Diner lingo — BrandWiki
BrandWiki / Diner lingo 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. [1] 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. Some of the terms are pre-existing slang, such as " Adam's ale " for water. Diner lingo was most popular in diners and luncheonettes from the 1920s to the 1970s.
List of terms 86 – omit from an order; "hold" [2] Adam and Eve on a raft – two poached eggs atop toast [3] Adam's ale – water Angels on horseback – oysters wrapped in bacon Axle grease – butter or margarine B&B – bread and butter [4] Baled hay – shredded wheat Bad breath – onions Bark – frankfurter See also List of restaurant terminology Battle Creek in a bowl – bowl of corn flakes cereal; Battle Creek, Michigan is the birthplace of breakfast cereal [4]
Belly warmer – coffee BLT – bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich [5] Biddy board – French toast; [4] "biddy" was a slang term for hens [6]
Blue plate special – a discount-priced meal that usually changes daily Blowout patches – pancakes [4]
Board – slice of toast Boiled leaves – hot tea [7] Bowl of red – chili con carne [4]
Bow wow – hot dog
Brick – biscuit Bridge /Bridge party – four of anything [4]
Bullets – beans Burn the British – toasted English muffin [4] Cats' eyes – tapioca pudding [9]
City juice – water (because water is supplied by the city) Coffee high and dry – black coffee (no cream or sugar) [4]
Cow paste – butter
Dead eye – poached egg
Dogs and maggots – crackers and cheese Drown the kids – boiled eggs [4] Echo – repeat of the last order [4] Eve with a lid – apple pie , alluding to the forbidden fruit [10] Fish eyes – tapioca pudding [11] Foreign entanglements – spaghetti [4]
Hockey puck – a well-done burger
Halitosis – garlic ; originated in the 1920s. Hot blond in sand – coffee with cream and sugar [4]
Hot top – hot chocolate or chocolate sauce Houseboat – banana split [12] In the alley – served as a side dish [4] In the weeds – overwhelmed [13]
Irish cherries – carrots
Jamoka – coffee (blend of java and mocha )
Java – coffee Jayne Mansfield – tall stack of pancakes [14]
Life preserver – doughnut
Looseners – prunes
Lumber – a toothpick
Maiden's delight – cherries
Make it cry – add onion
Moo juice – milk
Mug of murk – black coffee Mully – beef stew , from " mulligatawny " more likely from Milligan Stew from the US depression era [16]
O'Connors – potatoes, alluding to their association with Ireland On the hoof – cooked rare (for any kind of meat) [17]
Punk – bread Put wheels on it – carry-out order; to go [8]
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 [18]
Shit on a shingle (S.O.S.) – 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 [2]
Wet mystery – beef stew
Whiskey down – rye toast With the works – with everything on it (for a sandwich) [17] Wreck 'em – scrambled eggs [3]
Yard bird – chicken
Yum yum – sugar Globe Pequot Press, 2013, retrieved November 5, 2017
4. Leykam, Garrison; Classic Diners of Connecticut; History Press Library Editions; Charleston, South Carolina: 2013. ^ 7. M.E. Zenfell. USA on the Road Langenscheidt Publishers Incorporated, 2000, retrieved November 5, 2017 ^ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulligan_stew ^ 24. M.K. Witzel. The American Diner MBI Publishing Company LLC, 2006, retrieved November 5, 2017 ^ 