There was a game show (a competition on television for money) a few years ago called “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (a fifth grader is a student in grade five, about eleven years old). In the game, adults would try to answer questions taken from the lessons of elementary school (grades one through six) students. If you got an answer wrong, you had to say, “I am not smarter than a 5^th grader!”

The game became so popular that other countries (more than 50!) created similar shows, some of which are still on the air (being shown on television).

Today’s post is not about questions for fifth graders, but for those who are about to go to college.

In the U.S., students who want to attend (go to; be a student at) a university usually have to write a short essay about some topic in order to demonstrate that they know how to write well in English.  I thought it would be fun to share some of the topics high school seniors (twelfth graders) have to answer when applying to many U.S. colleges.

The following writing prompts (topics for writing an essay, usually for an exam or application) are among the most popular used by American colleges. Read each question and think about what your answer might be:

-Some students have a background or story that is so central (important) to their identity (who they see themselves as) that they believe their application would be incomplete (not finished) without it. If this sounds like (appears to be) you, then please share (tell us) your story.

-Recount (tell us the story of) an incident (event; situation) or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?

-Reflect (think about) a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted (caused) you to act (do it)? Would you make that same decision again?

-Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly (completely) content (happy; satisfied). What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful (important; significant) to you?

-Discuss an accomplishment (something you’ve done) or event, formal or informal, that marked (indicated) your transition (change) from childhood (being a child) to adulthood (being an adult) within your culture, community, or family.

See if you can answer one of these questions (in English!), then tell us about how you answered in the comments below.

~Jeff

Photo credit: Student in Kentucky, 1946, Wikipedia PD

 

 

There is an old saying, “You are what you eat,” which means that if you eat good food, you’ll be healthy, and if you don’t, you won’t.

But do we really know what we’re eating?

In the past year or two, the news media (newspapers, magazines, TV news, Internet news, etc.) has reported on foods that are purportedly (said to be; claim to be) one thing, but are instead something else, usually something cheaper, of poorer quality, or not meant for (intended for) human consumption (for people to eat or drink).

You buy beef, but it’s really horse meat. You buy salmon, but it’s really dyed (made to changed colors) white fish. You buy saffron, the most expensive spice (substance used to improve the taste of food) in the world, but it’s been doctored (changed to make it appear to be something else) with red dye, a substance know to cause cancer.

I recently read about a non-profit (not intended to make money) website called the USP Fraud Database intended to help regulators (people whose job is to enforce rules and laws) and large-scale purchasers (buyers of large quantities) spot (find) food scams (frauds; tricks) and substitutes (things used instead of the real thing). The database has over 2,000 foods that have been known to be a product of fraud based on food-related research studies. The database even lists those research studies in case you want to know the source (where something comes from) and/or to read more about them.

If you type in “saffron,” that spice I mentioned before, you’ll find that there are over 100 “adulterants,” or substances put into it or in place of it that shouldn’t be there, including flowers, other spices, and even chalk (the white limestone substance sometimes made into sticks to write on chalkboards in classrooms)! Yuck (disgusting)!

You can take a look at the USP Fraud Database yourself and search for foods you commonly eat. But, then again (on the other hand; from another view), sometimes ignorance is bliss (not knowing makes you happier).

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: Packages from Wikipedia

 

Aristotle said that the goal of every human being is (or should be) happiness. The ancient Greeks had their own definitions of what happiness was, and nearly every important philosopher since that time has tried to give a definition of it.

But why should philosophers have all of the fun (be the only ones to enjoy an activity)? Here are some other ideas about happiness from some famous Americans. See if you agree with their ideas of what it means to be happy. If you don’t, you can put your own definition in the comments.

————–

“Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.“

-Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson was our third president, and author of the Declaration of Independence. To be pained means to have some injury, to physically feel pain. To be troubled means to be worried or have some problems. In mind here means mentally or psychologically or emotionally.

So Jefferson’s definition is basically negative: Being happy means not being physically in pain or psychologically troubled.

————–

“Nothing can bring you to happiness but yourself.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson was one of America’s great 19th century poets and writers (and absolutely no relation to (not connected to as a family member) the English rock group from the 1970s, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer). Emerson’s quote focuses on who can bring you to (give you or help you to reach) happiness. The answer, Emerson says, is you and you alone.

