Originally posted by Turnbull:
I believe it's called a "hero" only in New York. Elsewhere it's a "grinder" (CT), "sub" (NJ and many other places), "hoagie" (the South?), "hush puppy" (also the South?). Anyone else know more?
TB actually it is a "hoagie" in Philadelphia. The way it came about is that there was a place called "Hog's Island" in the port of Philadelphia. Many of the workers there at the turn of the century were of Italian descent and brought sandwiches on long bread, and ate them for lunch. The locals began referring to the workers and their sandwiches as "Hoggies" (after the island) and it you put a Philadelphia accent to it the word sounds like Hoagies. Soon local delis began selling variations of the sadnwich and thus the name stuck.
