A little story to illustrate the absurdities of language as used in marketing. Let me start by going back a little. Well, let me go back even further for the sake of geographic necessity.
A few years ago we took a long, three week trip in the Globetrotter. We started here in Texas, wound through Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, ending up in Pennsylvania, where we stayed for several days before making almost the same trip back home. While we normally cook in the trailer in the evenings, we eat fast food more than we like to for lunch. Usually we are trying to make some miles and fast food joints have big parking lots. One time we planned ahead to have crackers, cold cuts, and cheese for lunch while driving. This endeavor ended with me throwing a whole package of cheese out the window because, after trying for 10 minutes to open it with no knife in site, I had reached my limit and chucked it out the window.
What ‘Streamers know from driving around the country is that there are regional variations in fast food places. As we were driving through Virginia, we discovered Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. I’m not sure why there is the name change, but they are basically the same place. We stopped at Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr more than we probably should have. We really liked it, and it was not uncommon to order a slider – a little hamburger, meat and bread only, as a treat for our dogs. At the time, they had a deal that was two of these burgers for $2. Eric had even started to call Wendell, the black lab, “Carl Jr.†because of his habit of eating, if we let him, the burger in two big chomps. One to secure the burger, and the next, with an up and back-toss of his head, to throw it down his throat.

Imagine our delight when we learned that they were opening a Carl’s Jr right here at home. This was the first time I had ever seen Carl’s Jr in Texas. Turns out they opened three in the central Texas area all at the same time. We teased our dog, Wendell, that as soon as it opened, we’d get him a burger, since we knew it was his favorite.
After weeks of waiting, it finally opened, offering free food. As we waited in line, they ran out of food. The next time we went back it was still too packed – the line snaked out the door. I guess us Texans get WAY excited over a new burger joint, because there was never less than 8 cars in the drive through. We finally made inside the restaurant a couple of weeks later, with Wendell waiting patiently sleeping in the car. The menu had changed and was all complicated (mostly pictures of combo meals and no individual items), but we ordered, waited, and ate. Then I went back to the counter to order Wendell his coveted burger. This is where it gets fun.
They, of course, did not have that slider deal anymore, nor did they have any kind of children’s menu or plain burger on their menu. This is the exchange I had when I went to order:
Me: Do you have a kid’s meal?
Order Taker: Yeah, we have chicken strips or a cheeseburger meal.
Me: Well, can I just get the burger off that kids’ meal?
OT: You don’t want the meal?
ME: Nope, just the burger.
OT: (blank look) …uuuhhh
[Order Taker #2 steps in.]
Me: Do you have just a plain, little burger?
OT2: Well, you can get the Big Hamburger.
Me: Well, I just wanted a little hamburger.
OT2: The big hamburger’s little.
Me: Alright, let me have the Big Hamburger, meat and bread only, as long as it’s little.
OT2: Do you want that as a combo meal?
. . . .
A few minutes later, I brought the bag with the little, Big Hamburger back to the table.
Eric: Did you get a little burger?
Me: I got the Big Hamburger, but it’s little.
Eric: What..
Me: Don’t ask.
A few minutes later, Wendell got his burger. I think he was as disappointed in it as I was. But he doesn’t complain. much.
Bonus points for anyone who noticed, at first glance, the Airstream in the picture.