Hashhouse lingo queries: "milk crust," "on the cantaloupe," "Make it three all 'round."

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Sun Dec 21 19:22:22 UTC 2003


>>WORTH HUMORING.
>>Puck (1877-1918). New York: Aug 5, 1908. Vol. 64, Iss. 1640; p. 0_5 (1 page):
>>(Dinner table illustration--ed.)
>>       _WORTH HUMORING._
>>    MR. SUBBERTON (_yelling to kitchen_).--Sawdust and milk crust!
>>Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck 'em!  On the cantaloupe!  Draw one!
>>Make it three all 'round!
>>    MR. TOWNLEY.--Great,--e-e-r, how--pardon me, old chap, but what's
>>it all about?
>    MR. SUBBERTON.--'Sh!  We've got a former restaurant cook--_a
>peach!_--and we have to order that way to keep her on the job!
>
>****
>
>   The above _Puck_ item doesn't clarify the meanings of the
>hash-house lingo it presents.
>"Adam and Even on a raft and wreck 'em" is poached eggs on toast with
>the yolks broken. "Sawdust" is cornmeal. "Draw one" is a cup of
>coffee.
>
>    But what is "milk crust," "Make it three all 'round," and "On the
>cantaloupe"?

"Sawdust" was used in the early 20th century to refer to cold breakfast
cereal (inter alia). I don't recognize this "milk crust" but I believe
"milk crust" was once used routinely to refer to "crusty" (in the
post-vesicular phase I suppose) facial eczema in an infant. So my
speculations would be (1) "milk crust" = "milk" (on the cereal) + nonsense
"crust" to make a double-entendre and a rhyme, (2) "milk crust" = something
crusty, maybe milk plus brown sugar (on the cereal).

"[Make it] three all 'round" I think means "three for each person" and it
might refer to pancakes or something like that.

"On the cantaloupe" ... maybe it's just cantaloupe?

-- Doug Wilson



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