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When and how did New York City come to be called "The Big Apple”?

This is by far the most frequently asked question—and the most hotly debated.

There are several different theories on how New York City earned the nickname "The Big Apple”, each with a certain amount of truth to them. It appears that city officials did not officially adopt the Big Apple moniker until 1971, although many residents and visitors had been using the nickname sincc the 1920s. In 1971, the term "Big Apple" was adopted as the official advertising slogan of New York City, aimed at encouraging tourists to overlook its doom and gloom reputation in favor of the excitement and allure the city offered. The 1971 campaign to popularize New York City as the Big Apple included volunteers handing out real apples to passing tourists. The symbol of a big red apple was used to evoke a cheery image.

The first reference to New York City as the Big Apple is believed to have appeared in 1909. A man named Martin Wayfarer allegedly criticized the disproportional amount of the nation's money New York City received annually. He compared the country's economy to a tree with many roots, but the "big apple" (New York City) received the bulk of the "sap". It's very possible that residents of New York City may have embraced that critical reference as a source of civic pride. Living in the "big apple" meant enjoying the benefits of a robust economy.

There is also a very popular theory involving a New York sportswritcr named John J. FitzGerald, who wrote primarily about horse racing during the 1920s. It is believed that horse races held in tracks surrounding New York City were called apples. “Apple” referred to the prize being awarded for each race. FitzGerald took a trip to a stable in New Orleans in 1920, ostensibly to sell one of his own horses. FitzGerald spoke with several jockeys while he was there, and they all referred to the New York City horse racing scene as the "Big Apple", or the ultimate goal of every horse trainer and jockey in the racing world. FitzGerald later named his regular newspaper column in “The New York Morning Telegraph”

"Notes from Around the Big Apple," most likely inspired by the words of the jockeys from New Orleans.

In FitzGerald’s honor (and due largely to the strenuous efforts of attorney- etymologist Barry Popiek, who, like the columnist, had migrated to NYC from upstate New York) a street sign reading “Big Apple Corner” was installed at Broadway and West 54th Street in 1997, near the hotel where FitzGerald died in poverty in 1963—although a location near the old Telegraph office might arguably have been a happier spot for it.

Another popular but largely unsubstantiated theory centers around the world of jazz music. Musicians during the Jazz Age were said to call paying gigs "apples", for reasons known only to themselves. By the 1920s, New York City had established itself as one of the premiere cities for jazz music, so it became the destination of many working jazz musicians. The ultimate gig for a musician was to play the "Big Apple," meaning a nightclub in New York City. New York City became a destination for other entertainers as well, which could explain why the nickname "The Big Apple" became so popular. For those with the talent and ambition to succeed in New York City, taking a bite out of the "Big Apple" wouldn't be such a bad goal.

(a plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at west 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem)

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