Hell's Half Acre
- proper noun
- Archaic
:
Hell's Half Acre
- In the late 19th century, Hell's Half Acre was infamous for its dangerous slums and vice activities.
Examples
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Midway Geyser Basin: Although called "Midway" because of its location between the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, this area was once known as "Hell's Half Acre."
Academic text (2009) -
Many stories about life in the bustling streets of Hell's Half Acre have become part of New York's history.
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Hell's Half Acre was notorious for its overcrowded tenements and the struggles of its residents.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The name combines 'hell' (a place of suffering) with 'half acre' (a small plot), so a learner who knows the words can infer a metaphorical meaning of a small, very bad or notorious area. However, as a fixed toponym with specific historical and geographic reference, the exact referent and nuance are not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Hell's Half Acre comes from a simple image: people compared one small part of town to Hell, calling it a Half Acre of trouble because it was full of crime, poverty, and bad housing. That's why the name was used for the Manhattan district to mean 'a very bad, dangerous part of the city'.
