DEAR ABBY: My aunt recently went to New York City and brought back a T-shirt for her 3-year-old grandson. She told him about the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, and she also told him that New York City is called "the Big Apple." He asked why. She said she didn't know and tried looking it up, but she couldn't find the answer. She even asked professors and college students, to no avail.
Abby, can you help? -- HER NIECE IN GLENDALE, ARIZ.
DEAR NIECE: I put that question to my readers in 1988. Here's a sample of the responses I received:
DEAR ABBY: The Bible tells us that the apple was forbidden fruit. (Remember, the serpent in the Garden of Eden dared Eve to eat the apple.) Well, from that time on, the apple signified temptation. And since New York City is the most tempting city in the world, the traveling men named New York City "the Big Apple." -- NORMAN IN NEWARK