# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/81 "2014-08-24T08:03:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But Costco is obviously not a person’s name, so the store is just Costco, not Costco’s. In Melb.Aus, it was “Northlands”, when I lived over there, even though Northland was obviously not a persons name. “Supermarket” in my family here, although the companies never use that word or any other generic term: they’d far prefer me to commit to shopping at a particular name. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/82 "2014-08-25T10:02:34Z")
Just “the store”. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/83 "2014-08-25T10:38:59Z")
Supermarket or name the store. I picked name the store, I’m going to Coles/IGA/Aldi/Woolworths (depending on what i’m after) do you want anything? ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/84 "2014-08-25T15:20:30Z")
Ususally just “the grocery” but I like to pronounce it like it rhymes with crockery. My kids find me hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/85 "2014-08-25T15:54:41Z")
I usually say grocery store or I’m going to Krogers. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/86 "2014-08-25T16:17:42Z")
The store’s name, specifically Giant Eagle. (There is a Shop-n-Save closer, and a discount place SaveALot? but I always go to Giant Eagle) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/87 "2014-08-25T16:24:35Z")
Don’t you mean the Giant Iggle? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/88 "2014-08-25T16:29:21Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > People n New York do not go to the grocery store or the supermarket, they go to Wegmans. And anyone who says otherwise is from out of state, because only heathens refuse to shop at Wegmans. I’ve lived in the midwest for ten years adn I still call it going to Wegman’s (or familiarly Weggum’s) The little plastic bags you put the items in to carry them home are known as Weggum’s bags. My wife, born and raised in the midwest, has no concept. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/89 "2014-08-25T16:45:16Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Don’t you mean the Giant Iggle? 🙂 😃 Exactly!! I lived in Philly a for a few years. The first time I heard someone mention WaWa I was puzzled. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/90 "2014-09-04T12:23:07Z")
The only WaWas I’m aware of are convenience stores / delis. Do they have supermarkets somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/91 "2014-09-04T12:25:34Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > The only WaWas I’m aware of are convenience stores / delis. Do they have supermarkets somewhere? Nah, dawg. Just name riffing with **ITD**.😃 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/92 "2014-09-04T12:59:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Nah, dawg. Just name riffing with **ITD**.😃 I think, if I remember correctly, Big Chicken was also bandied about? Or was that only my group of friends… ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/93 "2014-09-04T13:13:46Z")
Grocery store or supermarket, or by the store’s name (I’m off to the Acme/Sainsburys whatever). Mr Boods just uses the store’s name. My mother used the name of the store that had stood on that spot in 1950, despite it now being 2014 and several, different grocery stores later. God help you if you need to get driving directions from her, as you’ll have to have a complete working knowledge of all of the former street and place names going back several decades. Come to think of it, I’ve been calling the Macys in the Christiana Mall, DE, ‘Bambergers’ since about 1977. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/94 "2014-09-04T13:15:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 😃 Exactly!! > > I lived in Philly a for a few years. The first time I heard someone mention WaWa I was puzzled. They’re all in northern Delaware, too – we got our bread and deli meat from them. The name baffled the fuck out of Mr Boods when he first came to visit, but not as much as Happy Harrys and Acme did (‘WTF’ for the former, and ‘Do they sell anvils to coyotes?’ for the latter). (If I say ‘I’m going up to the store’ to Mr Boods he assumes I mean London. :D) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/95 "2014-09-04T13:47:24Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > not as much as Happy Harrys and Acme did (‘WTF’ for the former, and ‘Do they sell anvils to coyotes?’ for the latter). When I lived in Philly (Landsdowne, actually) I shopped at Pathmark in Upper Darby. The Acme was a little closer, but the name was too weird. Plus, native Philadelphians pronounced it Ac-a-me. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/96 "2014-09-04T16:13:31Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > “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. This. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/97 "2014-09-05T00:41:37Z")
The grocery store (“I’m going to the grocery store.”) “The store” (“I’m going to the store.”) Store’s proper name (“I’m going to Safeway.”) “Shopping” (“I’m going shopping.”) any of those, plus Store’s proper name + s (“I’m going to Krogers.”) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/98 "2014-09-05T00:58:58Z")
“I’m going to the store” is probably the most common thing I’ll say. But also “the grocer” or “the grocery” or “the market” or “the supermarket” or by name. Right now, we live so close to a Ralphs that we’d both know that’s where I meant. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/99 "2014-09-05T07:52:56Z")
“I’m off to the shops” if I’m going to more than one, not sure what I want, am being deliberately obtuse or I can’t be bothered to name it/them all. “I’m going to \” if I think the person I’m speaking to will also want to go, they might need something from there or I want to be clear that I’m _only_ going there and don’t anticipate wanting to wait around a women’s clothes shop for half an hour while they look at blouses. I’m not a big fan of shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020/100 "2014-09-05T12:37:03Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > When we lived in Virginia, my husband \*loved \*going to Wegmans, even though it was two exits down 95, and there was a Giant practically across the street. It was the only place I could always get him to go to. I never knew you could have such an attachment to a grocery store until Wegmans. I knew someone stationed in Fayetteville, North Carolina who would take his wife on a northern Virginia weekend simply to revel in the wonderfulness of Wegmans. I saw a tour bus take people to visit the Wegman’s flagship store in Pittsford, NY. My own Wegman’s in Ithaca is good, but I enjoy visiting the bigger ones in Dewitt (just outside of Syracuse), Binghamton, and Rochester area. I pity you folks in that burg downstate on the Hudson, because you do not have the wonder and glory that is Wegmans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-food-store/696020.md?page=6)