Results: Diner Dialogue
Published on 08/31/2015
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*MentalFloss*Diner lingo is said to have roots in the 1850s, but didn't gain much traction until it permeated the popular luncheonettes during the next century. Things like "BLT," "mayo," and eggs "over easy" all originated as shorthand calls to the cook before worming their way into casual conversations. Which of the following are you aware of, even a general feeling of?
1. Whiskey Down: Rye Toast “Rye” and “white” sounded too similar when yelled over the din of a loud, crowded diner, so waitresses started swapping out “whiskey” for “rye” (since there’s a type of whiskey called rye).
5%
78 votes
2. First Lady: Spare Ribs This one isn’t a presidential reference, but rather a biblical one. The literal first lady was Eve, who (according to Genesis) was said to have been created from Adam’s spare rib
6%
90 votes
3. Adam and Eve: Poached Eggs (With Assorted Sides) Adam makes an appearance with the popular Eve as stand-ins for a pair of poached eggs. You can order them “on a log” (with sausage), “on a raft” (with toast)
8%
119 votes
4. Eve With a Lid On: Apple Pie In this all-American dessert, Eve refers to the apple. The “lid” is the crust.
3%
40 votes
5. S.O.S.: Minced Dried Beef with Gravy on Toast The dish originally took its nickname from military lexicon because it was common in base mess halls.
14%
205 votes
6. Radio: Tuna Salad on Toast We’ve already learned that “down” means “toast,” so it follows that the original slang for a tuna sandwich was a “tuna down.”
2%
33 votes
7. Drag One Through Georgia: Coca-Cola with Chocolate Syrup This sticky-sweet diner classic gets its name from Coca-Cola headquarters’ home in Atlanta, Georgia (an “Atlanta special” is just regular Coke)
2%
30 votes
8. Battle Creek in a Bowl: Corn Flakes This one is also a reference to company headquarters—this time the Kellogg Company, which is based in Battle Creek, Michigan.
4%
53 votes
9. Jack: Grilled Cheese A “Grilled American Cheese” is a GAC—pronounced and often written as Jack. Add bacon and it becomes a Jack Benny, after the famed comedian and radio host.
3%
52 votes
10. Pittsburgh: Toast or Char Sorry, Yinzers, this is likely an unflattering reference to the smokestack-filled skyline of Pittsburgh in the mid-20th century.
1%
18 votes
11. 86: To Remove or Run Out of An Item This one has a few proposed origin stories. These include: a reference to Article 86 of the New York State Liquor Code, which defines the circumstances under which a patron should be refused alcohol
10%
147 votes
12. Bridge: Four of Anything This stems from the fact that the card game, bridge, requires four players.
2%
24 votes
13. Stretch: Large Coke Back when sodas were made on diner premises by combining syrup with carbonated water, soda jerks would try to “stretch” a little bit of syrup as long as possible to flavor the large drink.
1%
17 votes
14. Noah’s Boy on Bread: Ham Sandwich Another biblical reference, this time to one of the ark-builder’s sons, Ham.
1%
21 votes
15. Why Bother: Decaffeinated Coffee with Non-Fat Milk Fairly self-explanatory, no?
2%
27 votes
All of the above
4%
58 votes
N.A- None
62%
932 votes
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