————–

“Happiness is not a goal; it’s a by-product.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Roosevelt was the wife of the great Franklin D. Roosevelt, president of the United States during the 1930s and early 1940s. She seems to disagree with Aristotle, saying that our goal in life is not happiness itself. Instead, she says happiness is a by-product.

A by-product is something that is produced or made in addition to something that is your main goal or objective. For example, when you boil water in your kitchen to cook some eggs, a by-product is steam (water vapor). Your main goal was to boil water, not to make steam, but steam is in this case a by-product. It gets made in the process of boiling the water.

Roosevelt says that by trying to get something else (she does not tell us what), we may also get happiness, but we should not try to seek (look for) happiness itself.

————–

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”

-George Burns

Burns was one of the most famous comedians and actors in the 20th century, who lived to the age of 100 (he died in 1996). To be caring means to take care of or help someone. A close-knit family is a family where everyone supports each other, where family members are loyal to each other and feel a close connection with each other.

Burns’ funny definition of happiness says that having a wonderful family will make you happy if they live in another city, far away from you.

Do you agree with these statements on happiness? What is your definition of being happy?

~Jeff

Photo credit: Smiley, Wikipedia PD

Small animals have lived in cities for many years. They are so common that some people refer to (call) them unnoticed neighbors because they aren’t aware of them (don’t know they’re there). New York’s Central Park is home to 300 species (kinds) of birds and many small mammals (animals that drink milk from their mother when they’re young). Boston’s Back Bay (protected part of the sea) was designed to create habitat (a home for animals) and attract animals that live in marshlands (ground that is always wet) to the city. As natural habitats shrink (get smaller) or disappear, manmade areas like these become more important. In many ways they are the best and safest kind of urban (city) habitat for animals that have no other place to go.

In other urban areas, chimneys (pipe for smoke), drainage ditches (system for moving unwanted water out of the city), and other structures (something that has been built) provide habitat for other animals. A drainage ditch just one block from where I live provides habitat for migrating (traveling) ducks and geese and a permanent home for a snowy egret.

But what happens when animals begin to leave the open areas in and around the cities and move into the inner city (downtown) or into neighborhoods where people live?

Often it’s okay. My wife works for a company that occupies a large, hilly park-like area. When she walks to her car after working in the evening, she is often serenaded (to serenade is to sing to someone) by the coyotes (photo above) who live in the area. During the day she may see a herd (group) of deer – as many as 20 – grazing on (eating) the grass as she drives from one place to another. This area is mostly surrounded (to be on every side) by houses, apartments, commercial buildings, and freeways, and the animals cause no problems.

Stan Gehrt, an animal researcher in Chicago, is impressed with the way some animals adapt to (become successful in) the urban environment. He tells of coyotes who wait until traffic clears (goes away) before running across the road. Sometimes they even stop on the median (area in between two sides of a road) and wait until the traffic moving the other direction clears before continuing across. One coyote in downtown Chicago seems to know when traffic lights are red or green. She waits until the cars stop before she runs across the road. She’s been doing that for more than three years and has never been hit by a car.

As cities grow and natural habitats shrink, Gehrt is worried that larger animals will come to town. And that’s happened here in southern California.

In the city of Glendale, a bear called Meatball made many visits to foothill (small hills below high mountains) neighborhoods. He ate from people’s trash containers and even got into an outdoor freezer (a place to keep frozen food) filled with frozen meatballs – that’s how he got his name! Officials tried twice (two times) to relocate (move) him deep into the Angeles National Forest, but he came back both times. He was finally taken to a wildlife sanctuary (safe place for animals) near San Diego.

The story doesn’t end there. A second bear has appeared in Glendale and made many visits during the last six months. On one visit he destroyed a group of bee hives (box where bees are kept) and ate much of the honey. Officials hope they can catch him soon and take him to the same wildlife sanctuary that Meatball lives in.

Have animals moved into the city where you live? What kind? Have they caused any problems?

~ Warren Ediger – English coach/tutor and creator of the Successful English website.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

 

 

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is no longer (not anymore) the ugly duckling of San Francisco bridges.

