ShowFood and Meals

Words, phrases, expressions, idioms, and other linguistic and dialect features from the world of food, drink, meals, dining, recipes, in English and the world’s languages.

The Waiters’ Cup Code

In the late 1800s, waitresses at the Harvey House chain of restaurants at railroad stops across the American West employed a cup code. One server would ask customers about their preferred beverages, then briskly arrange their cups on the table...

Too Much Sugar for a Dime

Tammy in Atlanta, Georgia, says her father-in-law often uses the expression That’s too much sugar for a dime, suggesting that something is more trouble than it’s worth. Variations include too much sugar for a cent, too much sugar for a...

Enough for Coxey’s Army

If you have enough for Coxey’s army, you have heaping helpings of it. The phrase goes back to the 1890s, when the United States was in the midst of an economic depression. Activist Jacob Coxey led a ragtag group of hungry protesters across the...