Many authors seem to have been beset by second-city syndrome, and the most entertaining bits today are those in which they spoof their own anxieties about Chicago's rough-and-tumble reputation.
Ocean Beach's rough-and-tumble reputation also comes from the trillions of gallons of water that flood in and out of San Francisco Bay each day, creating tides that can carry surfers hundreds of yards north or south in a matter of minutes.
Sands quit Standard Chartered last year after rising bad debts caused profits to tumble, damaging a reputation built up when the emerging markets bank came through the financial crisis relatively unscathed.
His book has stoked controversy for several centuries, but when a 19th-century Danish geographer branded Zen the Younger an out-and-out liar, his reputation tumbled into long decline.
Hoffman, 65, who leads tours of Chicago's stunning architecture, said: "The city has a reputation for political rough and tumble and he is in the mould of its colourful and aggressive politicians".
As he worked his way up through Zambia's rough and tumble political scene, he quickly gained a reputation for abrasiveness.
That reputation was hardly a disadvantage in Chicago where rough and tumble politics are the norm.
Record after record have tumbled to confirm its reputation as one of the fastest tracks in the world.
European banks could tumble.