Do you know the story of The Ugly Duckling? It’s a children’s story by Hans Christian Anderson that tells about an ugly little bird who is picked on (treated badly) by the other animals in the barnyard (area for animals on a farm). When he grows up, he is delighted, and the other animals are surprised, to discover that he is a beautiful swan.

When the Bay Bridge was finished in 1936, the city celebrated with fireworks and an air show. A few months later, when the red-painted Golden Gate Bridge was finished at the scenic (surrounded by beautiful countryside) end of San Francisco Bay, it quickly became a popular tourist attraction, and people seemed to forget about the longer and busier Bay Bridge. When people do think about it, according to one writer, they think about it “as a headache for commuters and a place not to be in an earthquake.” In short, the Bay Bridge became the ugly duckling of San Francisco bridges.

On March 7, at dusk (after the sun goes down and the sky is becoming less bright), the ugly duckling was transformed (changed in a way to make it more beautiful) into a beautiful swan. That’s when artist Leo Villareal switched on The Bay Lights, and turned the bridge into one of the world’s largest public art works.

The Bay Lights consists of (is made up of) more than 25,000 white lights attached to the vertical (up and down) cables (wires) that support the two-mile span (length) of the bridge. Each of the lights is controlled by a computer program written by Villareal. They change constantly (all the time) to reflect (look like; be similar to) the different kinds of movement – boats, water, traffic, and clouds – around the bridge.

You’ll be able to see The Bay Lights for the next two years. After that, the lights will have to be taken down so the bridge can be painted again. The project cost about eight million dollars and was paid for by private donations (money given by people and businesses). City officials expect it to attract (make people come to see it) more than 50 million viewers and bring about 100 million dollars to the local economy. Restaurants facing (having a view of) the bridge have suddenly become very popular. And tour boat operators have created tours so that people can see The Bay Lights from the water.

The Bay Lights is an example of what we call public or environmental art. One of the purposes of this kind of art is to help people see everyday objects, like buildings, bridges, or parks, in a different or unusual way. Examples of public art in other American cities include the New York City Waterfalls and Cloud Gate in Chicago.

You might not be able to go to San Francisco to see The Bay Lights, but you can experience it through this short video from The New York Times or this one from the University of San Francisco.

~ Warren Ediger – English tutor/coach and creator of the Successful English web site.

Photo courtesy of Telstar Logistics via Creative Commons.

 

While other nations around the world have, in recent years, welcomed their first female (woman) national leader, the United States still has not had its first female president. It’s not for the lack of trying (not because they haven’t tried) — just ask Hilary Clinton. However, Clinton was certainly not the first woman to run for president. That woman was Victoria Woodhull and she ran for president in 1872.

Victoria Woodhull was a colorful character (having had many experience, some good, but many bad or controversial). Woodhull was a suffragette, someone who championed (tried to get support for) women’s rights. She also believed in what she called “free love,” the ability to marry and have children without the government’s interference or involvement.

(I should point out here that “free love” in the 1960′s was an entirely different thing.  Young people in the 60′s who talked about free love believed that people should be able to have sexual relationships with whomever they wanted, regardless of (without caring about or being restricted by) marriage or other long-term relationships.  That’s not what Woodhull meant by “free love.”)

She was nominated to run for president by a newly-formed (just started) political party called the Equal Rights Party.  This Party also nominated (suggested; volunteered) Frederick Douglas for the vice-presidency. Frederick Douglas was a well known and well respected African American abolitionist (person fighting against slavery). Douglas actually never acknowledged (recognized) the nomination, but his nomination itself gave rise to (resulted in) a lot of controversy because it meant mixing races in one organization.

Woodhull did not get any electoral votes and it’s unclear how many popular votes (votes of individuals) she received. There was also some controversy because she was not yet 35 years old at the time of the election, which is the minimum age to become president. But according to the news coverage (news stories) at the time, this was not a major issue.

During Woodhull’s lifetime, she did many “firsts,” in addition to being the first female presidential candidate recognized by historians (people who study history). She and her sister were the first women stockbrokers (professionals who buy and sell stocks) and opened their brokerage firm (company that invests people’s money in the stock market) on Wall Street (the main area in New York City where stocks are traded) in 1870. She and her sister also published a newspaper called Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly, which included stories about many taboo (not accepted by society) topics, such as sex education and spiritualism (the belief that people can communicate with the dead).

