We mostly say cold cuts or lunch meat. If we put it on a sub roll we call it cold cuts and if we put it on bread it’s lunch meat (even though it’s exactly the same meat).
To me, a cold cut sub is also a hoagie. To Mrs. Geek, it’s also a grinder. So I might say hoagie meat and she might say grinder meat. If we’re going to the store, one of us might tell the other to pick up some deli meat.
I grew up in West Virginia, spent a few years in Maryland, and now live in southern Pennsylvania. Mrs. Geek is originally from Connecticut.
Typically, I’ll use the collective expression when I’m saying something like " I’m going to the deli for cold cuts- anything in particular you want? " or in reference to a “cold cut platter” for a party or meeting.
What would you use in those situations? Surely you wouldn’t say " I’m making a genoa salami, roast beef, ham, Swiss cheese, Muenster cheese, American cheese platter " . I get that you may never actually have a need to use the collective expression , but what would you use if you did?
Probably cold cuts - if they’re to be given a collective name that would certainly be most likely, or charcuterie for cured cured continental stuff…but individual naming seems quite likely too. However, I just wanted to mention that although I’ve never heard “lunch meat”, “luncheon meat”, in these parts, means Spam (or generic supermarket knock-off Spam equivalent).
These parts, I should specify, are North Yorkshire, UK.
We usually refer to the meat specifically - “sliced turkey,” “sliced pepperoni,” etc.
Otherwise “lunch meat,” or “cold cuts,” pretty much interchangeably.
Thanks. I figured you’d have the same food, didn’t know if you’d use the same term. You can’t find a lot of Americans who know what ‘charcuterie’ means.