# Old School terms



## cabotvt (May 5, 2009)

Hello,

I just finished reading a thread where age, religion and old school were discussed so..

What old school terms and there meaning can we come up with.

Up first: *The term "86" where did it come from???*


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

A story I once heard was that it originated in a speakeasy in Brooklyn during prohibition. It was located at 86 Bedford Street, the address was on the rear of the building and their was another address on front. When the place was about to be raided by cops entering thru the front the barkeep would yell out 86, therefore all the patrons would run out the rear 86 address exit. I guess meaning no more, or out of.   If true or not I don't know for a fact but any thing is possible.   How about  draw one,, burn one, stretch one, a limey  down, adam and eve with a dark raft . Pittsburg, These are some more old ones.


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## cabotvt (May 5, 2009)

Ed I guess any story is a real as mine, here goes

86 was the phantoms the English had to sail or row out to, to dump the trash, Any closer and it would come ashore.

What about " You better whistle while you work"


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## cabotvt (May 5, 2009)

YYou got me on the Limey one???


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I think and please correct me if I'm wrong but it has to do with limes being the only fruit available in England at one time?  Maybe?

My mom used to say she was "flommoxed" when I was misbehaving as a child.. just what is "flommoxed"??


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## sushiguy (Apr 12, 2007)

ive had this conversation with many cooks, and everyone has a different story or idea as to where 86 comes from.  im sure there must be one original but there are many different ideas out there.


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Limey is from when English soldiers carried limes aboard to prevent scurvy.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Lots of "86" stories, non certain.  The two most common: Article 86 of the NY State Liquor Code defined the conditions under which a bartender could refuse service.  And, a grave is dug 8 feet long by 6 feet deep.

"Limey" is much easier.  It comes from the practice, beginning long ago, of the Royal Navy to include citrus juice with the sailors' daily grog ration in order to prevent scurvy.

BDL


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## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

"You could shoot a canon through the dining room and not hit anyone!"


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## cabotvt (May 5, 2009)

"You could shoot a canon through the dining room and not hit anyone!

Gypsy, that would be the Royal Navy, those guys with the limes and scurvy.

Just kidding easy no throwing the bubbles and squige (did I spell that right) those potato pancake things with leftover in them.


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## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

cabotvt said:


> "You could shoot a canon through the dining room and not hit anyone!
> 
> Gypsy, that would be the Royal Navy, those guys with the limes and scurvy.
> 
> Just kidding easy no throwing the bubbles and squige (did I spell that right) those potato pancake things with leftover in them.


hahahahaha!!

well I think it was the 86th regiment that said that !

No idea about the bubbles .....unless your thinkin of a Scottish lass..... which I am not

I am an Irish Gypsy


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

1 Limey=======In coffee shop or luncheonette slang  is Ordering >>A toasted english muffin


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## greyeaglem (Apr 17, 2006)

I think Cabotvt means bubble and queak, potatos and cabbage cooked and mashed together. The name comes from the sound it makes when it cooks. Of the others, I only recognize Adam & Eve on a raft. I had someone request a "Pittsburg" style steak a while back. I had never heard of it. By their desciption, it was what I would call a char rare. My line cook accomplished it by pouring oil on the open broiler to make it flame instead of using a cast iron pan like I told him to. It was worth his very life that he didn't set the Ansul system off. I have told them repeatedly when I catch them leaving the equipment on when they close that if they start the place on fire, they better pray it burns down because I will kill them if they set that extinguisher off and I have to clean it up. Anyone want to explain the rest if the terms? I'm especially curious about "stretch one". I can't begin to imagine what that means.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Greyeaglem!  Your line cook knows what he is doing.  Some places put a sizzler pan on top of open burner, let it get real hot and throw oiled steak on. Its raw on inside, well crusted on outside called Pittsburg because of coal mining,  as outside of steak looks like charred coal.

Stretch==a coke(tall glass)   draw=== a coffee,  burn one ==a malted(whirled on malt machine friction-burn) There are 100s more , but I am showing my age.. Restaurants in the 50s and back had their own language why I don't know as sometime it was faster to use real meaning.


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## gunnar (Apr 3, 2008)

A Pittsburg sounds like a Black and Blue.  had a chef just take the Brulee torch to the steak while on the apron of the grill.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

"Stretch one," is a glass of Coca-Cola.

BDL


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## greyeaglem (Apr 17, 2006)

Thanks for the definitions Ed. And yes Gunnar, when I looked into the term on the 'net they referred to it as black and blue also. They also claimed the term came from Pittsburgh steel workers cooking steaks for their supper on the hot mold casings. Who knows? Here in the upper midwest, someone wanting a steak like that would call it a char rare. I like mine char med. rare and I do it using a heavy pan that I heat on med. high heat. If the smoke alarm doesn't go off when I throw the steak in, the pan wasn't hot enough. That's how I told my cook to do it. With a cast iron pan as for Cajun blackened but minus the seasoning. My problem with him squirting oil on the broiler was the resulting 4 ft. flames that I thought would for sure set the Ansul off.


