.The Big Apple.

So the question I ask myself is why is New York referred to as the Big Apple?

In the 1920's the term 'apple' was used in context of the race courses around New York, the 'apple' being the prize awarded to the winner. Continued use of the word apple in reference to NY lead to the term becoming more common, writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, John Fitzgerald referred to the NY races as to be 'around the big apple'.

1930 Jazz artists then started to use the term 'Big Apple' to describe New York City and the phrase grew further.

A 1971 campaign to increase tourism in NY adopted the phrase 'The Big Apple' on an effort to entice tourists to travel to the city, using it as bight and joyful way to reflect New York.

Since then the city has officially been the 'Big Apple'.