# What do you call "the food store"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020 "2014-08-20T17:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/41 "2014-08-21T00:48:29Z")
Usually by name (T&T, No Frills, Food Basics) with no article, but every once in a while “the Korean grocery store”. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/42 "2014-08-21T00:51:20Z")
“Shaw’s”, “Mac’s”, or just “the store”. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/43 "2014-08-21T00:54:40Z")
“The grocery store” if it’s a boring trip for ordinary commodities, where any store is pretty much the same as any other, but the store’s proper name if it’s an upscale or specialty place with unique products. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/44 "2014-08-21T01:11:40Z")
I’m in the Philly suburbs and usually I say “the grocery”, “the grocery store”, “the supermarket”, or the name (“Acme”, “Wegmans”, or whatever). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/45 "2014-08-21T01:38:41Z")
“Supermarket” or “Grocery Store” or name of store (which is pretty much always Publix in my area, now that so many Winn Dixies have closed) ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/46 "2014-08-21T01:46:46Z")
I chose DEPENDS, because I usually use a silly word, especially if I’m IMing with the hub. For example - supermarchet, hypermarchet, stupidmarket, bloopermarket, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Star\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Star\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Star_T)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/47 "2014-08-21T01:53:31Z")
I just call it the store and that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/48 "2014-08-21T07:35:42Z")
When _King of the Hill_ was still on, we used to refer to a huge, one-stop shopping places-- discount places, that combine a department store with a supermarket (Walmart, Meijer, etc.) as “Mega-lo-Mart.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/49 "2014-08-21T07:44:11Z")
Mostly “grocery store,” so I voted that. But I have been known to use “store” and “supermarket” on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/50 "2014-08-21T08:22:31Z")
Usually, the store name (or a nickname) : “I’m going to Woolies”, “I’m going to Pick 'n Pay”, “I’m going to Spar”… but otherwise, if going to multiple stores or a mall, it’d be “I’m going to the shops” (not “going shopping”) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/51 "2014-08-21T09:14:29Z")
Either the supermarket, or the store’s proper name. This will occasionally have a “The” in front of it, depending on what seems to make sense: “I’m going to Coles” or “I’m going to the IGA”. However, I picked “supermarket.” ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/52 "2014-08-21T09:19:00Z")
Other. “I’m going to the shop.” ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/53 "2014-08-21T09:20:05Z")
Sometimes “the shops”. Plural even if there’s only one. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/54 "2014-08-21T09:48:48Z")
> [@PorchePine](#): > > Either “the grocery store”, or by name. Although I favor one particular store, there are 3 chains that I patronize. Sometimes I’ll include the location of the store if I’m going to a particular area running multiple errands, so it might be “McKay’s in Leonardtown” or “Food Lion in Charlotte Hall.” That way, if my spousal unit needs me to pick up something for him, he’ll know whether to ask or not. If I’m going to Charlotte Hall, a stop at Lowe’s is not at all along my way… ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/55 "2014-08-21T12:50:21Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Other. “I’m going to the shop.” Agreed, might be the prevailing term in Oz. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/56 "2014-08-21T14:06:56Z")
Downastore Can’t help it, I’m from Pittsburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/57 "2014-08-21T14:38:45Z")
I usually just say the grocery store, unless I’m specifically going to Costco for a big stocking up trip, then I say “I’m going to Costco”. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/58 "2014-08-21T14:58:17Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > Downastore > > Can’t help it, I’m from Pittsburgh. Giant Iggle n’nat, huh? That’s why I stick to the bodegas. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/59 "2014-08-21T15:12:32Z")
If I am going to Stop and Shop I say the grocery store; however if I am going to BJ’s I say BJ’s. Since I am telling this to the dog it really does not matter. Unless he has made the connection that trips to Stop and Shop result in a fresh beef hot dog and trips to BJ’s an occasional huge box of Milk Bones. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/60 "2014-08-21T15:17:32Z")
Either by name or “the grocery.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020.md?page=4)