Wicked Good Guides / Wicked Good Guide to Boston English /

Grinda

A sub or spuckie. Annette Leonard reports that in Saugus, it is specifically a toasted sub.

Comments

I grew up in Connecticut, in New Haven county, and I think some people call hot subs 'grinders' too. At least, I always did. Now I go to college in Pennsylvania where they call all subs 'hoagies', so I like to order meatball grinders wherever I go, just to see if I can confuse the cashier or get them mad... lol. Well that and cause I'm hungry at the time and I happen to like meatball grinders. :-)

Josh on February 4, 2004 04:28 AM.

Back in Western Mass everyone calls them grinders. Subs are much less heard, and hoagie is pretty much unheard of.

scott on March 3, 2004 01:14 PM.

Back in Western Mass everyone calls them grinders. Subs are much less heard, and hoagie is pretty much unheard of.

scott on March 3, 2004 01:16 PM.

The Grinder was Invented
In New London CT.

it can be Hot or cold
basicaly its the role that makes the grinder a nice hard one is best

groton on March 24, 2004 01:41 AM.

I was brought up that it was a sub if you got it from D'Angelo's or Subway, but if you got it fresh made from a convenience store then it was a grinder. I've never called it a hoagie.

Lindsay on June 19, 2004 01:03 AM.

I've lived in Boston and Quincy all my life and I'd never heard it called anything besides a "sub" until I went to school out in Western Mass. I had no idea what a grinder was until I came out here. If you go into any place in Boston and ask for a "grinder", they'll look at you like you're crazy. They're SUBS!!

Meghan on November 9, 2004 08:21 PM.

Yeah, I never heard the word grinda till I went to school in Worcester. I grew up on the North Shore and it was always subs.

Chris on November 30, 2004 04:18 PM.

I grew up south of Boston and we always called "subs" "subs" - when I was oldah I heard of grindahs - but it was explained to me that the grindah was a toasted sub.

lynne on April 9, 2005 10:49 PM.

In Manchester, NH, they're all grinders. And why would anyone eat at Subways?

Ryan on June 14, 2006 04:43 PM.

i grew up in lowell and have lived all around boston and the area. i still have never heared anyone ever cal a sub a grinder, ever.

vincent on June 15, 2006 01:52 PM.

I'm from Littleton and I've never heard of anyone calling them a grinder. I've heard of the word hoagie but i've never actually heard anybody say it. They've always been called subs, hot or cold

Samantha on November 29, 2006 09:38 PM.

I grew up in JP and Rozzie where they were always called "Subs". During my years at UMass/Boston the best subs were found at John's Original Subs and Pizza on Old Colony ave in Southie. D'Angelo's Steak Bomb subs are also pretty good. Great, now I'm hungry and I live in friggin' Florida!

Peter (Peetah) on August 21, 2007 04:06 PM.

In Boston in the 80's we always meant grinders were toasted subs, especially from the greek places.
Otherwise just a sub from any shop.

dot rat on November 22, 2007 10:16 AM.

I grew up on the north shore. A grinder was toasted and had shredded lettuce, and you got it at a Greek pizza place. Subs came from Italian Delis. They are different.

Suzanne on December 7, 2007 10:24 AM.

Its a grinder!! Get the best grinders in CT I grew up in New London and never heard it called anything but a grinder. I moved to the south and they are subs. Let me tell you there is a big difference. Man I miss home

Henry on December 8, 2007 03:14 PM.

As I remember it growing up in the Berkshires, a cold sub was called a submarine sandwich while a hot one was called a grinder. This was the early sixties, which I think predated the shortening of the word submarine to sub.
I wonder if name grinder had its origins from the texture of the meat. Grinders had ground meat such as sausage or meatballs, while the submarine had sliced meat like salami or ham & cheese.

Dennis Daly on January 4, 2008 07:45 PM.

The term "sub" came from the Canto family in Wakefield MA. (owners of Toodys) The term "grinder" was adapted from transplants out of RI.

Grinder= sub/hogie
Cabinet = shake, or "frappe" (ma)
Weiner= small. thin hot dog w/ NY system weiner sauce.
soda= tonic/coke/pop
gravy= spagetti sauce-(red)

I live in Ohio and I still haven't found a decent slice of pizza or a real italian grinder. Ohio sucks for chinese too ! I gotta get back to N.E.

:)

jackie on January 28, 2008 11:11 PM.

i just have one question............why are subs called grinders up north???? what is the origin?????? ok, 2 questions:):):)

jamie on February 14, 2008 10:57 PM.

http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/e33.html

This explains the origin of the term "grinda".


I've lived all over the country and I can honestly say that New England has some of the best and most unique selections of ethnic foods anywhere.
From Portuagese to chinese, to pizza, clam cakes and weinies.... NE's got it all !! :)

The fact that you can travel from one state to another and have completely different accents, food and atmosphere just within an hour's drive is absolutely incredible.

You guys have no idea how lucky you are to live there.


Susie on February 21, 2008 12:34 PM.

http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/e33.html

This explains the origin of the term "grinda".


I've lived all over the country and I can honestly say that New England has some of the best and most unique selections of ethnic foods anywhere.
From Portuagese to chinese, to pizza, clam cakes and weinies.... NE's got it all !! :)

The fact that you can travel from one state to another and have completely different accents, food and atmosphere just within an hour's drive is absolutely incredible.

You guys have no idea how lucky you are to live there.


Susie on February 21, 2008 12:34 PM.

Grinders came from Rhode Island.

Subs are from MA.

Hogies are a midwest thing

Poor boys- south


larry on February 21, 2008 12:37 PM.

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