# New Yorkers, We MUST Tour THIS Cemetery!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 25, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484 "2003-05-25T23:58:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/21 "2003-05-27T03:00:38Z")
**Zebra** , the Woodlawn (last) stop of the 4 train is about a hundred yards from the main gate. No problem at all.
I would be so up for this. In fact, I happen to live in Woodlawn, the neighborhood, which is wedged between Yonkers, the Major Deegan, and the Bronx River Parkway. It’s a pretty little enclave but believe me, all the interesting people in the neighborhood are in the cemetery.
I have a bunch of digital pictures I took during the Clive Fitch expedition of three weeks ago–anybody want to host them? I have Berlin, Antoinette Perry of the Tonys, Olive Thomas, and she even opened Cohan’s mausoleum to show us the lovely stained-glass windows! All I would ask is that they not be searchable with the words grave or tombstones or like that in case of vandals searching for booty.
And oh yeah, I’m up for a Doper grave crawl. We can exit out the Webster Avenue gate and get some nice grub on Katonah Avenue.
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/22 "2003-05-27T03:10:10Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Eve \*
> **Did you miss all my addle-pated “Help! I Don’t Know What the Hell I’m Doing!” computer threads in GQ?**
Of course I did. I didn’t lurk before I started posting here and I didn’t lurk during the time I was away, but I’m just an email away.
(pouting)
---
### Author:  [@BigDadDogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDadDogg)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/23 "2003-05-27T03:14:50Z")
Hey Eve…Wish I could join you for your Woodlawn tour, but it’s kind of hard to get there from here…🙂
Woodlawn is great! Most of my family are buried there and my brother and I used to love to wander around looking for famous folks graves. Guess you’re not the only ghoul on here…LOL
Some of the other famous residents of Woodlawn:
George M. Cohan
Bat Masterson
Vernon & Irene Castle
and about 90% of the old time Mafioso!
I don’t remember if they give tours or not, but here’s a link you might not know of:
[Find A Grave](http://www.findagrave.com)
It’s got listings of both the famous and not so famous in Woodlawn and a bunch of other cemeteries around the world…with pictures!
Some of the sites give the locations within the cemetery and, in some cases, GPS coordinates (isn’t it wonderful what we can do with modern technology? :D)
Anyway…have fun there, it’s a really interesting place.
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/24 "2003-05-27T13:24:00Z")
Oh, I have findagrave _bookmarked_, **Dogg**! Love that site.
I will get in touch with Woodlawn and see if they do indeed give tours, and if they can send me one of their maps—then we’ll arrange another Doper Grave-Crawl, sometime this summer. The weekends of July 19, and Aug. 23 & 30 are out for me, but I can clear my calendar otherwise.
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/25 "2003-05-27T13:28:52Z")
OK, just talked to them . . . There are indeed four tours in June, and they are sending me a tour list and a map. One of them is called “Beautiful Women of Woodlawn,” which sounds promising. I’ll start a new thread when I get details.
---
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/26 "2003-05-27T13:46:00Z")
I smell a book.
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/27 "2003-05-27T13:55:06Z")
. . . Are you insinuating that my books _stink?_
---
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/28 "2003-05-27T14:38:09Z")
Au cointrair, mon petit shue (which I’m certain is spelled incorrectly). But it sure would be interesting. Kind of like Spoon River Anthology, but with a Big City twist! I just sort of figured you were in the planning stages. Either for a book, or something…much darker…much more sinister. Was I close?
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/29 "2003-05-27T14:42:36Z")
Well, I am spinning helplessly between three or four possible subjects for the next book . . . Depends on whom I can get enough research material out of; and whose family will cooperate. I’m all at sixes and sevens.
---
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/30 "2003-05-27T14:44:16Z")
I’m all at sixes and sevens.
Now I’m a big fan of slang, and I’ve never heard this one before. Can you explain it so I don’t use it incorrectly? It’s a beaut!
