Sarmies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of sandwich, especially a South African variation, typically consisting of meat, salad, and various toppings between slices of bread
2. Referring informally to a mixed or assortment of fillings served within a bread product
3. A snack or meal that embodies a combination of flavors, often served in a portable manner to be eaten on the go

Etymology: "Sarmies" is the plural of "sarmie," the South African slang term for a sandwich. The singular is a clipped, affectionate form in the same family as the British "sarnie" and the Australian and New Zealand "sammie," all of which trim a longer word down to a few syllables and add a jaunty "-ie" or "-y" ending. Speakers have been shortening and softening everyday nouns this way for well over a century, and the "-ie" ending is the signature of informal diminutives across English. The three forms are close relatives rather than borrowings from one another. "Sarnie" and "sammie" share the same shortened pattern and differ mainly in regional spelling and pronunciation, so "sarmie" reads as one local branch of a common family of sandwich slang. Its closest sibling is "sarnie," which tells you the word belongs to the British and Commonwealth stock of clipped food terms rather than to any single regional invention.