Tin-pan Alley
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The district of New York City where popular music is published. The phrase is often used gencrically of the com- posers of this type of music.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tin-pan Alley” mean?
The district of New York City where popular music is published. The phrase is often used gencrically of the com- posers of this type of music.
Is “Tin-pan Alley” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.