How come Southerners say "Make me a plate?"?

Question

The first time I heard that, I imagined someone at a pottery wheel making dishware....I never dreamed it meant "serve me some food."

I wonder where that saying came from.....

Answer 1

IDK lmao..my hubby is Southern too and he uses the word Fixin...like I'm fixin to leave here..I hate that! :)

Answer 2

As in so many colloquial phrases it contains an assumptive "understood" One understands that a plate of food is meant.

Our language, both in the north and the south is full of such phrases.

Just something to think about: Have you thought about why you say "How come"?

Answer 3

it makes sense when you think about it I suppose.  When you throw a large party, like a wedding reception, you buy food from the caterer "by the plate (of food)".  When your waitor comes, he's serving you your plate of food.  So in the south, when you're serving someone, you are making them a plate of food, but it's just shortened to "a plate", as is your charge by the caterers.

Brought to you from the people that combine You and All to Y'all.  Not that I have any room to talk being from Pittsburgh.  We have our own language here.

Answer 4

Women used to serve their men and they asked them to make them a plate of food.