Wiz Wit

For those of you from the Philly area you probably have visited or perhaps even frequent either Geno’s Steaks or Pat’s Steaks.

I am blogging about cheesesteaks because yes, there is rhetoric associated with cheesesteaks. You can usually tell who the tourists are (and not by the cameras around their necks or fannypacks around their waists), but by the way they order their cheesesteaks. I’m not a native of Philly, but when I visit I strive to appear to be a local. I know how to order. But, it appears my parents, (who probably actually were wearing fannypacks) don’t know how to order. I explained to my parents there is no need to say, “I’ll have a cheesesteak please,” “I’d like cheese wiz,” or “can I have onions?” Geno and Pat and their local co-workers know you’re ordering a cheesesteak, there is no need for you to say so. And as for saying you want onions? A simple “wit” will suffice. These world famous landmarks in The City of Brotherly Love have a language of their own and have a low tolerance for those who don’t speak it. The culture, rhetoric, and language of the Philly Cheesesteak is almost as important as the steak itself.

So using my knowledge of cheesesteak rhetoric I took it upon myself and ordered “three wiz wit” for my parents and me. Thankfully, rhetoric saved me from embarrassment.