Soda jerk

Soda jerk passing an ice cream soda between two soda fountains, New York City, New York, 1936
A soda jerk tossing a scoop of ice cream into a metal mixing cup before blending a malted shake, Texas, 1939

Soda jerk (or soda jerker)[1] is an American term used to refer to a person—typically a young man—who would operate the soda fountain in a drugstore, preparing and serving soda drinks and ice cream sodas.[2] The drinks were made by mixing flavored syrup, carbonated water, and occasionally malt powder over either ice or a few scoops of ice cream. The drink would then be served in a tall glass with a long-handled spoon, most commonly known as a "soda spoon", and drinking straws.

Soda jerks were relatively common in the United States from the 1920s until the late 1950s; due to economic and social trends, the occupation essentially no longer exists.

  1. ^ Allen, Irving (1993). The City in Slang. Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509265-1.
  2. ^ Partridge, Eric (2006). The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-21258-8.