A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

Recent entries:
“Instead of ‘British Summer Time’ and ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ we should just call them ‘Oven Clock Correct Time’...” (3/28)
“Has anyone here ever drank a pint of tequila? I know it’s a long shot” (3/28)
“A pint of tequila? That’s a long shot” (3/28)
“The U.S. should add three more states. Because 53 is a prime number. Then they can truly be one nation, indivisible” (3/28)
“My love for the truth outweighs my fear of offending you” (3/28)
More new entries...

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


Entry from March 04, 2005
Mistake on the Lake
"Best Location in the Nation" was soon ridiculed with "Mistake by/on the Lake." This nickname was popular in CB slang in the 1970s, during Cleveland's fiscal crisis.

These 1960s citations seem to indicate earlier use, but I haven't found that yet.

5 November 1967, New York Times, pg. SM16:
Cleveland used to kid itself into believing its slogan, "Best Location in the Nation." Negroes preferred "Mistake on the Lake.

22 October 1968, New York Times, pg. 1:
Cleveland, that ethnically Balkanized "mistake by the lake" that elected a Negro Mayor last year, produced the largest Negro insurrection (as opposed to riot) in recent history.

Posted by Barry Popik
Big Plum, Mistake On The Lake (Cleveland nicknames) • Friday, March 04, 2005 • Permalink


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.