My grandma makes these fabulous fried potatoes with breakfast; diced, not grated, sautéed to crispy translucency. Because they are chunks, not slivers, we have always called these delights “slashbrowns” (I think the etymology is clear.) However, I just found a note in the margin of my thesis: “Is this a word?” across from the underlined “sl” in “slashbrowns.”
I was confident a few websearches would show that this is a longstanding term, possibly of regional origin — which would be totally appropriate to my Oregon Coast setting — but, I am appalled to say, the internet has let me down. No recipes. No tasty tater pics.
I guess my character will make hashbrowns, and my family will be duly noted as even more idiosyncratic than heretofore believed.
Comments
Non-words
Nothing that a couple of single quotes can’t legitimize. :)
Home fries?
It sounds like your grandmother is making “home fries.” Really, really, really tasty-sounding “home fries.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_fries
No subject
You mean we aren’t supposed to make up the words?
(I love “slashbrowns” and think you ought to keep it.)
l.
Crikey!
Potatoes really bring out the commenters here’bouts. These ‘home fries’ do sound remarkably similar to slashbrowns. Also, tasty. I haven’t had dinner yet.
I’m not sure I can hold out against the Slashbrown contingent when Leslie is in their ranks…nor can I ever bring myself to argue that I don’t have the right to invent words.
Hmm. Maybe Jack and future readers will have to learn my crazy lingo!
names
Just make sure each sliver is skinny and has four eyes & call them slashdots.
Re: names
Potatoes figure promptly in my novel-in-progress. Maybe the question is more about if everyone needs to get what you’re doing. (And I say this without any idea of what you’re doing.)
But you can also put stuff back after graduation if you choose.
Re: names
(note that I do not respond to EMeta’s slashdot suggestion. Because it APPALLS me on every level.)
The slashbrowns (which I restored today in a moment of bravado before sending the thesis in) are in a homemade breakfast-food context, so it shouldn’t be too confusing. I have gone with the weird, for truly, it is NOT the only weird thing in the story, so why should I lull people into a false sense of normality?
taters
I think sometimes they’re called country style or home style hashbrowns. Or something. Ask me when I start getting more than 4-6 hours sleep per night. But they’re called something. On some menu. Somewhere. I guarantee it.
Waffle House
This may be betraying my cultural origins, but I this is also the way “hash” is served in some parts of the south? In fact, I grew up eating fried potatoes that were about a quarter inch thick and pieces as big as half-dollars. More Potato, less grease, and very tasty. (Always comes with onions.)
re: Waffle House
Interesting, J9 (and welcome to my lair!). My sources call that…lessee, O’Brian has peppers, so I think Potatoes “Lyonnaise” or something.
My sources are Wikipedian, though, so they could easily be mistaken.