meat-and-three
n.— «Meat-and-three is simply what people call a lunch of one meat and a choice of three vegetables. Meat and three, you got it. Over the years, mom-and-pop cafes were known for this simple, special food. While fast-food establishments have taken some share of this market, you’ll still hear people who treasure the memory and want to keep meat-and-three going as long as lunch is a part of everyday life.» —“The Back Nine features favorite meat-and-three” by Jo Ellen O’Hara Birmingham News (Ala.) Mar. 10, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
You may have a favorite word in English, but what about your favorite in another language? The Spanish term ojalá is especially handy for expressing hopefulness and derives from Arabic for “God willing.” In Trinidad, if you want to ask...
To me, “meat-and-three” refers not to the meal (which could be dinner as well as lunch), but to the restaurant where such meals are served. Similar to “blue-plate” to mean a restaurant or diner that offers blue plate specials.