This Is What It Meant To Be A 'Soda Jerk' In The 1900s

In the early 1900s, the neighborhood pharmacy was the place to be. More than just medicine, pharmacies purveyed soft drinks and lots of ice cream. During the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, ice cream was a beloved treat; in the year 1938 alone, according to the New York Times, Americans consumed over 275 million gallons. Pharmacists were the most common sellers of this ice cream, and their soda fountains became profitable hot spots during Prohibition as alcohol-free venues for socializing.

The soda jerk — serving ice cream, soda, and a lot of charm — became the era's cultural icon. Think of a young George Bailey scooping ice cream in "It's a Wonderful Life" or Abbott and Costello's comedic soda jerks in their 1942 film "Who Done It?"

The name "soda jerk" came from the physical motion of jerking the fountain spigot to release soda water. More than just servers, soda jerks were entertainers, mixing drinks with flair and scooping ice cream into tall glasses with moves verging on acrobatic. Somewhere between a barman and a comedy show host, famed soda jerks became local celebrities, not only for their strawberry floats and chocolate malts but for their showmanship and witty banter.

The soda jerks during the golden age of pharmacies showcased their wit primarily with wordplay and fizzy jargon. According to Hamilton Beach, the white-coated servers would take an order, and then holler out absurd commands like "Draw one from the south!" which meant pour a strong coffee, or "Shake one in the hay and spit on it!" which meant to serve up a strawberry milkshake topped with raspberries. Each city and shop had a slightly different lingo, and the most beloved soda jerks were constantly slinging new terms.

The lingo had structure. A proper call-out combined the size, method of preparation, and custom ingredients into a coy shorthand. A root beer float might be "hang a draw with freeze," while a plain vanilla ice cream was simply a "snowball." Atlas Obscura says a chocolate sundae with chocolate syrup was often a "Black Bottom," or a touch of orange flavor would be "Florida" or "freak," depending on your region.

Some names even carried inside jokes or oblique contemporary commentary. A cup of tea became "scandal soup," while a glass of water was the tongue-in-cheek "one on the house." And if the manager or an inspector walked in, the counter would erupt with "99!" — a coded alert for the soda jerks to straighten up quick.