So we are back from being over the border, having had a great time. I took some movies to be posted later of the Battle of Ogdensburg recreation which are fairly neat – if seeing grown men dressed up funny shooting cannon within town limits is cool to you.
But as I was driving through east end Ogdensburg, New York, I noticed this. What is a “Hot” that you could win first prize for? The particular outlet for them is called Whimpy’s Inn.
[Original comments…]
portland – February 15, 2004 7:45 PM
it’s a nude picture of yourself. you should send them one.
Alan – February 15, 2004 9:29 PM
You know, that’s the first thing I thought of, too, but as it’s a different country and all…
SayNay? – February 15, 2004 10:18 PM
It’s the Ogdensburg chapter of the secret associaton of the “Higher Order Thinking Skills” . “Whimpy’s Inn” is just a clever cover – or truth in advertising, depending on your point of view.
Alan – February 15, 2004 10:29 PM
I immediately thought of the trademark violation in “whimpy” and fast food but as the place look like it served dozens daily I guess there is nothing there to go after.
SayNay – February 15, 2004 10:41 PM
That would be “Wimpy” wouldn’t it? Why don’t you send the picture off to Universal Studios anyway, and see if ya can shut ’em down – imagine those Mom & Pop Ogdensburg pirates living off the backs of corporate America! Shocking, I say, shocking!
Alan – February 15, 2004 10:49 PM
There is a Whimpy/Wimpey burger chain as well – based on the Popeye character.
SayNay – February 15, 2004 11:13 PM
I suppose its close enough to “cause confusion” -send it over to the legal department – “unleash the hounds!”
SayNay? – February 15, 2004 11:27 PM
“I’ll gladly pay you Thursday, for a first prize Hots today”
Alan – February 16, 2004 6:43 PM
I am being told that they are obviously hot dogs but I can’t believe it is that simple.
Alan – February 16, 2004 6:48 PM
Google has confirmed that a “Texas Hot” – what in Canada is called a chili dog – may be what is being referenced. Here is a review of such a place from another part of New York.
Alan – February 16, 2004 7:00 PM
This is getting interesting. At a hotdog joint in Rochester called Nick Tahou’s you can get “a garbage plate” and, importantly for our research, it is stated:
Alan – February 16, 2004 7:07 PM
…and, also in Rochester, you can get a white hot, a hot dog without nitrates or colouring. Same recipe since 1925.
SayNay? – February 16, 2004 7:32 PM
Try googling “Schneider’s Red Hots” (they come in XXL – my size!)
Alan – July 12, 2004 7:45 PM
Finally, I got a hot. A white hot that is. $4.50 from Ann’s Fisherman’s Fare at Cape Vincent. As tidy a diner as ever I was in. The white hot is very much a fine grind pork sausage rather than a hot dog like a less greasy MacDonald’s breakfast patty without the black pepper. I noticed them in the Clayton supermarket as “Grilling Sizzlers” or some such thing packed by the twenties it would seem and all made in Rochester. Damn that unholy customs regulation that bars meat products coming over the border in private vehicles!!!
Hans – July 13, 2004 4:51 PM
red hots! texas hots! enough! i’m white hot! i can’t take it anymore!
Alan – July 14, 2004 7:50 AM
Forgotten New York cares, Hans, even if you don’t. I guess you can take the boy out of Heuvelton and take the Heuvelton out of the boy as well…
Hans – July 14, 2004 11:22 AM
Actually, the “white hot” reminds much more of the “wienerpolser” found all over Denmark (the other half of my ethno-cultural heritage) Polser being the general Danish word for “hot dog” and Wiener being, of course, “from Vienna”. They also have “rodpolser” in Denmark which means “red hot dog”. They like to eat them with hot mustard and a bun on the side (Go figure Europeans!). I don’t believe that rodpolser are the same as red hots, but it certainly appears that I don’t know much about the sausage and sausage related products industry. I have learned so much! The internet is truly amazing!
Alan – July 14, 2004 11:38 AM
Go Hans Go!
Isn’t there a chance that “polser” means “from Poland” or is “dog” in English actually “pol” in Danish? The suffix “-er” usually means “from” as in a “weiner” is a sausage from “Wien” – German for Vienna. [Hence the local laughter at Kennedy saying “Ich bin ein Berliner” which translates “I am a small sausage from Berlin”.] It would be funny if etymologically it was actually saying “Vienna Polish” thing…as in a fast food nerd / etymology nerd kinda funny.
On the bun and toppings thing, I have noticed that some Yanks when presented with a hot dog in a paper sleeve thing will put the condiments across the top of both the weiner and the bun in a uni-layer whereas Canadians are a strickly on the dog bunch. Is there any legitimacy to this?
Hans – July 14, 2004 1:31 PM
If I had a Danish interface on my key-pad I would be able to type in the “/” over top of the “o” giving that familiar swedish chef pronunciation to the word “polser”. It may be related to the root word for “Poland”, “Polish”, “Pole” but I was always under the impression that “pols” (with the “/” over the “o”) was Danish for “ground up pig entrails etc. stuffed in a skin”. We could either google it or continue our learned speculations. I prefer the latter.
Alan – July 14, 2004 2:32 PM
I will check google.dk
Alan – July 14, 2004 2:39 PM
“Pølse” is “sausage” in Danish. Here are the varients including “wienerpølse”. You know, I am a little scared of googling the word “sausage” in a Scandinavian language. Might not be work safe.
Alan – July 16, 2004 2:07 PM
I am getting some excellent Syracuse area hots information over at NYCO today. This local blogging thing is sure like ham radio some days.
Alan – March 28, 2005 8:20 AM
White hots made it to Canada even if in the trunk of my car (after all proper declarations in response to inquiries by dutiful customs officials):
Alan – March 28, 2005 8:38 AM
But now I gotta figure out if I am a Heid’s person or a Hofmann’s one. I am not alone in this quandry.
Dan – July 29, 2005 11:17 AM
“A Heid’s person or a Hofmann’s person?” Heid’s serves Hofmann’s dogs (remember the uproar when they switched brands?) What’s the difference?
Alan – July 29, 2005 11:23 AM
Hey! I never knew that but I am new to this whole “hots” thing so there you go.