Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

How to talk like a chef. The Michigander controversy. Jakey.

Episode Summary

1020. This week, we shed light on quirky restaurant slang like “kill it” and “Chef Mike.” Then, we tackle the long-standing debate over what to call residents of Michigan — "Michiganders" or "Michiganians" — and what Abraham Lincoln has to do with it.

Episode Notes

The "kitchen lingo" segment is by Susan K. Herman, a retired multidisciplined language analyst, editor, and instructor for the federal government.

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Episode Transcription

Grammar Girl here. I’m Mignon Fogarty, your friendly guide to the English language. We talk about writing, history, rules, and other cool stuff. Today, we're going to go through the origins of some fun kitchen jargon, and then I answer the question "Was I wrong to refer to the good people of Michigan as Michiganders?" And we'll talk about these denizen labels in general.

Restaurant Lingo

by Susan K. Herman

If you've ever worked in a restaurant, or even dined in a restaurant with an open kitchen, you've probably noticed that the staff has its own lingo. Consider this statement: "Hey, Bob. We're in the weeds, so we need to get these tickets to the expo on the fly. I need four filets, one killed; two orders of pommes frites; one salad, 86 the mushrooms, all day. And we're waxing table 11, so fire this ticket now." I'll give you the translation at the end, but for now, let's explore restaurant lingo and how it came to be.

Lingo is a way of speaking shared by a particular group of people, like family slang, or the familect examples you hear at the end of every show. It could also be a unique set of terms and phrases used in a particular field. And you might also call it jargon, which is language used by people in a particular occupation and often includes technical terms that people in that field would understand. Jargon can actually be very useful for people who are "in the know" so to speak.

Restaurant work is demanding and stressful, and using common language can make communication easier and speed up service. As Nathen Dubé, Executive Chef of restaurant strategy, deployment, and coaching firm KRG says, "a busy kitchen can be a hot, intense, and stressful environment. Having a full-on conversation takes up valuable time … When actions need to be conveyed quickly and efficiently between two parties or a full team in a loud and fast-paced environment, slang develops out of necessity." The eclectic personalities found in kitchens often make their lingo funny and a little spicy (pun intended).

Restaurant lingo is so widespread that, of the 690 new words added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2023, more than 20 were related to food and restaurants. Included in this list are "cheffy," which means "characteristic of or befitting a professional chef," as in "Roulades are a cheffy way to serve pork loin with stuffing," and "smashburger," as in "Smashburgers start life as 3- to 4-ounce balls of ground meat, then get smashed flat onto a hot griddle."

A lot of restaurant lingo involves restaurant operations and food preparation.

First, chefs use the popular term "86" when an item or dish on the menu is out of stock or something isn't up to their standards. Or a server might tell the kitchen to "86" an ingredient if a customer doesn't want it, as in "86 the mushrooms on that burger." According to "The Michelin Guide," this term began in the Prohibition Era in the U.S., when it was illegal to serve alcohol: "Police officers were paid off to warn the bartenders at Chumley’s in downtown Manhattan to '86' their customers before a raid. That meant to get rid of their clientele by sneaking everyone out through the rear exit at 86 Bedford Street."
Next is "expo," which is short for "expediter," one of the most important people in a kitchen. This person organizes, plates, and sometimes garnishes the food at the pass (where servers pick up meals), and makes sure it reaches hungry diners quickly and well prepared.
You might think "all day" means, well, the entire day. But in a kitchen, it actually refers to the total number of items needed at a particular moment. For example, an expediter might say, "I need four shrimp scampi, two mushroom risottos, and three filets, all day," meaning the total number of items needed at that time for a single or multiple tables. It's not entirely clear where this usage of "all day" comes from, but it can be found in an article originally published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in May 2000, where they described it as "a reminder and, at the same time, a check on ingredients that may be running short."
And here's one that demonstrates the humor needed to make it through a shift in the kitchen: "kill it." This means to cook a piece of meat well-done at the diner's request (and much to the chagrin of most chefs). Conversely, "still mooing" means cooked very rare.
For hosts and servers, "top" refers to the total number of possible seats or people at a table. So a server might say, "Oh no … It's a half-hour until closing, and there's a seven at the eight-top in my section!" to mean seven people at a table that holds eight – a big party. This term is thought to come from the term "tabletop."
Next, if you've ever watched Gordon Ramsey or "The Bear," you're familiar with the loud "Heard!" or "Yes, chef!" in response to an order or instruction being called out to ensure everyone is on the same page. Similarly, cooks and servers will yell "Behind!" or "Corner!" to alert others of their presence and avoid collisions.
Finally, "clopen," is a portmanteau – a combination of the spellings and meanings of two or more other words or word parts – of “close” and “open.” In a restaurant, it means working back-to-back closing and opening shifts. Exhausting!

