Poor Boys

[Anne Lambert]

"Poor boy" is a New Orleans term for the sandwich which we usually call "submarine" (Philadelphia "hoagie," New England "grinder," "musalatta" or "muffuletta" also from New Orleans, "torpedo" in San Diego).  Some have tried to derive it from the Frenc "pourboire" 'tip,' but the consensus is that this sandwich was simply a good, cheap, filling meal for a poor boy.  "Hero" is the New York term.  I refer you to Eames and Robboy's article "The Submarine Sandwich: Lexical Variations in a Cultural Context," American Speech XLII (1967),
279-88, and to Jan e and Michael Stern, Roadfood and Goodfood (New York: Knopf, 1968).  I researched this sub-ject (pun intended) for my master's thesis in 1990.  Oh- I forgot our Florida term, "Cuban sandwich."   Even here, however, "sub" is usually used. Your recipe for the hot poor boy sounds good. I've never heard of it with baked beans.

Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

> "I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me."
> --Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody" (or maybe it's Fanny Brice?)
>
>    OED has "poor boy (sandwich)" from the February 1952 New Orleans Item.
>    I was looking through GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, October 1940, "Five Plans for October Parties," pg. 126, col. 2, looking for Halloween trick-or-treat:
>
>     You'll like this party, which was borrowed and adapted from New Orleans.  First serve the "Poor Boy" Sandwiches, with coffee.  (...) To make "Poor Boy" Sandwiches, split and butter large frankfurter rolls.  Use 2 or 3 kinds of cold or hot fillings in each roll, placing them side by side across the roll.  For hot fillings, use hot hamburger patties, grilled frankfurters, hot baked ham, hot baked beans, scrambled eggs, etc.  For cold fillings, use cold meats or sandwich spreads, a deviled-egg mixture, spreading cheeses, etc.
>
>   Supposedly, the sandwich began in 1921 (so I can do better).  I don't know what DARE has because they, uh, stopped at "O."