Belly Bomb or Belly Bomber (White Castle hamburger nickname)
White Castle’s hamburgers have been unofficially called “belly bombers” (or “belly bombs”) since at least 1982 because of what the hamburgers supposedly do to the human digestive system. Other nicknames for White Castle hamburgers include the unofficial “rectum rocket” and “whitey one-bite” and the trademarked “slider/slyder.”
Wikipedia: White Castle (restaurant)
White Castle is an American regional fast-food hamburger restaurant chain in the Eastern United States, and the first of its kind in the US. It is known for its small, square hamburgers. Sometimes referred to as “sliders”, the burgers were priced at five cents until the 1940s, and remained at ten cents for years thereafter while the burgers became smaller. For several years, when the original burgers sold for five cents, White Castle periodically ran promotional ads in local newspapers which contained coupons offering five burgers for ten cents, takeout only.
Urban Dictionary
belly bomber
What St. Louisans affectionately call a White Castle hamburger. Also known as sliders or rectum wreckers.
We went to Whitey’s and got a sack of belly bombers around four in the morning.
by Woody Thomas Jan 7, 2006
Google News Archive
14 May 1982, St. Joseph (MO) Gazette, “...and hold the mayo,” pg. B1, col. 1:
ST. LOUS (AP)—“One hundred and four thousand hamburgers, pickle on the side—to go.”
Quite an order. But when the time came Thursday, the 6-1/2 tons of hamburgers were loaded aboard a refrigerated truck at the White Castle regional headquarters and sent on their way to Fountain Hills, Ariz.
(...)
Mrs. K. C. Evans, who made the purchase, said the hamburgers, known affectionately in areas where they are sold as “belly-bombers” and “Whitey one-bites,” are in great demand among people who have lived in the East and Midwest.
Google News Archive
19 May 1982, Bryan (OH) Times, “White Castle hamburgers inspire following” by Tim Bryant (UPI), pg. 2, col. 2:
In Chicago, White Castle burgers are called “whitey one-bites.” St. Louisans call them “belly bombers” or sliders.”
19 June 1985,
(Fort Lauderdale, FL), “True taste of Buffalo available for night” by Diane Lade, pg. 8NS:
During the past two years, similar operations have imported the Midwest’s White Castle hamburgers (also known as sliders or belly bombs).
Google Groups: rec.humor
Newsgroups: rec.humor
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (George Goble)
Date: Sun, 1 May 1994 12:47:14 GMT
Local: Sun, May 1 1994 7:47 am
Subject: Re: Rectum Joke (White Castle Hamburgers)
In Lafayette, In, White Castle Hamburgers are often called “RECTUM ROCKETS”... They were even called that on the air by a local DJ (Rick Mummy then at WKHY).. Also called “sliders” or “gut bombs”.. 5 or 6 years ago, the Lafayette White Castle opened, the Purdue Exponet reported the sales of 22,000 “sliders” on the first day of business.
—ghg
Google Groups: ne.food
Newsgroups: ne.food
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Jerry Natowitz)
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 1994 10:30:35 GMT
Local: Thurs, Aug 18 1994 5:30 am
Subject: Re: White Castle Belly Bombers?
There are a few unusual features to White Castles (aka Whitey Castels aka Porceline Palace):
1) The patties are square and have holes in them to cook evenly - hence the additional nick-name of “Little Square Sewer Lids”
2) Despite being made from lean beef, they are still hard to digest, so there are a few more nick-names: Tummy Torpedos, Duodenal Depth-charges, and Rectal Rockets.
Google Groups: misc.writing
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Dick Harper)
Date: 1997/04/26
Subject: Re: I can slide.
Hound eloquently barked in misc.writing
> [snip] “Sliders” are white castle hamburgers. You can
> only get them one way (none of this namby-pamby “special sauce” garbage).
> They are called “sliders” because of the interesting results they have on
> your lower intestinal tract. Once you’ve eaten them, you’ll never forget
> it.
We always called ‘em White Castle “Cramps” for exactly the same reason.
—Dick
(Please note pleasantly I didn’t dredge up the rectum rocket, jelly belly, or belly bomb sobriquets)
Google Books
The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures:
1001 things you hate to love
By Sam Stall, Lou Harry and Julia Spalding
Philadelphia, PA: Quirk
2004
Pg. 305:
He must have had bowels of iron, because Slyders (also known as “Belly Bombers” and “Rectum Rockets”) are famous for their laxative effects.
Serious Eats
Food Nicknames
Posted by smallkitchen, October 31, 2009 at 8:40 AM
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COMMENTS
white castle hamburgers were always known as rectum rockets!
pooch at 2:01PM on 11/02/09
Where I come from White Castle burgers were always known as “belly bombs”....
onepercent99 at 2:26PM on 11/02/09