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][2] 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.[3]
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,[3] but are helpful
mnemonic devices for
short-order cooks and staff.[2] Diner lingo was most popular in
diners and
luncheonettes from the 1920s to the 1970s.[4][2]
^Zenfell, M.E. (2000).
USA on the Road. Insight Guide United States: On the Road. Langenscheidt Publishers Incorporated. p. 208.
ISBN978-0-88729-369-6. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
^
abFlanagan, Mark (December 14, 2002).
"Barney's Gets New Lease on Life". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro, Massachusetts. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
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][2] 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.[3]
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,[3] but are helpful
mnemonic devices for
short-order cooks and staff.[2] Diner lingo was most popular in
diners and
luncheonettes from the 1920s to the 1970s.[4][2]
^Zenfell, M.E. (2000).
USA on the Road. Insight Guide United States: On the Road. Langenscheidt Publishers Incorporated. p. 208.
ISBN978-0-88729-369-6. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
^
abFlanagan, Mark (December 14, 2002).
"Barney's Gets New Lease on Life". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro, Massachusetts. Retrieved November 5, 2017.