Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!bbncca!keesan From: keesan@bbncca.ARPA (Morris Keesan) Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.nlang Subject: Re: local words ("tonic and frappe") Message-ID: <635@bbncca.ARPA> Date: Wed, 21-Mar-84 13:01:57 EST Article-I.D.: bbncca.635 Posted: Wed Mar 21 13:01:57 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 22-Mar-84 00:18:49 EST References: <788@dciem.UUCP> Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma. Lines: 24 ---------------------------- "Tonic" is not "tonic water", although "tonic water" is "tonic". "Tonic" is a generic term for a carbonated beverage (what is called "soda", "pop", "soda pop", etc. in various parts of the world). For example, Coke, root beer, ginger ale, and orange soda are all types of "tonic". Quinine water is sold as "quinine water" or "tonic water", and is what you get in your drink when you order a gin and tonic in New England, just as anywhere else. Although I grew up hearing "tonic" as a synonym for "soda", it's not a word I ever used that way, and I think its use has declined, at least around the Boston area. A "frappe" is not an "extra-thick milkshake". A "frappe" is what is known in most of the U.S. as a "milkshake". In Massachusetts, a "milkshake" is milk and syrup shaken up together. Note that it has no ice cream in it. A "frappe" is the same thing with ice cream beaten into it. In some places, you can even get a "frappe float", which is a frappe with a scoop of ice cream floating in it. I believe that in some part of New England (Rhode Island?) one of the above is know as a "cabinet". And of course none of these is to be confused with the concoctions sold by fast-food chains and known as "shakes" (note the omission of any implication that a cow was involved). -- Morris M. Keesan {decvax,linus,wjh12,ima}!bbncca!keesan keesan @ BBN-UNIX.ARPA