Poor Boys

[A. Vine]

Anne Lambert wrote:
>
> "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.
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Well, where ah come from, a po' boy is a specific type of submarine sandwich,
with various Italian meats (salami variations) cheese (provolone) and some sort
of interesting dressing, possibly with a relish.  I think we referred to other
types of submarine sandwiches as "subs".

When I was in Connecticut, I was told, repeatedly, that grinders are always hot
sandwiches - with meatballs and sauce, or sausage and peppers, or some such.
But I'm sure I heard "grinder" used for cold subs.  So it may have depended on
where you were from..

Andrea Vine, avine at eng.sun.com, iPlanet i18n architect
Guilty feet have got no rhythm.
-- George Michael