This is our first cut at a full dictionary of Diner Talk. Everyone is invited to submit entries that we either forgot or didn't know about.

• Adam and Eve on a Raft: Two poached eggs on toast (and Wreck 'em: = Scrambled eggs)
• Adam and Eve on a log: Two poached eggs with link sausage [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta]
• Adam's Ale: Water
• All Day: altogether [Thanks to DR]
• All Hot: Baked potato
• Angels on Horseback: oysters rolled in bacon and served on toast
• Atlanta [Special]: Coca Cola
• Axle Grease: Butter [Thanks to Boudewijn]
• Battle Creek in a Bowl: bowl of corn flakes [Thanks to Mousey]
• Baled Hay: Shredded wheat
• Balloon Juice: Seltzer water
• B and B: Bread and butter
• Beef Stick: A bone
• Belch Water: Seltzer or Soda Water [Thanks to Boudewijn]
• Biddy Board: French toast
• Bird: Chicken [Thanks to Mark Nechoda]
• Birds in a nest, (or eggs in a basket, or eggs in a hole: a fried egg on toast with a hole cut out of the center [Thanks to Cheryl]
• Black and Blue: Meat served VERY rare -- so raw it's almost blue on the inside and charred black outside. [Thanks to JACK]
• Black and White: Chocolate soda with vanilla ice cream
• Black Cow: (a) chocolate milk or (b) chocolate soda with chocolate ice cream (or) (c) a soda made with chocolate ice cream and root beer (thanks, Lori!)
• Blindfolded: Basted Eggs [Thanks to Barry Holbrecht]
• Blowout Patches: Pancakes
• Boiled Leaves: Tea
• Bowl of Red Chili -- thanks to Ethan Minovitz
• Bossy in a Bowl: Beef Stew [Thanks to Boudewijn
• Break it and Shake it: Add egg to a drink
• Bun Pup: Hot Dog [Thanks to Boudewijn]
• c-board: Prepared to take out (in cardboard) [Thanks to Sandra Wapner]
• Cackleberries Eggs (Thanks to Jim Gaglione)
• Cackle Fruit Eggs Mark NechodaCackle Out West - a Western Omlette Thanks, RSM
• Canned Cow: Evaporated milk
• Cats Heads and Easy Diggins: Biscuits and Gravy (Thanks to John Ross)
• Checkerboard - a Waffle [Thanks to Julian Rodriguez]
• Chicago: Pineapple sundae
• Chokies: Artichokes
• C.J. White: Cream cheese and jelly on white bread
• COFFEE
  • Coffee Regular - coffee with a cream and sugars
  • Coffee High - coffee with a cream and no sugar (Thanks, Mark)
  • Coffee Dry - coffee with no cream (Thanks, Mark)
  • Coffee High and Dry - black coffee (Thanks, Mark)
  • Cowboy coffee - made with all chicory
  • Frosty Joe - Ice Coffee Thanks, RSM
  • Hi-test - Coffee with caffeine (is there really any other?)
  • Java: Coffee
  • Joe Coffee -- thanks to Ethan Minovitz
  • Joe O'Malley - An Irish Coffee (often served in some hotel/diners back then) Thanks, RSM
  • Suthun coffee - made from Half regular beans, half chicory - best with molasses. ( My favorite is "do y'all want Nothun coffee er Suthun coffee?")
  • 50/50 Joe - Coffee with half-and-half Thanks, RSM
• Coney Island A Hot Dog. Our reader Katharine notes that in Detroit, in a reastaurant specializing in Hot Dogs (frankfurters, wieners, etc, etc.) "Up" or "Single" refers to one of these delicacies embellished according to the house standard. In context, "One up" means one coney, with chili, mustard, and onions. "Without" means no onions. "One up plain" is just the hot dog. You can replace the "up" with "single", as in "I need a single, plain" or "single, without"
• Cowboy with Spurs: Western omelet with French fries
• Cow Paste: Butter
• Cremate It: Toast the bread
• Deadeye - a Poached Egg (We love the imagery in this) [Thanks to Julian Rodriguez]
• Don't Cry Over It - omit onions from the order Thanks Sylvia
• Double Black Cow - A Double Thick Shake (Triple Black Cow also) Thanks, RSM
• Dough Well Done With Cow to Cover: Buttered toast
• Drag One Through Georgia: Pepsi with chocolate syrup
• Drag Through the Garden: Put all the vegetables on it. (e.g. Burger - Drag it through the garden)
• Drag Through Wisconsin: Serve with Cheese (e.g. "Cheeseburger" = Burger - Drag it through Wisconsin)
• Draw: To dispense a beverage on tap..."Draw" refers specifically to coffee. [Thanks to: Paul Bogrow user99@eey.org]
• Drop two - two poached eggs [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Drown the Kids - Boiled Eggs Thanks, RSM
• Dry Stack: Pancakes no butter [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta]
• Eighty-Six (86): Stop taking orders for this item, we are out of it.
• Eve with a Moldy Lid - apple pie with a slice of cheese [Thanks to Julian Rodriguez]
• Firehouse It - Add Chili Sauce to an item (or chili, as in a chili-dog or chili-burger) Thanks, RSM
• First Ladies - Ribs [This is one of our favorites] (Thanks to: Tony Bishop)
• Flop Two: Two fried eggs, over easy
• Foreign Entanglements: Spaghetti [Thanks to Helen Bowers]
• Fry Two, Let the Sun Shine: Fry two eggs with yolks unbroken
• Georgia Pie: Peach pie
• Groundhog: Hot Dog [Thanks to Boudewijn
• Guess Water: Soup
• Hatching It - An Egg in a Nest (fried egg nestled in toasted bread which has had a hole cut out of it. Thanks, RSM
• Hen Fruit: Eggs
• Hen Nuts - Eggs [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Hoboken Special: Pineapple soda with chocolate ice cream
• Hojack Buttered toast (from Peg of the old Waffle Shop, Wisconsin Avenue, Washington DC)
• Hold the Grass: Sandwich without lettuce
• Hope: Oatmeal
• Hot Balls - Matzoh ball soup (Thanks to: Tony Bishop)
• Hot blonde in sand - cup of coffee with cream and sugar (Thanks to: JoDee4300)
• Hot One: Bowl of chili
• Hot Top: Hot chocolate
• Hounds on an Island: Frankfurters and beans
• Houseboat: Banana split
• Hug One: Orange juice
• Idaho Cakes - Hashbrown Patties Thanks, RSM
• Ice on Rice: Rice pudding with ice cream
• It's Going For a Walk - a takeout order Thanks Sylvia
• Life Preservers: Doughnuts
• Lighthouse: Bottle of ketchup
• Limeaid - Bubble-Up, a Soda similar to 7-Up so I guess they called it this to keep from confusing them. Thanks, RSM
• Loaded: a full dinner e.g. "One bird, loaded" is a chicken dinner [Thanks to Mark Nechoda]
