning Telegraph. Fitzgerald used the term to refer to New York City in his writings, and it soon caught on with other writers. The term became so popular that it was eventually used to refer to the city itself.
In popular culture
The term “Big Apple” was popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitzgerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph. He used the nickname in reference to prize-fighting and horse-racing, two of New York’s most popular pastimes at the time. It is thought that Fitzgerald borrowed the term from African Americans who used it to refer to New York City.
The popularity of the term “Big Apple” grew in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was used by jazz musicians and dancers who visited New York from all over the country. The city was seen as a mecca for jazz and swing music, and it became known as the “Big Apple” because it was the biggest and most important city in the country for this type of music.
In 1971, the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a campaign to promote tourism in New York City with the slogan “The Big Apple.” The campaign was successful, and the term has been associated with New York ever since.
In the media
One of the first times the term Big Apple was used in print was in the New York Morning Telegraph on February 21, 1924. In that issue, columnist John J. Fitz Gerald referred to a racehorse named Big Apple and said, “New York is the Big Apple, the goal of a’ll race horses.” It’s thought that Fitz Gerald got the term from stable hands who used it as slang for New York City.
Since then, the term has been used in countless movies and TV shows set in New York City, including ” Taxi Driver,” “Manhattan,” “Sex and the City,” “Friends” and “Seinfeld.” It’s also been used in songs like Duke Ellington’s ” Take the ‘A’ Train” and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”
