side meat

American  

noun

Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.

1. salt pork and bacon taken from the sides of a hog.

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side meat British  

noun

1. informal salt pork or bacon

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Etymology

Origin of side meat

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

“My grandmother … would point to a house and say, ‘Pat, when he was a little older than you, he’d be down there eating side meat.’

From Washington Post

There were hams and shoulders, side meat and spare-ribs and belly.

From Literature

‘Now, there you go, Father! I know good and well you just as pleased as you can be. But you don’t want to show it. You got to find something to grumble about. Here we haves about four pecks of peas, twenty sacks of meal, about fifteen pounds of side meat, mullet, six dozen eggs, plenty grits, jars of tomatoes and peaches. Apples and two dozen oranges. Also garments. And two mattresses and four blankets. I call this something!’

From Literature

In the kitchen they had grits and grease and side meat and coffee for breakfast.

From Literature

‘I done brought a nice mess of collard greens and I thought maybe we have supper together. I done brought a piece of side meat, too. These here greens need to be seasoned with that. You don’t care if the collards is just cooked in meat, do you?’

From Literature