• Log Roll - Extra Link Sausage Thanks, RSM
• Mama on a Raft: Marmalade on toast
• Melting Snow - Melted Swiss Cheese on an item Thanks, RSM
• Mickey Rooney: With Mustard and Relish e.g. "Two dogs, Mickey Rooney" (Thanks, Jim)
• Mike and Ike: Salt and pepper shakers
• Million on a Platter: Baked beans
• Mississippi Mud: Mustard
• Moo juice - milk [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Motor Oil - Syrup [Thanks to Julian Rodriguez]
• Mystery in the Alley - a side of Hash [Thanks to Julian Rodriguez]
• Nervous Pudding: Jello
• Ninety Seven (97) Add “97” to the end for a carry out, so a take out order of Shoestring French Fries would be “Gimme a side of shoes 97” (from Peg of the old Waffle Shop, Wisconsin Avenue, Washington DC)
• Nuke It: prepare the selection "well done" [Thanks to Mousey]
• One from the Alps: Swiss cheese sandwich
• On the Hoof: Meat done rare [Thanks to Boudewijn
• On Wheels - To go (Thanks to: Tony Bishop)
• Pigs - bacon [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Pink Stick: Strawberry ice cream
• PITA ("Pain In The A**"): a difficult customer [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta, this may be a localized term]
• Popeye: Spinach
• Pull: to dispense a soft drink
• Put a Hat on It: add ice cream
• Put a Red Light on it: Add a cherry to a "soda" -- 3 scoops of ice cream in a crystal glass, seltzer water with whip cream and a red light Soda is not to be confused with a "soft drink" like Dr. Pepper, Tab or Coca Cola[Thanks to Mousey]
• put legs on it: prepare the food for take-out or "to go." [Thanks to Mark Nechoda]
• Put Out the Lights and Cry: Liver and onions
• Put Yellow blanket on a dead cow: cheeseburger [Thanks to Mousey]
• Rabbit Food: Lettuce
• Ralph: a large empty plastic jar used for storage, usually a mayo jar. Also a term for 1 gallon because of the size of the jar. [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta, this may be a localized term]
• Roller Link sausage (Thanks to Dick Wilhelm)
• Scrape two - two scrambled eggs [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Scrod (or schrod) is a young (2-lb or less) cod or haddock, split and deboned. A staple in many Boston area seafood restaurants, but rarely heard outside New England. Scrod is not actually a type of fish, but rather a generic term believed to mean "catch of the day," referring to any white, edible fish. Scrod could have come from the acronym "Small Cod or Haddock Remaining On Dock." The term was coined by the Parker House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts after 1855. Old Joke: "So a guy lands at Logan and gets in a cab and says to the driver, 'Take me somewhere I can get scrod!" And the driver says, "I've never heard anyone use the pluperfect subjunctive before!"
• Seventy-Seven - A Seven-Up with Vanilla Ice Cream Thanks, RSM
• Shake one in the Hay: Strawberry milkshake
• Shivering Eve: Apple jelly
• Side Arms: Salt and Pepper [Thanks to Laura]
• Side of Shoes Order of Shoestring Potatoes (from Peg of the old Waffle Shop, Wisconsin Avenue, Washington DC)
• Sinkers: Doughnuts
• Skid Grease: Butter [Thanks to Boudewijn]
• Slap in the Face eggs over hard [Thanks to Joan W. who thinks that this might be a Canadian regionalism]
• Slider Patty sausage (Thanks to Dick Wilhelm)
• Sneeze: Pepper
• Splash of Red Noise: Bowl of tomato soup
• Splash out of the Garden: Bowl of vegetable soup
• Squeeze: Orange Jiuce [Thanks to DR]
• Still Mooing: Meat Served Rare [Thanks to Carla Martin]
• St. Pats - Corned Beef and Cabbage Thanks, RSM
• Steaming Idaho - Boiled Potatos Thanks, RSM
• Sunny Sundae - A Sundae served with Pinapple Chunks Thanks, RSM
• Sweep the Kitchen: Plate of hash
• "Stretch" refers to Coca-Cola: e.g., "Stretch one!". A small Coke is a "short stretch" [Thanks to: Paul Bogrow user99@eey.org]
• Stretch One and Paint it Red Coca-Cola with a cherry -- thanks to Ethan Minovitz
• Mark Nechoda writes and says that in New York, "Stretch" means a large size ( "pull 2" were 2 regular cokes. Stretch 2 were 2 large cokes.)
• Sunny Brook Sunnyside up with bacon [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta]
• TOAST
  • Down: Mark Nechoda writes that "down" is the generic term for "toast", leading to the following:
  • Whiskey Down: Rye Toast (i.e. Rye Whiskey..) Thanx to:Adrian from the Malibu Diner, 23rd st and 7th Ave NYC
  • Brown Down: was wheat toast. (also Wheat Down)
  • White Bread is the default; as: "BT down!" (bacon [lettuce] and tomato on [white] toast). [Thanks to: Paul Bogrow user99@eey.org]
• Throw it in the mud: Add chocolate syrup
• The Twins: Salt and Pepper Shakers [Thanks to Boudewijn
• Tip Toe Through Wisconsin: Sprinkle with Cheese, variant of "drag through Wisconsin" (Thanks, Jim)
• Torpedo It: Add a bananna to a bowl of cereal [Thanks to Mousey]
• Twist It, Choke It, Make it Cackle: Chocolate malted milkshake with egg
• Vermont: Maple syrup
• Wart: an Olive
• Wax: American cheese
• with legs; put legs on it - to go (e.g. "Adam and Eve on a raft with legs.") [Thanks to Kevyn Arthur]
• Wimpy: Hamburger
• Winter - Whipped Cream on any item Thanks, RSM
• With the Horns Still On: Meat Served Rare [Thanks to Carla Martin]
• Wreck: Scramble
• Wrecked and Crying - Scrambled Eggs with Onions Thanks, RSM
• Yellow Paint: Mustard
• Yum Yum: Sugar
• From: Swing Kid
• Burn the British - english muffin
• An M.D. - Dr. Pepper
• Frog sticks - french fries
• Noah's boy on bread - Ham sandwich
• Paint a bow-wow red - Hot dog with kethcup
• From: Darin Jensen
• Henberries - Eggs
• Broken Henberries - scrambled eggs (or Busted)
• Make it Moo - rare steak
• Swamp water - soda made of all flavors available
• Zeppelins in a Fog: Sausages in mashed potatoes [Thanks to Boudewijn
• Z: Mushrooms, (because all the other things starting with M were taken and Z was easily identifiable on a ticket. [Thanks to George Nikas of Atlanta, this may be a localized term]

