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)
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Entry from April 16, 2012
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad”

“Knowledge consists of knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom consists of not putting it in a fruit salad” wrote Miles Kington (1941-2008) in the March 28, 2003 The Independent (UK), continuing:
 
“Who was it who once said that knowledge consists of knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom consists of not putting it in a fruit salad? Well, it was me, actually. Thank you.”
 
The knowledge/wisdom tomatoes-not-in-fruit-salad quotation has become one of the most popular one-liners on the Internet.
   
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a salad. Philosophy is wondering if a Bloody Mary counts as a smoothie” is an extension of the saying. “Knowledge is knowing carrots are good for your eyes. Wisdom is knowing not to insert them directly” is a related saying.
 
“Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein is not the monster. Wisdom is knowing that Frankenstein is the monster” is another “knowledge/wisdom” saying.
   
   
Wikipedia: Miles Kington
Miles Beresford Kington (13 May 1941 – 30 January 2008) was a British journalist, musician (a double bass player for Instant Sunshine and other groups) and broadcaster.
(...)
A quotation frequently attributed to him is: “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that a tomato doesn’t belong in a fruit salad.”
   
Oneliner.net
TOP 100 funniest one-liners on the internet!
14. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 
 
HighBeam Research
HEADING FOR A STICKY END `Who was it who said knowledge consists of knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom consists of not putting it in a fruit salad?’
The Independent (London, England)
March 28, 2003 | Miles Kington
There are some very striking new stamps out this week from the Post Office. They show colour photos of 10 different fruit and veg, each dramatically outlined on a white background. The fruit include an apple, a strawberry, a pear and an orange. Oh, and a lemon. The vegetables comprise a potato, a Brussels sprout, an aubergine and a red pepper. Oh, and a tomato. Should do wonders for the British diet.
 
And it’s pretty democratic, being five of each, unless you are of the pedantic school of thought that insists that a tomato is a fruit. Who was it who once said that knowledge consists of knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom consists of not putting it in a fruit salad? Well, it was me, actually. Thank you.
   
Crosswalk.com
Universal Truths
Sunday, December 21, 2003
(...)
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad!!!!
 
Google Books
Management and Myths:
Challenging business fads, fallacies and fashions

By Adrian Furnham
New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan
2004
Pg. 158:
To quote Miles Kington, ‘Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting tomatoes in a fruit salad.’
     
Epic Character Builders Guild
MA Sword
Posted Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:09PM (GMT)
(...)
“Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
 
The Independent (UK)
Fond farewell to the genius of Miles Kington
By Andy McSmith Tuesday 12 February 2008
The difference between wisdom and knowledge, according to the late, great humorist writer Miles Kington, is that knowledge consists of knowing that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
   
The Guardian (UK)
O’Driscoll’s tomatoes keep analysts guessing
Do you know what the Ireland captain’s cryptic reference to Martin Johnson was about?

Posted by Lawrence Booth
Friday 27 February 2009 15.25 EST
(...)
Speaking this evening ahead of tomorrow’s Six Nations match against England at Croke Park, O’Driscoll was asked what it was like to have played with the England coach, Martin Johnson, during their time together with the British and Irish Lions, and now to be on opposing sides.
 
His reply? “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”
(...)
COMMENTS
nsoar72
28 February 2009 7:51AM
This isn’t even original. He didn’t come up with this like Cantana did his. This phrase has been used in conferences on management and son on for years. I first heard during a teacher training course in London. But in newsprint it was used 5 years ago by the wonderful and witty late Miles Kington in 2003. See : http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/miles-kington/heading-for-a-sticky-end-592574.html
 
22 August 2009, Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA), “Bishop’s Mantle” by Jim Bishop, Saturday Magazine, pg. E2, col. 2:
Knowledge is knowing thgt a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is never putting it in a fruit salad.
   
Des Moines (IA) Register
Further Reflections: What matters in life? Passionate teachers, for one
6:28 AM, Apr. 15, 2012
On March 6, the Drake University School of Education honored four of its graduates with outstanding alumni awards. Here is part of the speech given by Patricia Trump, one of the recipients.
 
On the wall next to my classroom door, I post inspirational quotations.
 
Some are clever, such as “Intelligence is knowing that the tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is not putting it in the fruit salad.”

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Monday, April 16, 2012 • Permalink


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