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## cycle1667 (Jul 7, 2010)

This is off topic but has anyone ever seen an ansul go off? In my 30 years I have never witnessed this (knock on wood) but I have heard, usually through 3rd parties that it is a mess.

_____________________

Wildwoodovens.com


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## gunnar (Apr 3, 2008)

I saw it on t.v once. I think it was that show The Restaurant,  IIRC it was that Rocc DiSpirito started a wood fire in a gas fired pizza oven . Ended up setting an interior wall on fire. The Sous Chef shut down the line, covered it all with towels and fired off the ANSUL. Which was kinda stupid in my opinion, especially since he then took a hammer to the wall the fire was in and ended up having to use a simple fire extinguisher to put it out..

The mess was incredible.  No way service would continue for that night and at least a day of cleanup and IIRC it has to be reinspected before the restaurant can open again.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I did a Kosher party in the old Hotel Pierre in NY back in 70s.. The Rabbi came in to kasha the kitchen, some how he set off the ansul. What a fiasco. 2 guys from the hotel came in after everything was coated with white powder and foam and asked me if thats how you make place kosher. I laughed to myself and told them yes. The caterer was screaming at the rabbi but some how that night party went off.ok.guest did not know. Off premise catering never ceases to amaze me.


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

How about 'monkey dish'?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

"Kasha the kitchen." 

Gotta love it,

BDL


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

BTW, a monkey dish is a small bowl of the size an organ grinder's monkey used to "pass the hat."

BDL


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## greyeaglem (Apr 17, 2006)

J


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## greyeaglem (Apr 17, 2006)

Thanks BDL for the monkey dish explanation, and thanks Peachreek for asking. I wouldn't have thought to ask although it's another one of those perennial restaurant mysteries  that comes up from time to time that no one has the answer for. I decided it must resemble dishes that monkeys ate from in zoos, but didn't know. I have never known them to be referred to as anything other than a monkey dish. Suppliers play dumb by calling them 4 oz. compotes or some other such trash, but I don't know why they bother to call them something else as I just tell the the salesman I need monkey dishes, and that's what they send. Such pretentious airs, these suppliers have. Just try yelling "Hey Jimmy, I need 4 oz. compotes right away." and see what kind of look you get.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

BDL Believe it or not when they kosher the kitchen here a lot of people say  "Did they Kasha the kitchen yet?" I don't know why but thats what they say and I guess it grew on me  Maybe it's Brooklyneeze.  edb


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Ed,

"Kasher" comes from the same three letter Hebrew root as Kosher, and tautologically the words are written the same (usually no vowels used to write Hebrew or Yiddish). In Yiddish/English "kasher," is used as a verb meaning to make something kosher, or when used as "kashering" to describe the process itself. In any case, "kasher" has an "r" at the end.

"Kasha," on the other hand, is a (Russian) word also used in Yiddish culture, and means buckwheat groats. I know you know that, and -- as much as you talk about cooking for MOTs -- I'm pretty darn sure you've made kasha varnishkes

So, you got kasha messed up with kahser? Nu?

It's funny. Trust me. You'll also have to trust me that yes I am making fun of you but only in the nicest way; with plenty of affection mixed with love.

You should have heard the howls yesterday when I unleashed my Chinese at lunch (at a not-much-English-spoken, Chinese restaurant). At least we got what I ordered, although that might have had more to do to with pointing at the "specials" on the wall than my pristine pronounciation of du. Oh well, at lest it was hao-chi.

Speaking of using a word funny... my wife and I were having a discussion about white folks (like us) who wander into VERY Chinese restaurants and how, through ignorance, they end up with "white folks' food" instead of the real deal. Linda felt I needed to be taken down a peg and told me I was as big a _gai-lan_ as anyone.

Very funny because gwai-lo is the (somewhat offensive) term for whites (means "ghost"), but gai-lan is Chinese broccoli. Anyway, I'm sticking with gai-lan.

BDL


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I know you are not making fun of me. But for me being a goy not to shabby heh.

And as far as chinese rest.last night went to chinese buffet my wifes grand kids were looking for the Chinese Chicken McNuggetts (swt & sour sauce on side)


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Definitely not too shabby.

And I am too making fun of you. We're close enough, respect each other enough, like each other enough, are so similar in so many ways... so, like it or not you get treated like a brother.

You'd be surprised. _Chinse_ grandchildren do the same thing. We were out for dim-sum and sitting next to a Chinese family including a pair of (immigrant) grandparents and two girls, apparently born here, about 6 and 8, when the chicken feet arrived at their table. The kids were completely, totally, audbily and visibly repulsed. It was actually pretty funny.

BDL


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Did they walk to the table? Some Chinese rest. it is possible. We had one in NY I called it the Cat's Meow if you get my drift.


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