Next, restaurants need special equipment, so here are a couple of fun terms heard in kitchens.

One of the most interesting is the "salamander," which looks something like an industrial toaster oven and uses high heat to broil or brown dishes. And yes, it's also a cute amphibian, and the origin of the word used in kitchen lingo is interesting: There's a huge mythology around salamanders being resistant to fire and heat. In fact, according to an article in Wired, at one time, asbestos was referred to as "salamander wool." Salamanders aren't actually resistant to fire. They hibernate in logs, so when ancient people threw one on the fire, a log, sometimes a roughly awakened salamander would run out of the flames. As for the kitchen equipment, in the 1700s, French and Italian chefs would achieve the broiling effect by heating a metal disc in a fire and then holding it over the food. The disc was attached to a long rod that was set on two feet, and in its resting state, it resembled a salamander. According to the Antique Metalware Society website, it was that look, combined with the fire myth, that gave the contraption its name. So the next time you're enjoying your crème brûlée topped with caramelized sugar, thank one of the little critters!
Another funny gem of restaurant lingo is "Chef Mike," which refers to – gasp! – a microwave oven. Hey, even in restaurants it can be handy for quick tasks.

Not surprisingly, a lot of restaurant lingo comes from French and Italian, given their culinary histories and love of food.

"Mise en place," a French term meaning "everything in its place," refers to the preparation and gathering of ingredients or equipment so orders can be efficiently completed.
Next, "à la minute" means "to the minute" or "exactly" in French and describes a dish that has to be made fresh when a diner orders it – as opposed to something prepared in advance, like a sauce that sits on the stove all day, to be used as needed.
And ever wonder what the "sous vide" cooking craze is all about? In French, the phrase means "under vacuum" and means cooking food in vacuum-sealed pouches to make it extra juicy and yummy.
In Italian, "al dente" means "to the tooth" and is the ideal way to cook pasta – slightly undercooked, according to most Italian chefs and diners. It has a slightly chewy – not mushy – texture.
Many restaurants offer "al fresco" dining during nice weather. Meaning "in the fresh air" in Italian, it refers to outdoor seating.

Finally, as promised, here's the translation of the example at the beginning of this segment: "Hey, Bob. We are super busy, so we have to get these orders to the expediter right away. I need four filets, one well-done; two orders of French fries; one salad, no mushrooms – all right now. We're giving VIP treatment to table 11, so start cooking this order right away."

That segment was by Susan Herman, a retired multidisciplined language analyst, editor, and instructor for the federal government.

'Michigander' or 'Michiganian'?

by Mignon Fogarty

Grammarpaloozian David texted noting that I called the people of Michigan "Michiganders" at the beginning of the recent segment on why some word sets are so different, like the verbs "go" and "went." He said, "As you may be aware, after a century of arguing about it, MichigandersMichiganians have not come to a consensus. Except, of course, regarding the people of Ohio :) [So] Michiganders vs. Michiganians — what's the history, and which one is better?"

Well, David, I am certainly not going to resolve an issue that's been raging for more than a century, but I guess I am bold enough to try to shed some light on it.

Here's what I found about the good people of Michigan:

'Michigander,' 'Michiganian,' and 'Michiganite'

Merriam-Webster and Garner's Modern English Usage both list three possible names: "Michigander," "Michiganian," and "Michiganite." By every measure I could find, "Michiganite" is the least popular of the three and relatively rare, so I'm going to set that one aside.

'Michigander'

S0 an Ngram from a Google Books search shows that "Michigander" is by far the most popular, and has been for a long time. It's outflanked "Michiganian" since the mid-1800s, and the most recent data from 2022 shows that "Michigander" appears more than 1000% percent more often than "Michiganian." A poll conducted in 2011 of Michigan residents wasn't that dramatic, but it did also reveal a strong preference for "Michigander," which got 58% of the vote compared to only 12% for "Michiganian."

Not only is "Michigander" more popular, it's also the official name used by the state government, as determined by a line in Senate Bill No. 562 that reads "'Michigander' means a resident of the State of Michigan." That state bill passed unanimously in 2017.

'Michiganian'

But the federal government has other ideas for the Great Lakes State. The U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual lists "Michiganian" as the state's demonym, or name for the populace.

So where did these names come from?

Well, "Michiganian" is older. The first reference in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1813. "Michigander" doesn't show up until 1838.

Lincoln and 'Michigander'

Some sources suggest Abraham Lincoln coined the "Michigander" name when he used it in a speech to insult Lewis Cass, who had been the governor of Michigan Territory before it became a state — possibly calling on the idea of male goose tails (it's a little unclear) — but the dates don't line up. That speech was in 1848, ten years after the OED's first citation.

Lincoln's speech certainly may have given the name a boost though.