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/31 "2003-05-27T15:02:24Z")
It means all a-twitter; dizzing out; undecided to the point of getting the vapors.
---
### Author:  [@lovelyluka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelyluka)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/32 "2003-05-27T15:03:56Z")
I perused the Woodlawn Find a Grave website and came up with this.
> [@](#):
>
> Millet, Geoffrey Spencer. b. February 15, 1894 d. February 15, 1909. He died on his birthday by falling on an ink eraser evading six young woman trying to give him a birthday kiss in offices of the Metropolitan Life Building.
Now that’s notable.
---
### Author:  [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/33 "2003-05-27T15:04:44Z")
[Phrase origin](http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-six1.htm).
> [@](#):
>
> From Robin R Lynch: “Any idea where the phrase at sixes and sevens came from, and what it really means?”
>
> It’s one of the more ancient expressions in the language, being recorded in the fourteenth century. There are various theories about its origin, but the most probable is that it arose out of an old game of dice called hazard, one in which one’s chances of winning were complicated by a set of rather arbitrary rules.
>
> It is thought that the expression was originally to set on cinque and sice (from the French numerals, “five” and “six”). These were apparently the most risky numbers to shoot for (“to set on”) and anyone who tried for them was considered careless or confused. Later, the number words shifted to their modern values, perhaps because the link with the game (and the original French words) had by then been severed, or perhaps it was a joke, as seven is an impossible number to throw with one die. The change may also be linked to the sum of the new numbers being thirteen, always considered unlucky. Its modern sense is simply “to be confused”.
---
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/34 "2003-05-27T15:07:19Z")
Ain’t that somethin’? Thanks youze guys!
---
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/35 "2003-05-27T15:08:38Z")
Oh. And I LOVE “the vapors”! My sister-in-law and I pretend to get them at the race track whilst sipping on Mint Juleps.
---
### Author:  [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/36 "2003-05-27T15:43:52Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \*
> \*\*In fact, I happen to live in Woodlawn, the neighborhood, which is wedged between Yonkers, the Major Deegan, and the Bronx River Parkway. It’s a pretty little enclave but believe me, all the interesting people in the neighborhood are in the cemetery.
>
> \
>
> And oh yeah, I’m up for a Doper grave crawl. We can exit out the Webster Avenue gate and get some nice grub on Katonah Avenue. \*\*
Okay, this is weird. I don’t normally stop here in MPSIMS, but now that I have I find not only a thread about my neighborhood cemetery but also a neighbor! 😃 Where are you, **Mehitabel**? I’m on 237th between Martha and Vireo.
I’m not sure what my June schedule will be like but I would love to join in. BTW, for the apres-tour, Colleen’s isn’t a bad place to stop in… haven’t tried Rambling House yet, but if it’s the same deal as Rory Dolan’s on McLean Ave (same owner after all) it should be fine too.
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/37 "2003-05-27T16:04:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by sunfish \*
> **Where are you, Mehitabel?**
Anybody else feel like they just fell into a Don Marquis story? Is there anyplace else on the internet where I can ask that with the expectation that somebdy will get it?
---
### Author:  [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/38 "2003-06-14T12:15:55Z")
bump
I am so there.Used to live in Woodlawn section of Da Bronx
and spent
many hours in the cemetery-Loved the place.
Count me and friend in
CWN
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/39 "2003-06-14T13:34:13Z")
I’m still trying to reach the right person there to get the summer tour schedule (they sent me the spring one). I’ll call again on Monday.
---
### Author:  [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484/40 "2003-06-14T13:45:37Z")
I’m certainly game for another bone orchard jaunt if we put one together. Huzzah for tombstones and the like!
[sub][sup](Actually, I’m not coming unless there’s someone whose throat has been slit from rear to rear.)[/sub][/sup]
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484.md?page=1)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorkers-we-must-tour-this-cemetery/177484.md?page=3)