Wed, Sept 15 – Fast Food
by Dr. H - September 14th, 2021
Diner cooks (“short order” cooks) and waitstaff have a long tradition of slang to communicate about the food and the customers. Partly this is just fun and quirky to know about — but partly, it points to the existence of distinct American subcultures, and to the evolution of language in social contexts. In other words, it’s not just a curiosity … it’s something worth studying in its own right.
Maybe over a glass of muddy moo.
Here’s a couple of lists to explore:
Understanding Diner Lingo: 55 Phrases to Get You Started (Mental Floss)
Diner Lingo: How To Talk Like a Short-Order Cook (Connecticut Magazine)
A Quick Lesson in Essential Diner Lingo (LifeHacker)
Film clips:
A Short History of Diners (from Professor Hangen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItjUPHVv5uI
A renovated ’50s diner in Indiana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV5UTTRaChQ
Automat Memories (Horn and Hardart) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBsU0lzK5mk
Automat 2.0 – contactless dining in NJ, 2021 style https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/theyve-been-gone-for-20-years-but-now-automats-are-back-with-a-high-tech-twist/2852749/
“Two for a Penny,” Grapes of Wrath (1940)