poor boy

American  

noun

1. Southern U.S. (chiefly Gulf States). a hero sandwich.

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Regionalisms

See hero sandwich.

Etymology

Origin of poor boy

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

A po' boy, which comes from "poor boy", is a New Orleans street food sandwich that celebrates Louisiana's seafood.

From BBC

“When he looked back on his life, his narrative was ‘poor boy makes good,’” Ms. Hodgin said in a phone interview.

From New York Times

Fortunately, he knew enough not to squander that second chance, finding the self-respect that turned a “poor boy, sneak-thief and vandal” into the sweet hero we meet in these pages.

From Seattle Times

"The poor boy spent the whole night perched in a tree," she said.

From BBC

In his campaign announcement, Santos didn’t mention any of that and instead highlighted his zeal in fighting for conservative principles in Washington and his background as “a poor boy of immigrant parents in Queens.”

From Seattle Times