Perhaps Woodhull’s views about marriage and her work toward women’s rights had to do with her first husband, whom she married when she was just 15 years old. He was a much older man who was working as a doctor, though his credentials (qualifications) were dubious (doubtful; not to be trusted). He was an alcoholic (addicted to alcohol) and a womanizer (had romantic/sexual relationships with many women), and Woodhull divorced him. At that time, divorce was not common and the woman in a divorce was stigmatized (disapproved of by society) and ostracized (not allowed to join society).  Woodhull would marry three times in total and died living in England at the age of 88.

As I said, Woodhull was a very colorful person, but her life was anything but (definitely not) dull (boring).

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: Victoria Woodhull from Wikipedia

American cities and towns get their names from many sources. It’s clear where cities like Lincoln, Nebraska; Jefferson City, Missouri; Cleveland, Ohio; and Jackson, Mississippi get their names — from the names of American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Grover Cleveland, and Andrew Jackson.

Other city or town names come from the original inhabitants (people who live there) or the origins of the immigrants or migrants (people who move from one part of a country to another) who moved there, such as New York and New Mexico.  And still other towns are named for their functions or unique geographical features (special features of the land).

But some U.S. cities have truly strange and inexplicable names. Some of these are very small towns and communities.

In the state where I grew up — Arizona — there is a town called Nothing. Established (created) in 1977, this is truly a small town, with only four residents (people living there) now. However, those residents have a very good sense of who they are and what they represent.  One town sign reads (says):

Town of Nothing Arizona. Founded 1977. Elevation (position above sea level) 3269 ft.

The staunch (loyal) citizens of Nothing are full of Hope, Faith, and Belief in the work ethic (the idea that hard work is good and will bring good results). Thru (through) the years, these dedicated (devoted; committed to a purpose) people had faith (belief; confidence) in Nothing, hoped for Nothing, worked at Nothing, for Nothing.

The people of Nothing also have a good sense of humor.  The last sentence include several puns, jokes based on a word or phrase having more than one meaning.

“To have faith in nothing” normally means to believe in nothing.  ”To have faith in (something)” usually means to have confidence in it and believe that it will do what it says it will do.  For example:
- “Julia doesn’t have faith in her car’s GPS system. She prefers to use a paper map.”
- “Ken has faith in his children’s honesty and know that they wouldn’t tell a lie.”

“To hope for nothing” usually means to expect or wish for nothing:
- “Based on her past experience, Mandy knew to hope for nothing from her boss even if she asked for help.”
- “Gil hoped for nothing when he moved to the new town, but has actually made a lot of friends.”

“To work at nothing” means to be aimless and not put your time and energy into achieving anything.  For example:
- “After years of working at nothing and living at home with his parents, Don finally went back to school, completed his degree, and got a job.”
- “When Sophie retires, she plans to work at nothing and just enjoy her free time.”

Finally, “for nothing” normally means with no result:
- “I worked on this old car for nothing. I couldn’t get it to work.”
- “Sam cleaned the house for nothing. His family didn’t even notice his hard work.”

Before reading about Nothing, I had never heard of this town. Now, I’m intrigued (interested).  If I ever stop there for a visit, I’ll know to expect Nothing.

Are there towns with unusual names where you live?

~ Lucy

P.S. The title of this post “What’s in a name?” is a line from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet uttered (said) by Juliet:

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Juliette means, of course, that a name isn’t important.  If a rose were called by a different name, it would have the same good scent or smell.

Photo Credit:  Nothing, Arizona from Wikipedia

 

We are in the middle of another school year in the United States, and I thought it might be fun to look at a little quiz (small test) on American education. Try to answer the following seven questions as best you can, then look at the bottom of the page for the answers (but read the questions first – no cheating (being dishonest)!).

