Regionalisms abound in American English, but you might find the most differences as you eat and drink your way across the country. The term for a fizzy soft drink isn’t the same in Massachusetts as it is in Indiana, and you may not even recognize some of the food names in Louisiana.
What’s an "awful awful"? Is there a difference between "stuffing" and "dressing"? And what is a "po’boy"? We’ll answer all these questions and more as we explore regional food terms across the United States.
Bread's Beginning and End
What do you call the two ends of a loaf of bread that few people eat? Many people in the U.S. say that's the "heel," while others call the pieces the "crust." But you can’t leave out the tiny percentage in the Northeast who say it’s the "schpitzel," or those in Louisiana who have dubbed it the "nose."
Stuffed or Dressed?
For Northerners, "stuffing" and "dressing" are distinct entities. "Dressing" is a liquid you put on salad, whereas "stuffing" is a side of bread and seasoning that you have at Thanksgiving dinner.
Southerners say that "dressing" and "stuffing" are the same food item, but "stuffing" is, well, stuffed inside the turkey.
A Fizzy Debate
On the East and West Coasts, a fizzy soft drink is called a "soda." However, sandwiched between those two regions are the "pops" and "cokes" of the country. It doesn’t matter that "Coke" is also a brand name or that "pop" is what some people call their dad. In the Midwest, you’d ask for a "pop," and in the South, when you ask for a "coke," the answer will be, “What kind?”
A Sandwich by Many Names
Perhaps one of the hottest linguistic arguments in the food world is the name of a cold sandwich packed full of meat, cheese, and veggies. While three-quarters of the country refer to it as a "sub" or "submarine sandwich," the Northeast and Louisiana are once again different.
From Maine to Pennsylvania, you might hear someone order a "grinder," a "hoagie," or a "hero." They’re all the same thing, but they’re named based on how they’re eaten, where they’re made, and who can eat them. And in Louisiana? The sandwich you'll hear ordered often is a "po'boy."
An Awful Lot of Names
You might think of a cold, creamy, and sweet drink as a "milkshake." But if you head up to Massachusetts, you’ll hear it called a "frappe." That might sound weird, but you haven’t visited Rhode Island. There, it’s a "cabinet" or, even more perplexing, an "awful awful." That last one comes from Newport Creamery’s slogan — "Awful Big! Awful Good!"
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