The story is not very clear. It so appears that John FitzGerald in an article in the New York Morning Telegraph (1921) used the term “Big apple” in “public” for the very first time. The columnist borrowed the expression from stable boys in New Orleans. The New York race courses were so famous that working there was a rewarding experience which they compared to a big apple! Subsequently, jazz musicians used the expression “Big Apple” to refer to their city (and especially Harlem). Big Apple was also a jazz club in Harlem, and a dance that gained popularity in all of United States. It is said that jazzmen referred to a contract as an “apple”. When they were hired to play in New York, they said they bagged the big apple… Lastly, « Big Apple » won the hearts of the people thanks to an (...)