1. How many children are enrolled in (attend; are part of) primary (elementary; K-6) and secondary (high school; 7-12) education in the U.S.?
A. 27 million
B. 35 million
C. 55 million
D. 62 million

2. What percentage of public schools in the U.S. have Internet access?
A. 50%
B. 75%
C. 90%
D. 100%

3. Which Supreme Court decision declared (decided) that the segregation (separating students based on some characteristic) of public schools by race to be unconstitutional (against the fundamental law of the United States, the Constitution)?
A. Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke
B. Brown v. Board of Education
C. Hopwood v. State of Texas
D. Bob Jones Univ. v. United States

4. Which test is the most common standardized test (usually given to large numbers of students nationally) required for admission to most undergraduate institutions (colleges or universities for students with a high school degree) in the U.S.?
A. TOEFL
B. SAT I
C. ACT
D. GRE

5. What kind of visa (official government permission) does a non-U.S. citizen need if he or she has been accepted into a program to study, or to conduct research (do scientific investigations) at a U.S. college or university?
A. M Visa
B. F Visa
C. J Visa
D. K Visa

6. Which of the following statements (sentences) about community colleges is true?
A. Community Colleges provide two-year associates degree programs but do not award (give to students) Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral degrees.
B. Community Colleges provide training to members of the community in which they are located.
C. Community colleges provide more hands-on (practical) and vocational (for a specific kind of job that normally does not require a Bachelors degree) training than four year colleges and universities.
D. All of the above.

7. Accreditation (approval from a special kind of education organization given to a school) of U.S. schools, postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities), and other education providers is:
A. Mandatory (required) for all institutions
B. Mandatory only for institutions with more than 5,000 students
C. Mandatory only for institutions offering services to students with special needs
D. A voluntary (not required) process.

Answers:

1 – Total number of students: (C) 55 million. California has the single largest number of students, with more than six million, followed by Texas with around 5 million and New York with a little more than three million.

2 – Percentage of schools with Internet: (D) 100%. Also interesting to note: Percentage of students who spend time on the Internet in school and are actually studying: 0%.

3 – Desegregation ruling: (B) Brown vs. Board of Education, 1954 (see English Café 166). The other court cases were all related to education and race, but not desegregation. The Bakke case was about affirmative action (giving certain students advantages in admission due to their race or sex), as was Hopwood. Bob Jones related to racial discrimination at a university.

4 – Undergraduate admissions test: (B) SAT I, which used to stand for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The test is given by a private company but used by most universities. The ACT is similar to the SAT, but from another testing company. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is used to test the English of international students wanting to attend U.S. colleges. The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is a test for those who want to get a Masters or Ph.D. at an American university.

5 – Student visa: (B) F Visa, although M Visa is also a possible answer here. M Visas apply just to students of vocational schools, however. Come to think of it (now that I am thinking more carefully about this), the J Visa can be used for people coming to the U.S. to do specialized medical or business training, too, although it is typically for “cultural exchange” programs. The K Visa is for the fiancé (man you plan to marry) or fiancée (woman you plan to marry) of an American citizen. The difficult part of this visa is not getting permission from the U.S. government, but from the person you want to marry.

6 – Community colleges: (D) All of the above. We talked about community colleges in English Café 135.

7 – Accreditation: (D) A voluntary process. Most people are surprised to learn that there is no law that requires educational institutions like colleges and universities to get “accredited.” However, most schools do go through the process of accreditation in part in order to show their students that they are, in fact, legitimate schools.

Note: Material for these questions comes in part from the U.S. State Department’s website.

~Jeff

Photo credit: Plato’s Academy mosaic from Pompeii, Wikipedia, PD

I remember hearing this statement from an early American writer and religious leader when I was in high school:

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do … I will do.”

I had almost forgotten it, but they came to life for me recently when I heard the story of Angela Patton.

Angela studied to become a nurse and doula, someone who helps women and their families during and after the time a baby is born. A few years ago, Angela created a program called Camp Diva that, according to Angela, “helps girls of African descent (nationality; where your family originally came from)” prepare to become healthy young women.

One day one of Angela’s girls began to complain because her father kept checking up on (to find out if she’s doing what she should be doing) her. “You’re lucky,” said Jasmine, one of the other girls. “I haven’t heard from my dad in years.”

For Angela that was an “Aha!” moment – a moment when you suddenly understand something or come up with an important idea. At that moment Angela understood in a new way how important it was for girls to connect with (have a good relationship with) their fathers.

