fill 'er-up x two

[Rex W. Stocklin]

I am a nut about collecting local idioms, dialect variances (and such
like), though, as the parenthetical expression would suggest, I enjoy
broader regional (Midwest, possibly the South, even) flavor.

As I just DID figure the server hierarchy of ADS-L and where the list
archives were kept, I searched for some of my pet utterings, as
"roastin' ears" and the local penchant for using "coke" for all
carbonated beverages, regardless of hue or taste. ("Kin ah haff a
coke?" "Yabetcha, which kind ya gotta hankering fer?" "One of them
red* cokes")

*meaning redpop, aka red cream soda aka strawberry soda.

Thus I saw a 2000 discussion of the pop/soda/cola landscape.

I went looking for this and saw it not and thus wondered if anywhere
the term "fillup station" was still in use, I'm guessing that
"filling station" is probably still in use, especially in many rural
areas. But in a day and age, where even "gas station" & "service
station" have ceded turf to "auto center", "fuel stop", "fuel plaza",
truck stop" and even "convenience mart". I wouldn't be a bit
surprised to see the import of "petrol station" in highbrow areas,
say, the more white European parts of New England. a for "fillup
station", a quick googling nets several references to diesel and LP
gas and a few to deionized water and veggies, fer cryin' out loud.
But couldn't find one in reference to the old-fashioned colloquialism
"fillup station" as a place to "gitcher gaise" (sometime Hoosier
diction) and Dr Pepper.

Speaking of the Friendly Pepper-Upper, this from the official Dr
Pepper website:

>Dr Pepper is the oldest major soft drink in the United States.  It
>is a "native Texan" originating at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store
>in the town of Waco in 1885. Like its flavor, the origin of Dr
>Pepper is out-of-the-ordinary. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist
>educated in England, worked at Wade Morrison's store, where he also
>served carbonated soft drinks at the soda fountain. He had noted
>that customers soon tired of drinking the same old fruit flavors.
>The inventive Alderton decided to make something new by blending
>several fruit-based flavors. After numerous experiments, he finally
>created one he liked.

I cite this because we laddies used to create these bizarre
concoctions called "suicides", which were made by taking your cup and
going down the soda fountain and pouring a little bit of everything
in it. The resultant gruel parents hated because it provided a
momentary rush of glee followed by hours of upset tummies. It surely
must have been a precursor to the drive for the Hairy Buffaloes,
Waptuis (spelling in contention, but  taken from "Wha..? Ptui!") and
Long Island Iced Teas.




Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2 and 4,
Lexy
Fishers, IN