Monday, December 22, 2008

What the fishamajig?

Yep, the first time I heard it I laughed. Now, some may call me a culinary chauvanist, but I admit, as a kid I rather enjoyed the McFish sandwich, and Mrs. Paul's fish sticks (with ketchup of course). But, an item on the menu, of a sit-down restaurant, with a name like fishamajig, well, seriously.

No, I do not eat at Friendly's on a regular basis. In fact, the last time I dined at a Friendy's was against my will, and about 10 years ago. How do I know about this item? Let me fill you in...

My partner has the unfortuntate job of working for a place where it is impossible to leave the premises on the dinner or lunch hour. So, unless a group orders in, or she remembers to take something with her, she either goes hungry, or is forced to brave the sandwich vending machine. Just look at that last phrase: sandwich vending machine. I already feel a little queasy.

So, I asked her about this piece of wondrous break room technology one night when she came home, starved and ravaging the kitchen, and very casually, she reported that it was empty on that day, not even a fishamajig was left. I thought this was hilarious, and sounded precisely like some item that should exist solely in a sandwish vending machine, with the contents label torn off, too scary to even consider.

In a "distraction moment" the following day at the office, I googled this word, anxious to see what might surface. I was horrified at what I discovered. The Friendly's menu, with the word actually trademarked (see photo). And the menu description reads: "Fishamajig ® The name says it all. Tender fried cod, topped with melted American cheese and tartar sauce."

Why not call it the "watchamacod"?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Which reminds me of another food conglomeration I haven't seen in grocery stores in years...the Whatchamacallit candy bar. I don't even know if that is spelled correctly. I'm sure the candy bar tastes better than the fish sandwich.

I never liked fish sticks.

You have got to be really hungry to eat a sandwich out of a vending machine.

golfer said...

Just to let everyone know the Fishmajig was originally called the supermelt fish sandwich.. Until my Mom with broken English was asked what she wanted to eat and said"You know the fishmajig sandwish", the waitress had no idea what she was saying until I told her that's what my Mom called the supermelt fish sandwich. I been trying to get in touch with Rose's Fishmajig Supermelt, in honor of my
late Mom................................

Unknown said...

My sister Elizabeth stopped with a bunch of teens at a Friendly and
asked for a Fishamajig. We had a car full of people including this muscle
builder guy Matt Murphy, who when hearing Elizabeth order the fish sandwich
piped right up: "Whatchu mean fish fo' da jig?"

Ha, ha, right. From then on it was always "Fishfodajig."