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hero sandwich

hero sandwich

1 2.8
A large sandwich on a long crusty roll filled with meats, cheese, and vegetables
  • noun
  • /ˈhɪəroʊ ˈsænwɪtʃ/
  • US
translation icon : sándwich héroe
  • Aren't you the guy that lost all that weight eating those fast food hero sandwiches?
  • eat a hero sandwich

Examples

  • He'd made eighteen bucks, enough for a hero sandwich, butts, and three bottles of dago red.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The cafeteria staff requests sidekicks stop ordering hero sandwiches.

  • I've often wondered if the derivation of the phrase "hero sandwich"... Comes from the word "heroic."

  • I ordered a hero sandwich filled with turkey, lettuce, and tomatoes for lunch.

  • She enjoyed her hero sandwich with extra pickles and spicy mustard.

  • After the game, we grabbed a hero sandwich to satisfy our hunger.

Synonyms

sandwich
vshero sandwich
800 1.0

Two slices of bread with food like meat or cheese between them for a meal

is the long split roll version filled with meats, cheese, and vegetables
sub
vshero sandwich
  • Informal
27 2.8

A long bread roll filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables

is the general regional version that shares this form and fillings
hoagie
vshero sandwich
  • US
11 8.2

A large sandwich on a long roll filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables

is the widely used regional label for the same filled roll item
hero
vshero sandwich
  • US
11 4.4

A long sandwich filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables

is the same item but known by various regional terms across the US
submarine
vshero sandwich
  • US
11 2.7

A long bread roll cut open and filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables

is the same US food sometimes labeled by other regional terms
wedge
vshero sandwich
  • US
10 8.9

A large sandwich made from a long roll split lengthwise and filled with meat

is the general long roll form that other regional names also denote
bomber
vshero sandwich
  • US
9 8.3

A large sandwich on a long roll filled with meats and cheese

is the broader US term that includes this packed long roll
grinder
vshero sandwich
  • US
6 5.0

A long sandwich filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables

is the common descriptive term for that same roll style nationwide
hoagy
vshero sandwich
  • US
4 7.7

A large sandwich on a long crusty roll with meat and cheese

is one regional variant name for this long filled roll across areas
torpedo
vshero sandwich
  • Archaic
3 3.2

A long sandwich filled with meat, cheese and salad

is the shared US food form that these terms all describe
submarine sandwich
vshero sandwich
  • US
2 2.1

A long bread roll split open and filled with meats, cheese, and salad vegetables

is the same regional item often called different names elsewhere
zep
vshero sandwich
  • US
1 9.9

A large sandwich on a long crusty roll filled with meats, cheese, and lettuce

is the general US long roll item known by various local names
Italian sandwich
vshero sandwich
  • US
2.6

A large sandwich made with a long crusty roll filled with meats, cheese, and vegetables

is the same long roll but not limited to that specific filling style
poor boy
vshero sandwich
  • US
5.3

A large sandwich made from a long crusty roll filled with meat and cheese

is the same filled roll style, often used only in certain regions

How Big

hero sandwich
  • US
1 2.8
sub
  • Informal
27 2.8
sandwich
800 1.0
slider
8 3.0

Surface Forms

hero sandwich singular

Morphology

hero + sandwich

The meaning is directly and transparently derivable from the constituents: 'hero' (a long split-roll sandwich) combined with 'sandwich' simply specifies a type of sandwich on a long roll. This noun+noun composition follows regular compositional patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Hero sandwich may come from old New York, where these sandwiches were so large that a newspaper writer joked you would have to be a hero 'to eat' one. That's why hero sandwich means a very large sandwich today.