blue plate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium-LowInformal (North American); Historical
Quick answer
What does “blue plate” mean?
A specific, fixed meal sold at a discounted price, especially in a diner or casual restaurant.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A specific, fixed meal sold at a discounted price, especially in a diner or casual restaurant.
A special daily offering, typically a hearty, inexpensive combination of meat, vegetables, and starch, served on a single plate. Can also refer historically to the blue and white patterned ceramic plates commonly used in early 20th-century American diners.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Virtually exclusive to American English. British English uses terms like 'set meal', 'lunch special', 'carvery special', or 'market plate' for a similar concept, but not 'blue plate'.
Connotations
In the US, it evokes nostalgia for mid-20th century roadside diners. In the UK, the term would likely be misunderstood or sound archaic/American.
Frequency
Common in older American usage and still understood regionally; very rare to non-existent in British English.
Grammar
How to Use “blue plate” in a Sentence
[Restaurant] offers a blue plate (special) (for [price])I'll have the blue plate (special)The blue plate (special) today is [dish]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blue plate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not typically used adjectivally.
American English
- The blue-plate special comes with a drink.
- It's a real blue-plate kind of diner.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in the restaurant/hospitality industry discussing menu planning or nostalgic marketing.
Academic
Rare. Appears in historical, sociological, or cultural studies of American foodways.
Everyday
Used when discussing casual dining options, often with a nostalgic tone. 'Let's see what the blue plate special is.'
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blue plate”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “blue plate”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blue plate”
- Using it to describe the colour of a plate in a generic sense (e.g., 'I bought a blue plate from IKEA').
- Using it in formal restaurant contexts.
- Assuming it is common or understood in British English.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the name comes from the traditional blue-patterned ceramic plates the meal was served on, not the colour of the food.
It is not a standard term in British English. Using it may cause confusion. Terms like 'set meal' or 'lunch special' are more appropriate.
A 'blue plate special' is a single, specific, inexpensive meal option, typically in a casual setting. 'Prix fixe' is a formal French term for a multi-course meal with limited choices for a fixed total price.
It is most commonly used as an open compound noun ('blue plate special'). When used attributively (before a noun), it is often hyphenated ('blue-plate special').
A specific, fixed meal sold at a discounted price, especially in a diner or casual restaurant.
Blue plate is usually informal (north american); historical in register.
Blue plate: in British English it is pronounced /bluː pleɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /blu pleɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “blue plate special (the core term itself is idiomatic)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a classic American diner with blue and white checkered floors, serving a hearty meatloaf dinner on a distinctive blue-rimmed plate. The plate's color gives the cheap, filling meal its name.
Conceptual Metaphor
ECONOMY IS A BLUE PLATE (The specific object represents value and simplicity).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'blue plate' MOST appropriately used?