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.
According to Gobsmacked: The British Invasion of American English (Bookshop|Amazon) by Ben Yagoda, the word smarmy, meaning “unctuous” or “ingratiating,” may come from a 19th-century magazine contest, in which readers sent in...
Mary Beth in Greenville, South Carolina, wonders: Why do we say four-oh-nine for the number 409 instead of four-zero-nine or four-aught-nine? What are the rules for saying either zero or oh or aught or ought to indicate that arithmetical symbol...
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