This article will address the topic of Diner lingo , which has been the subject of interest and study over the years. Diner lingo is a concept that has impacted different areas of daily life, from politics to technology, culture and society in general. Throughout history, Diner lingo has played a critical role in shaping our perceptions and decision making. Through a detailed analysis, this article aims to explore the different facets of Diner lingo and its influence in today's world, thus providing a broader and more complete vision of this highly relevant topic.
Type of slang
Salem Diner in Salem, Massachusetts, US
Diner lingo is a kind of American verbal slang used by cooks and chefs in diners and diner-style restaurants, and by the wait staff to communicate their orders to the cooks. Usage of terms with similar meaning, propagated by oral culture within each establishment, may vary by region or even among restaurants in the same locale.
History
The origin of the lingo is unknown, but there is evidence suggesting it may have been used by waiters as early as the 1870s and 1880s. Many of the terms used are lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek and some are a bit racy or ribald , but are helpful mnemonic devices for short-order cooks and staff. Diner lingo was most popular in diners and luncheonettes from the 1920s to the 1970s.
List of terms
"Adam and Eve on a raft" – two poached eggs on toast
"Take a chance" – corned beef hash
86 – omit from an order; "hold"
Adam and Eve on a raft – two poached eggs atop toast
Adam's ale – water
Angels on horseback – oysters wrapped in bacon
Axle grease – butter or margarine
B&B – bread and butter
Baled hay – shredded wheat
Bad breath – onions
Bark – frankfurter
Battle Creek in a bowl – bowl of corn flakes cereal
Belly warmer – coffee
BLT – bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich
Biddy board – French toast
Blue plate special – a discount-priced meal that usually changes daily
Blowout patches – pancakes
Board – slice of toast
Boiled leaves – hot tea
Bowl of red – chili con carne
Bow wow – hot dog
Brick – biscuit
Bridge/Bridge party – four of anything
Bronx vanilla – garlic; originated in the 1920s.
Bullets – beans
Burn it – well done
Burn the British – toasted English muffin
Cackleberries – eggs
Cats' eyes – tapioca pudding
Checkerboard – waffle
City juice – water
Coffee high and dry – black coffee (no cream or sugar)
Cowboy with spurs – western omelette with fries
Cow paste – butter
Dead eye – poached egg
Deluxe – varies from restaurant to restaurant, generally refers to "all the toppings"
Dragged through the garden - serve with a large variety of toppings and condiments (usually vegetables).
Dogs and maggots – crackers and cheese
Drown the kids – boiled eggs
Echo – repeat of the last order
Eve with a lid – apple pie
Fish eyes – tapioca pudding
Foreign entanglements – spaghetti
Greasy spoon – slang term for a diner
Guess water – soup
Hemorrhage – ketchup
Hockey puck – a well-done burger
Halitosis – garlic ; originated in the 1920s.
Hot blond in sand – coffee with cream and sugar
Hot top – hot chocolate or chocolate sauce
Houseboat – banana split
In the alley – served as a side dish
In the weeds – overwhelmed
Irish cherries – carrots
Italian perfume – garlic; originated in the 1920s.
Jamoka – coffee
Java – coffee
Jayne Mansfield – tall stack of pancakes
Jewish round – bagel
Joe – coffee
Life preserver – doughnut
Looseners – prunes
Lumber – a toothpick
Machine oil – syrup
Maiden's delight – cherries
Make it cry – add onion
Moo juice – milk
Mug of murk – black coffee
Mully – beef stew
Nervous pudding – Jell-O
O'Connors – potatoes
On a raft – Texas toast in place of buns
On the hoof – cooked rare (for any kind of meat)
Punk – bread
Put wheels on it – carry-out order; to go
Rabbit food – lettuce
Radio sandwich – tuna fish sandwich
Ripper – a deep fried hot dog
Rush it – Russian dressing
Sand – sugar
Shingles with a shimmy and a shake – buttered toast with jam
Shit on a shingle – chipped beef and milk gravy served on toast
Sinker – doughnut
Skid grease – butter
Squeal – ham
Sunny side up – a fried egg cooked on one side
Sweepings – hash
Take a chance – hash
Tube steak – hot dog
Two dots and a dash – two fried eggs and a strip of bacon
Wet mystery – beef stew
Whiskey down – rye toast
With the works – with everything on it (for a sandwich)
Wreck 'em – scrambled eggs
Yard bird – chicken
Yum yum – sugar
See also
References
^ Chu, K.; Felton, C.; Nelson, D.; Kohler, C. (2016). Good Job, Brain!: Trivia, Quizzes and More Fun From the Popular Pub Quiz Podcast . Ulysses Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-61243-625-8 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b c d e Grimes, W. (2004). Eating Your Words: 2000 Words to Tease Your Taste Buds . Oxford University Press , USA. pp. 209–210. ISBN 978-0-19-517406-9 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g h i Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2011). Lexicon of Real American Food . Lyons Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7627-6830-1 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b Albala, K. (2015). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Food Issues . SAGE Publications. p. 364. ISBN 978-1-4522-4301-6 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b Allan, Patrick (September 29, 2017). "A Quick Lesson in Essential Diner Lingo" . Lifehacker . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b Reinstein, T. (2013). New England Notebook: One Reporter, Six States, Uncommon Stories . Globe Pequot Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-7627-9538-3 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Kolpas, N. (2005). Practically Useless Information on Food and Drink . Thomas Nelson. pp. 92–94. ISBN 978-1-4185-5389-0 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ 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 aa ab Smith, A. (2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America . The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. p. 2-PA269. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Leykam, Garrison; Classic Diners of Connecticut ; History Press Library Editions; Charleston, South Carolina: 2013.
^ Mercuri, B. (2009). American Sandwich . Gibbs Smith. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-4236-1192-9 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Zenfell, M.E. (2000). USA on the Road . Insight Guide United States: On the Road. Langenscheidt Publishers Incorporated. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-88729-369-6 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b Flanagan, Mark (December 14, 2002). "Barney's Gets New Lease on Life" . The Sun Chronicle . Attleboro, Massachusetts. Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Stern, J.; Stern, M.; Levkulic, T.; Levkulic, J. (2004). The Famous Dutch Kitchen Restaurant Cookbook . Thomas Nelson. p. 215. ISBN 978-1-4185-3987-0 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Dolgopolov, Y. (2016). A Dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations . McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-7864-5995-7 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Partridge, E. (2015). A Dictionary of the Underworld: British and American . Routledge Revivals: The Selected Works of Eric Partridge. Taylor & Francis. pp. pt760-761. ISBN 978-1-317-44552-4 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Ward, Maggie (20 December 2018). "Common Diner Lingo Phrases and Their Meanings" . tasteofhome.com . Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ "Kitchen Slang 101: How to Talk Like a Real-Life Line Cook" .
^ Horberry, R. (2010). Sounds Good on Paper: How to Bring Business Language to Life . A&C Black. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4081-2231-0 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ DinerLingo.com – Jayne Mansfield
^ Why coffee is called "joe"
^ a b Witzel, M.K. (2006). The American Diner . MBI classics. MBI Publishing Company LLC. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7603-2434-9 . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ a b Leykam, Garrison (June 1, 2017). "Diner Lingo: How to Talk Like a Short Order Cook" . Connecticut Magazine . Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^
Soniak, Matt (September 20, 2012). "Understanding Diner Lingo: 55 Phrases To Get You Started" . Mentalfloss.com .
Further reading