Sorority Sauce (ranch dressing)

[Barry Popik]

I was browsing though a long Chowhound posting of "regional food
quirks." There was a recent post by "RaiderCake" (Texas Tech Red
Raiders in Lubbock) that said that in his college town, ranch dressing
is called "sorority sauce." There don't seem to be many hits; maybe
someone can check FACTIVA.
...
It looks like a regional usage, possibly of interest to DARE for its
next volume or to HDAS...Ranch dressing with chips?...Ranch dressing
on pizza? Is pizza really that bad here in Texas?
...
...
...
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/sorority_sauce_ranch_dressing/
...
Entry from October 20, 2007
Sorority Sauce (ranch dressing)
"Sorority sauce" has been a slang nickname for "ketchup" since at
least World War II. Since about 2006, ranch dressing has been called
"sorority sauce" at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The reasons for
this are unknown, but many Texans have long loved ranch dressing.


Wikipedia: Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is an American condiment. The dressing is made of
buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, minced green onion, and other
seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing is one of the top two
styles of salad dressing in the United States, together with blue
cheese.

7 March 1942, Army Times, pg. 12, col. 1:
G. I. Slang in P. I.:
A Slightly Censored Glossary of Terms
Used by MacArthur's Boys to Express
Themselves Between Raids on Bataan
(...)
"Sorority sauce"—catsup.

23 September 1996, Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, pg. 13?, col. 5:
Winchester Sauce
(also known as Sorority Sauce)

Daily Toreador (Texas Tech)
Cheers and jeers finish out year
Abbie Kopf/Columnist
Issue date: 5/1/06 Section: Opinion

Most people I have met at Texas Tech develop a love-hate relationship
with the city of Lubbock. Many students have some of the best times of
their lives here, granted they still hate the city because there is
nothing to do (though let's not forget the National Ranching Heritage
Center). Though I use my columns to complain about the ills of
society, I myself both love and hate Lubbock and Tech, and would like
to offer some cheers and jeers as I leave to start a new phase in my
life.

Cheers to: Sorority girls. While it's true that as a waitress I tire
of getting your kids meals and chips with ranch (we call it sorority
sauce), I have to say that I believe that you ladies are getting a bad
rap.

Chowhound - Regional "Food Quirks"
In the college town in Texas where I live, tortilla chips and salsa
are served at practically every restaurant - but some people (namely,
the college set) like to eat tortilla chips with ranch dressing, hence
the nickname "sorority sauce" for ranch. And we have ranch on pizza
here, too.

RaiderCake Oct 14, 2007 07:15PM

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