Mixed Grill
A "mixed grill" is a dish of grilled or broiled meats and vegetables. "Mixed grill" is cited from at least 1904, in a London newspaper; the term is often identified as British…
Junk Food
"Junk food" became a popular term in the 1970s for the fast food and sweets in the American diet. New York magazine food critic Gael Greene frequently used "junk food" from at…
Chef Salad (Chef’s Salad)
Chef salad (or "chef's salad") is a tossed salad that contains lettuce, several vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and often cheese and meat (such as ham). Early recipes (from the 1930s)…
Chinese Popcorn (Sweet & Pungent Shrimp)
Chinese sweet and pungent shrimp is sometimes called "Chinese popcorn" because you can't eat just one, and once you start eating you can't stop until it's all gone.…
Duck Sauce (Chinese Duck Sauce)
"Duck sauce" is often served at American Chinese restaurants, accompanying noodles, egg rolls, chicken and spare ribs. "Duck sauce" was sold in bottles and packages to be sauce…
Egg Foo Young (Egg Foo Yung; Egg Fu Young; Egg Fu Yung)
"Egg foo young" (also "egg foo yung," "egg fu young," "egg fu yung" and many other spellings) is a Chinese omelette dish that has been served in New…
Mocktail (non-alcoholic cocktail)
A "mocktail" is a "mock cocktail" -- that is, a cocktail without the alcohol. Shirley Temples, Virgin Marys, and virgin-style Piña Coladas are three of the most popular…
Spinach and Artichoke Dip (with tortilla chips)
Both "artichoke dip" and "spinach dip" have been around since the 1960s, but "spinach and artichoke dip" (also "artichoke and spinach dip") took off in the…
“Eat crow”
"Eat crow!" means to suffer humiliation; the phrase is probably an American version of the English "to eat humble pie." "Can you eat crow?" is the title of a story…
Land and Sea (Land ‘N Sea)
"Land and Sea" (almost never written in the reverse as "Sea and Land") is a dish of meat and seafood -- usually filet mignon and lobster tails -- that is cited in print from at…
Beef and Reef (Reef and Beef)
"Beef and Reef" (or "Reef and Beef") is a restaurant dish featuring both meat and seafood. The term appeared in the 1960s, along with similar terms such as "Surf and…
Surf and Turf (Surf ‘n’ Turf)
"Surf and Turf” (or “Surf 'n' Turf") is a restaurant dish featuring both meat and seafood, often filet mignon and lobster tails. California's Del Mar racetrack…
Pully Bone or Pullybone (Pulley Bone or Pulleybone; Pulling Bone; Pull Bone)
The "pully bone" or "pullybone" (also "pulley bone" or "pullybone," "pulling bone" and "pull bone") is a forked bone, named using the…
Wishbone (Wish Bone; Wishing Bone)
The "wishbone (also "wish bone" or "wishing bone") is a forked bone, named using the Latin word forcula. The bone has been called "merrythought" in England since…
“Here’s how!” & “Here’s looking at you!” (drinking toast)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 1856 _Knickerbocker_ XLVII 404: "_Here's at you!_" And with these words, down went the fire-water with wonderful unanimity. 30 November 1881, Washington…
Boardinghouse Reach (Boarding House Reach)
"Boardinghouse reach" (also "boarding house reach") is when someone reaches across the dinner table for an item, rather than politely asking for it. In boarding houses in the…
Training Table
A training table is a table where athletes in training are provided meals. The term was popularly used in competitive rowing (especially between Harvard and Yale) in the 1870s and 1880s and is…
Wish Sandwich
A "wish sandwich" was explained in the song "Rubber Biscuit," originally by The Chips in 1956, but popularized by the Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) on the New…
FHB (Family Hold Back); MIK (More In the Kitchen)
The initials "FHB" stand for "family hold back." When guests (especially unexpected guests) were served dinner and there was not enough food to go around, the family members…
Meat and Three (Meat and Two)
"Meat and three" (or "meat 'n' three") is a restaurant that serves meat and three (usually vegetable) sides. The term has become popular in Nashville (TN), but many…