The middle of nowhere (phrase)

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The middle of nowhere is a hyperbolic allusion to a place well outside the limits of significance or familiarity for the speaker.

One may talk of being lost in the middle of nowhere (being lost in some very remote place), or someone or something being in or coming from the middle of nowhere (implying insignificant or obscure origins).

Superficially similar but distinct phrases are "out of nowhere," meaning something quite unexpected, and "from nowhere," a pejorative suggesting inanity or worthlessness. Because of their similarity, these phrases are sometimes confused. All three may be Americanisms; the last is probably derived from the usage of a late-19th c. immigrant group, possibly,Yiddish speakers.

The longest Nowhere Rd. in North America is about three miles north of Athens, Georgia. A point equidistant from both ends of that road would be at N 34.01347, W 83.36611[1], literally the middle of Nowhere.

However, a location more appropriate to the allusion itself might be the location found in Apple's Classic OS. A feature of that program is the map control panel, which contains an entry for "Middle of Nowhere" or "mid" for short. Entering that brings into the view the spot on Earth at 56° S, 2° W [2].