'The Tiffany Effect': False anachronisms

[CalMeacham]

@Exapno_Mapcase

I did see that the Sloppy Joe by that name dates to 1961. That was a type of poor man’s special meal, usually broken up ground beef (often called loose meat, which is giggity on its own) with a heavy sauce that dripped through and past the bun and spotted your shirt. Those were a big deal in the 60s. (Manwich made a canned sauce starting in 1969. “A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal.”) Kids loved them, as much for the mess they made as the good-tasting sauce. Wouldn’t be surprised if that gave birth to lots of other uses.

It’s been asserted that the Sloppy Joe owes its name to the bar SLoppy Joe’s. I thought it was the one in Key West (opened in 1933 under that name), but apparently it probably comes from the one in Havana Cuba (like the one in Key West, freqynted by Hemingway). This web page makes a strong case:

Sloppy Joe : the Truth Behind its Origins

In any event, Google N-gram Viewer has Slopy Joe sporadically showing up earlier, but really starting circa 1920.