Grinder (New Haven, June 1946)

[Frank Abate]

For the "grinder" record:

1. A grinder is made with a long bread roll (12 inches or so), like a
baguette, but wider and with softer crust.  It is synonymous with
"sub(marine sandwich)".  People who use "grinder" also are aware of "sub",
and "sub" is sometimes used in the "grinder" area.  There are "Subway"
sandwich shops (the chain) in the "grinder" area, FWIW.

2. A sandwich (in the "grinder" area) is on sliced bread, a round hard roll,
or such.

3. "Grinder" is still widely used from Connecticut up through the Conn.
River valley into Western Mass.  I first encountered it in the Amherst,
Mass., area, in the late 1970s, and had never heard of it before (I came to
this area from Ohio).  It seems not to be actively used in eastern Mass.,
but respondents who live there may want to weigh in on this.

4. I don't have DARE handy -- is the distribution and etym in DARE?

Frank Abate

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: Grinder (New Haven, June 1946)


> At 5:42 PM -0500 1/11/01, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
> >E'S RESTAURANT
> >Specializing in
> >SPAGHETTI--SANDWICHES
> >GRINDERS--PIZZA
> >
> >(Isn't a grinder a sandwich?...No submarine sandwiches in New
London/Groton
> >at all!--ed.)
>
> Well yes (if this a real question), in the same way that sandals and
> boots are shoes (SHOES -- SANDALS -- BOOTS) and chowders are soups
> (SOUPS AND CHOWDERS).
>
> L
>