Adam and Eve n.1
(orig. US short order) two poached or fried eggs (but note 1891); thus adam and eve on a raft, two poached eggs on toast; adam and eve on a raft and wreck ’em, two scrambled eggs on toast.
Sun. World Herald (NE) 22 Mar. 6: Ham and eggs is one of the most common orders, and in calling this to the kitchen the ‘hasher’ screams ‘Adam and Eve’. | ||
Nat. Tribune (Wash., DC) 24 Nov. 12/5: ‘Give me two poached eggs on toast and have the yolks of the eggs broken.’ Waiter [...] yells down to the kitchen: ‘Adam and Eve on a raft —wreck ’em’. | ||
Arizona Reporter 8 Feb. 5/3: A sickly looking customer at one of the Phoenix restaurants ordered a couple of eggs on toast. The waiter [...] transferred the order in the loud voice, after this fashion: ‘Bring Adam and Eve in a sloop.’ [...] He countermanded the order in favor of scrambled eggs. [...] ‘All right,’ said the waiter again [...] ‘Put your foot on the sloop and shipwreck Adam and Eve.’. | ||
Atlanta Constitution 17 July 5/4: An order for eggs on toast went to the kitchen as, ‘Adam and Eve on a raft.’. | ||
Times (Wash., DC) 28 Apr. 4/6: Soft boiled eggs: ‘Adam and Eve coming out of a well, easy.’ Hard boiled eggs: ‘Adam and Eve coming out of a well hard.’ Hard scrambled eggs: ‘Adam and Eve in a shipwreck’. | ||
Ladies’ Home Journal Sept. 8: Mr. Brown gave his order: ‘Waiter, bring me a couple of poached eggs on toast and the yolks broken.’ The waiter shouted down to the cook: ‘Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck ’em.’. | ||
Ocala Eve. Star (FL) 20 June 1/5: ‘Two fried eggs; don’t fry ’em too hard,’ says a customer. ‘Adam and Eve in the garden! Leave their eyes open’, shouts the waiter. | ||
Tacoma Times (WA) 2 Nov. 3/5: ‘Adam and Eve’ of course means two eggs [...] ‘close their eyes’ means pouring water [...] with fried eggs it means turned over. | ||
Tacoma Times (WA) 2 Nov. 3/5: ‘Shipwrecked’ eggs are scrambled. | ||
Ranch (Seattle, WA) 1 Nov. 15/3: The classic definitions of ‘Adam and Eve on a raft’ and ‘Shipwreck ’em!’. | ||
Mint (1955) 161: There were Zepps in a cloud (sausages and mashed) and Adam and Eve on a raft (Hoxtonian for fried eggs on toast) as main dishes. | ||
(con. WWI) Soldier and Sailor Words 3: Adam and Eve Wrecked: Scrambled Eggs. | ||
Picture Post Mar. n.p.: [used in J. Lyons' Corner Houses] Adam and Eve on a raft: fried eggs on toast. | ||
Soda Fountain July 28/1: In the old days, Western restaurants of log-cabin type, had similar slang. An order for a couple of eggs, sunny side up, was shouted to the kitchen: ‘Adam & Eve on a raft’. When the diner would change his mind quickly and decide to have them scrambled, then the burly waiter would quickly shout: ‘Wreck ’em’. | ||
Waukesha (WI) Freeman 24 Jan. 3/3: ‘Adam and Eve on a raft’ – Poached eggs on toast. [...] ‘Adam on a raft’ – one egg, same style. | ||
Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 9: adam and eve Two eggs. adam and eve on a raft Two eggs served with toast. [Ibid.] 255: wrecked adam and eve Two scrambled eggs wrecked adam and eve on a raft Two scrambled eggs on toast. | ||
Amer. Dream Girl (1950) 195: ‘Adam ’n Eve on a raft. Wreck ’em ... an’ a Combinashun!’ Milly, the shapely waitress, shouted in a coarse voice. | ‘Milly and the Porker’||
Ames (IA) Daily Trib. 11 Dec. 1/1: Don’t think the waitress is sermonizing if she yells ‘Adam and Eve on a raft.’ You guessed it. Those are poached eggs. | ||
Morn. Call (Allentown, PA) 24 Feb. 17/1: [T]he iron-lunged waitress blasted: ‘Adam and Eve on a raft with Joe’ And she got back — two poached eggs on toast with a cup of coffee. | ||
Newark (OH) Advocate 21 May 3/3–4: Adam and Eve on a raft – poached eggs on toast [...] wreck an Adam and Eve on a raft – scrambled eggs on toast. | ||
Queens’ Vernacular 51: Adam and Eve on a raft – wreck ’em (camp, fr lunch counter sl) two scrambled eggs on toast. | ||
Lily on the Dustbin 123: Adam and Eve on a raft are two fried eggs on toast, and wreck ’em (break the yolks). | ||
Tell me, Sean O’Farrell 18: We always called two poached eggs on toast ‘Adam and Eve on a Raft’ – a bare, sparse sort of meal. | ||
Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 5/2: Adam and Eve on a raft two eggs on toast. [US tramps’ and waiters’ slang from c. 1930]. | ||
Life During Wartime 116: [He] ordered eggs on toast. ‘Adam and Eve on a raft,’ the waitress called into the kitchen. ‘You want those scrambled, honey?’ Bobby [...] nodded. ‘Wreck ’em,’ she hollered. | ‘Hot Rod Heart’ in