She thought about what the girls had said, then asked, “How can we help other girls develop healthy relationships with their fathers?”

“Let’s have a dance,” one girl shouted. The others agreed, and the planning began – decorations, invitations, what to wear, what their fathers should, or shouldn’t, wear. Angela says she’s learned that these girls “know what they need.” And she’s learned that if you give them some structure (organization), mentoring (guidance), and resources, they can build what they need and thrive (do very well).

The night of the dance came and so did most of the girls and their fathers, all dressed up for the occasion (event). Angela says, “They acted sweet. They acted silly. They really enjoyed each other’s company (being with each other). It was a huge success. And the girls decided to do it every year.”

A year went by, and soon it was time to plan the next dance. But as they began, Brianna told the other girls that “My dad can’t come to the dance, and this whole thing is making me sad.”

“Why not?” the others asked.

“Because he’s in jail.”

Angela says that she thought for a moment, then asked the girls, “What do you think we should do about this?”

The girls were quiet, then one of them suggested, “Why don’t we just take the dance in the jail?”

And that’s what they did. The girls sent a letter to the sheriff (an elected law officer) in charge of the jail, asking him if they could have a dance there. And he said “Yes!” because he knew that fathers who are connected to their children probably won’t return to prison.

Almost 20 fathers and their daughters attended the dance in the jail. The girls wore their nicest dresses, and the fathers wore shirts and ties rather than (instead of) their jail uniforms. The girls and their fathers hugged each other and laughed. They enjoyed a catered (prepared somewhere else and brought in) meal. And they danced. It was so beautiful, Angela says, that even the guards cried.

Before they went home after the dance, the girls and their dads used small digital video cameras to record their feelings and thoughts so they could better remember the evening.

Angela Patton is only one person, but she has certainly done something very special for her girls and their fathers.

If you want to listen to Angela tell her story, you can find it here. If you do, click on “Show Transcript” below the video window and choose “English” so you can listen and read her story at the same time.

~ Warren Ediger – English tutor/coach and creator of the Successful English web site.

Photo credit: Angela Patton, TED Talk, CC

A few weeks ago, I talked about American-style pizza, which is as popular here in the U.S. as hamburgers and French fries. Another dish that has a borrowed beginning (started somewhere else), but that people consider American, is the chicken fried steak.

Despite its name, there is no chicken in chicken fried steak. Chicken fried steak is a breaded cutlet: a thinly-sliced (cut with a knife) piece of steak (beef; cow meat) that has been coated (covered on the surface with) flour (powder you get from grain) and then pan-fried (cooked in a pan with a little hot oil). It is served with a cream gravy (light-colored thick sauce made with milk or cream) on top of it and usually with mashed potatoes on the side. Typically, you also eat it with a biscuit, a small, round piece of bread that you can use to sop up (for a liquid to be put on or soaked into bread for eating) the leftover (remaining) gravy.

Why is it called chicken fried steak if there is no chicken in it? The name comes from the preparation of the meat, which is similar to how fried chicken is made.

Chicken fried steak is very popular throughout the U.S., but it is considered Southern food, from the southern part of the United States. Two different towns in Texas claim (say without proof or evidence) to be the birthplace (place something is born or created) of the chicken fried steak, and one of the towns even has an annual (yearly) celebration of the dish (type of food).

No one really knows the origins (beginnings) of the chicken fried steak, but some people believe that it was brought to the U.S. by German and Austrian immigrants (people who move to a country to live) who cooked a similar popular dish called Wiener Schnitzel.  If it’s true, then the dish probably got a name change in the 1930′s, perhaps due to anti-German opinions leading up to World War II.

Sometimes this same dish is called “country fried steak” and the light-colored gravy is referred to as “country gravy.” The “country” part of the name refers to this dish being a Southern or rural (not city) dish, giving it a more homey (comfortable and cozy) kind of feeling. You’ll find this dish most often in casual American sit-down (not fast food) restaurants and diners (casual restaurants that serve sandwiches, hamburgers, and other casual food and are often open long hours). In addition to having it at lunch or dinner, you’ll also see it sometimes on the breakfast menu, served with eggs and bacon.

Is there a similar dish where you live?

~ Lucy

Photo Credit:  Chicken fried steak from Wikipedia