Larry in Irvington, New York, is curious about local names for what’s sometimes called a submarine sandwich, which consists of a long bread roll split lengthwise and stuffed with meats, cheese, and other condiments. Larry grew up calling it a hero, but in Pennsylvania, it’s called a hoagie, and a similar version there has been called a zeppelin or zep. In New England, it’s called a grinder, and in upstate New York, this sandwich was once commonly called a torpedo or torp. In Wisconsin, it’s a garibaldi. In Louisiana, a similar sandwich that’s often filled with shrimp or catfish is called a po’ boy or poor boy. A Boston version has been called a spuckie or spukie from Italian for “long roll,” spucadella. In Cincinnati, this sandwich was long referred to as a rocket. A South African version is called a gatsby. This is part of a complete episode.
It’s hard to remember how to spell the names of some cities. Tallahassee, Florida, for example. Then there are towns with very few letters to remember. Y, a tiny town in northern France, has only two main streets, which come together to form...
On a busy day in the emergency room, Alisa of Dallas, Texas, told an efficient colleague that she was really humming, meaning it as a compliment. Her colleague took offense, maintaining that humming meant “smelly.” Since the 18th...
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