SOS (sauce on the side)

"SOS" is a famous distress signal. In restaurant lingo, "SOS" means "sauce on the side" -- that is, sauce on the side of the plate and not directly on top of the food.…

Soul Food

The term "soul food" is used in Harlem, but it is not clear where the term originated. "Soul food" is cited in print from at least 1960. Wikipedia: Soul foodSoul food is an…

Soup Jockey (waiter or waitress)

A "soup jockey" is restaurant slang for a waiter or waitress. "Soup jockey" appears to have first been used in railroad dining cars to refer to a cook -- not a waiter or…

Soup Sandwich

The term "as sloppy as a soup sandwich" was printed in the Daily News (New York, NY) on January 28, 1977. "Sloppy as a soup sandwich" was entered in the "Canonical List of…

Soup-and-Fish (a dinner suit)

"Soup and fish" was a traditional first course in the formal dinners of the 19th century. "Soup and fish" (also "soup-and-fish") also became a nickname for a…

Space Cake (containing cannabis)

A "space cake" contains cannabis as an ingredient. The name "space" is from the term "spaced-out." Space cakes have been popular in the Netherlands, where these cakes…

Spaghetti Tetrazzini

Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1940) was an Italian lyric coloratura soprano who had an enormous popularity in America from the 1900s-1920s. Several dishes were named after her, including: . Turkey…

Spicedictive (spice + addictive)

Sonic drive-in restaurants introduced spicy chicken sandwiches in October 2013. Sonic's commercials said that the sandwich was "spicedictive" (spice + addictive). Wikipedia: Sonic…

Spit-take

Danny Thomas (of television's Make Room for Daddy, or The Danny Thomas Show, from 1953-1964) is credited for either inventing or popularizing the "spit-take." He would take a drink…

SPK (salt, pepper, ketchup)

"SPK" stands for "salt, pepper and ketchup." The SPK combination is popular at restaurants and delis, where it is served on cheesesteaks and many egg dishes and sandwiches.…