Happy, Happy!

[the_gneech]

Happy birthday to kagur and montykins! For your present, here's today's Forgotten English!

soda-squirt
One who works at a soda fountain. New Mexico.

--Elsie Warnock's Dialect Speech in California and New Mexico, 1919

A Brief History of Coca-Cola
On this date in 1886, Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton put the headache- and hangover-remedy syrup he had been brewing in a brass kettle in his backyard on sale at a local pharmacy. The concoction included dried South America coca-shrub leaves -- a common ingredient in patent medicines of the day -- African kola-nut extract, and fruit syrup. At his accountant's suggestion, he had named it Coca-Cola and, initially touted it as a "Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage." Legend has it that one day in the summer of 1886, Coca-Cola was served to a hungover customer by a lazy soda-squirt who, rather than walking to the other end of the counter to add the usual tap water to the syrup, used the closer carbonated water spigot instead -- producing the first fizzy modern beverage. But sluggish first-year sales amounted to only $50, against $73.96 spent on advertising, and in 1887 Pemberton sold two-thirds of his ownership of the drink for $1,200.

I think they should go back to marketing it as a Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage. Just 'cause it'd be cool.

-The Gneech <-- could use a little intellectual beverage right now if you know what I mean

Comments

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow...I haven't heard the word "soda-squirt" since I left the Southwest. Out there, we still have five and dime stores and those neat turn-of-the-century fountains. Absolutely NOTHING compares to a fountain sweet or drink served at a real fountain. If you can find one, you ought to try it.

When we were stationed in Panama, the Coca-Cola down there still contained that particular ingredient. My mother, a true coke devotee, went through some nasty withdrawals once we got stateside.

The syrup is still available in those five and dime drug stores as a stomach remedy as well.

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

They were called "soda jerks" around here.

[rhanlav.livejournal.com]

Is that the new 'little intellectual beverage' or the old kind? The new kind comes in three sizes, Tall, Grande, and some made up word. ;) But as for a nice coke, yeah, I have a case of soda stashed under my desk. Mmm Brain Tonic sounds weird, and makes me think of Zombies drink Coca-Cola now.

--Salen

[partiallyclips.livejournal.com]

When I worked at a corporate cafeteria in college, we occasionally used to hold an afternoon dessert/treat station. The guy who ran the grill (a total asshat named Nate) was supposed to run it, but I often covered for his lazy carcass.

One afternoon, we were serving root beer floats. One of my regular customers came up and asked me: what was I doing there instead of at my pizza station?

I told her, "I'm a temporary soda jerk. I'm just here until the real jerk gets back."

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

Heehee!

-TG

[stilghar.livejournal.com]

-The Gneech <-- could use a little intellectual beverage right now if you know what I mean

They call them "Energy Drinks" now. And I've so little blood in my caffiene stream that I barely notice them. :P

[jedi-iwakura.livejournal.com]

My aunt was once a soda-squirt.

XD

And I always have a bottle of the coke syrup in my fridge if I ever have tummy aches. I can still find that here in Winslow, even if the old Rosco's closed up years ago and burnt down recently.

;-;

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Wow! I didn't even learn this much when I went to the CocaCola museum in Vegas!