hero etymology

[Laurence Horn]

On Mar 18, 2012, at 5:01 PM, Larry Sheldon wrote:

> On 3/18/2012 3:39 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
>> Interestingly (to me, at least), the earlier definitions culled by
>> Barry seem to involve an either-or, but by the time I began buying
>> and consuming them in the mid 1950s, they were a both- (or rather
>> all-) and: not salami *or* prosciutto *or* other ham or cheese or
>> both, but always all of the above, plus chopped onions and peppers,
>> with a layer of olive oil, and something that was probably sprinkled
>> oregano and maybe other herbs.  Mmmm.  (I don't recall tuna being an
>> option--but maybe I just never asked.  And yes, we always assumed--in
>> both NYC and central Maine (lake district), where the term was also
>> used--that the name referred to anyone (e.g. us) who could eat the
>> whole thing at a single sitting.
>
> Sounds like what we called "submarine sandwiches" farther down the
> Atlantic Coast.

Ah, but not in Philly, right?  It's a "hoagie" there.  And elsewhere in the east, a grinder, a torpedo, or other names I'm forgetting.  (Yes, a submarine = a torpedo, at least in the sandwich world.)
>
> And "subs" just about every place else I've been (Antedating the Subway
> chain by a lot).
>
> The one that worries me in areas where "hero" is the nom du jour, what
> do I ask for if I want the Grecian delicacy?
>
If you manage to start it off with the initial palatal fricative, it won't be heard as "hero".  Well, maybe it would sound like you were saying "hero" with a frog in your palate.  You could try it and see what happens.  Or you could ask for a shwarma first and then when they look puzzled switch to gyro.

LH

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