In the U.S., diners were originally diner cars on trains, or even horse-drawn roofed carts in the city streets. They served a standard array of fairly bland foods; eggs, coffee, hamburgers, steak, ham.
The waiters developed an amusing slang to yell orders back to the cook; this diner code varies in different regions, and some of it made its way into the English language. The exact origin of the more popular terms, like "86-ed", is hotly debated.
Part of the point of diner slang is to make up new and clever ways to refer to the food. A cook who has to ask what it means loses a cool point.
Diner slang
Eggs:
Adam and Eve on a raft =
poached eggs on toast
deadeye = poached egg
wreck 'em = scrambled eggs
Meat:
first lady = spare ribs (another
Adam and Eve reference)
Pittsburgh = meat cooked rare but charred on the outside
on the hoof = meat cooked rare
Noah's boy = ham (
Ham was Noah's second son)
groundhog, bow wow,
Coney Island =
hot dog
burn one, clean up the kitchen =
hamburger
two cows, make 'em cry = two burgers with onions
take a chance = hash
bowl of red =
chili
radio = tuna (like saying "tuna" or "turn it down")
Bossy in a bowl = beef stew
Drinks
city, city juice, 81, dog soup = water
moo juice, cow, 5 = milk
java, joe, draw one =
coffee
pair of drawers = two coffees
blonde and sweet = coffee with milk and sugar
sinkers and suds, life preservers = doughnuts and coffee
fifty-five =
root beer
51 = hot chocolate
41 = lemonade
squeeze one = orange juice
Desserts
fish eyes = tapioca pudding
bucket of mud = bowl of chocolate ice cream
houseboat =
banana split
nervous =
Jello
Eve with the lid on =
apple pie
Other
sand, yum-yum = sugar
twins, Mike and Ike =
salt and pepper
burn the British =
English muffin, toasted
birdseed = bowl of cereal
shingle with a shimmy = toast with jelly
pin a rose on it, corsage = with onions
cut the grass = no relish (on a hot dog or hamburger)
paint it red = with ketchup
in the alley = serve it on the side
high and dry = serve it plain, with no
ketchup or mayo
on wheels, take it for a walk = an order
to go
86 = the kitchen is out of it, or, cancel the order