Mark Nechoda notes that: "You put the table number on the end of the order… "draw two on six" = 2 cups of coffee table six "

AND... we are very grateful to our friend Robert Santa Maria (RSM) for these Mexican Restaurant Terms. He writes:

"...Growing up in Arizona we went to many diners along Route 66. I remember my Dad and Mom ordering stuff and then laughing when I heard the waitress call out some pretty interesting terms. The Mexican food terms were told to me by my Aunt who worked as a waitress in many of the Mexican Restaurants in Tucson, AZ. Grandma was usually in the kitchen of those restaurants since she worked as a cook ..."

• Cluck and Wrap - Chicken Enchiladas
• Con Lumbre' - With Fire, add hot sauce.
• Dirty Water - Coffee
• Friday's Choice - A Fish Dinner
• Moo and Wrap - Beef Enchiladas
• Red and White It - Top With Both Sour Cream and Salsa
• Sour It - Add Lemon to a dish
• Saddle It - Well-Done Steak
• Stampede Blanket - A Bean and Beef Extrra Large Burro
• Tie It Down - A Burro with Melted Cheese Topping
• Top It With White - Top the Dish with Sour Cream
• Top It With Red - Top the Dish with Salsa

Check out Hash House Slang, a related site.

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We're glad to add other terms to our Diner Talk Dictionary. Prepare your entry and click here: Lindy Week in Review Diner Talk Editor. Submit new terms within the body of the e-mail. Please write "Diner Talk Submission" in the "Subject" box.

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