And it's funny that even though it was originally an insult, it's the most popular term people use for themselves today. Also, fittingly, when Lincoln insulted Cass, Cass was running for president on a platform of states rights; and now in the battle over what to call the state's residents, the people are rejecting the name preferred by the federal government, essentially saying it's the state's right to determine the name. To heck with the Feds!

There is at least one small problem with the name though.

'Michigeese' and 'Michigoslings'?

In an article titled "Names for Americans" in the journal American Speech, H.L. Mencken wrote in 1947 that "The chief objection to Michigander is that it inspires idiots to call a Michigan woman a Michigoose and a child a Michigosling, but the people of the State have got used to this and apparently prefer it to ‘Michiganite’." (Are you used to it, Michiganders? Do you even hear it?) Anyway, Mencken also reported having seen "Michiganer" and "Michiganese."

Interestingly, that article also notes that at the time, the U.S. Government Printing Office listed "Michiganite" as the designation, so it seems the name is ever changing.

'Yoopers'

And I can't finish talking about people from Michigan without talking about Yoopers, the unofficial name for people who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That nickname comes from the initials "U.P." for Upper Peninsula.

Demonyms in general

And moving beyond Michigan, it's not the only state with naming squidginess — not by far.

In fact, the 1947 Mencken article reviews just how varied these names can be, running through many states that have multiple terms: "Floridan" versus "Floridian"; "Texian," "Texican," and "Texan," for example.

An 1842 citation in the OED for "Michigander" also includes "New Hampshirer," which is now more commonly "New Hampshirite"; and "Masachusettser," which is now more commonly "Massachusite" or "Massachusettsan."

We actually wrote more extensively about these demonyms or denizen names back in July of 2022, and there are some rough guidelines about how to form these names. If you're interested, it's episode 879.

For example, I call David, who asked the question, a Grammarpaloozian, which if you imagine that Grammarpalooza is a place, actually follows the pattern for place names that end in "a" or "ia" in the same way that someone from California is a Californian.

And thanks for the question, David. And for your support of the show.

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Familect

Finally, I have a familect story from J.D.

Hello, my name is J.D. Wright. I'm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I've got a family story for you.

My grandmother, who had a big hand in raising me, and he had quite the wit and the mouth, used two words that I haven't heard from anyone outside our family, "Jakey" and "Cocky."

I learned early on that you didn't want either word applied to you or something you'd done because they were both terms of disparagement. As a teenager and more as a piece of fun than out of genuine curiosity, I asked her which was worse. If she didn't hesitate for a moment, "Cocky" was definitely the adjective to avoid more diligently.

I never knew or asked while she was alive about the difference, but thinking about it over the years, I believe I figured it out. They're both used to describe things that are tacky, but something "Jakey" is tacky because you didn't try hard enough, while something "Cocky" is tacky because you tried too hard.

A dead refrigerator on your front porch? That's "Jakey."

A lady's formal hat made out of a dozen lace doilies exited with orange tulips? That would be "Cocky."

But there was something even worse than those two. If you had some kind of setup that transcended tackiness and was instead just rank disgusting filth, Grandma would call that "Kyarny." I miss Grandma, and sometimes I wish that I'd asked her how that was spelled.

Love your podcast. Keep it up. Thanks.

Thanks, J.D. What great words, and you're not alone. I find that the spelling question comes up a lot.

If you want to share your family word story, your familect, you can use WhatsApp or voicemail, and you'll find all the information in the show notes.

Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Thanks to Brannan Goetschius, director of podcasts; Davina Tomlin and Nat Hoopes in marketing; Holly Hutchings in digital operations; Dan Feierabend in audio; and Morgan Christianson in advertising, who likes to bake and recently made some bananas foster cookies! Sounds delicious!

And I'm Mignon Fogarty, better known as Grammar Girl and author of the tip-a-day book "The Grammar Daily." That's all. Thanks for listening.

The following references for the "Michigander" segment did not appear in the audio but are included here for completeness.

Abraham Lincoln, Speech in US House of Representatives on the Presidential Question (Jul 27, 1848).

Contextus.org. https://www.contextus.org/Abraham_Lincoln%2C_Speech_in_US_House_of_Representatives_on_the_Presidential_Question_(Jul_27%2C_1848).38?lang=en (accessed September 30. 2024)

Bryan A. Garner, "Denizen Labels," Garner’s Modern English Usage (4th ed. 2016), at p. 259. (accessed through the iOS app, September 29, 2024)

"Michigander." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigander (accessed September 29. 2024)

"Michigander" or "Michiganian"? | How Abraham Lincoln is commonly credited with one of the two debated terms. WZZM13.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/history/michigander-or-michiganian-abraham-lincoln-commonly-credited-with-debated-terms/69-74d49715-4a56-44cd-9c8c-507ae0248cbe (accessed September 29. 2024)