What is a lug dish and what is it used for?
What is the origin of the term?

Hi there,

Lug means the ear-shaped handles on the edge of the dish.

Searching Google for the phrase "lug dish" finds two images, and they
share a characteristic - they both have "ears".

Lipper International - Old Vienna Deep Lug Dish
http://www.lipperinternational.com/p_blue_danube-26.htm

Harker Pottery - Nouvelle 7" Lug dish
http://www.ohioriverpottery.com/pages/harline20.html

And another found via a Google Image search for "lug":
http://photos.netclubs.com/live/photos/photocenter/h/u/o/m/omsnnat0kkg4b0pd795qmror2s/golden%20harvest%20lug%20soup.jpg

This is consistent with meanings for "lug" I found using online
dictionaries:

Wordsmyth
An earlike projection used to support or hold something, such as a
machine.
http://www.wordsmyth.net/cgi-bin/search.cgi

HomeGlossary.com
An ear shaped projection by which something is held or supported. 
http://www.homeglossary.com/l10.htm#lug

Dictionary.com
That which projects like an ear, esp. that by which anything is
supported, carried, or grasped, or to which a support is fastened; an
ear; as, the lugs of a kettle; the lugs of a founder's flask; the lug
(handle) of a jug.
http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?db=*&term=lug

The origin of the word lug is most likely as described in the 1911
edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica:

It is probably Scandinavian in origin; the Swedish lugg, forelock,
lock of hair, gives lugga, to pull, tug; and lug in some north-eastern
English dialects is still chiefly used in the sense of pulling a
person’s hair. Luggage, passengers’ baggage, means by origin that
which has to be lugged about. The Scandinavian word may be also the
source of lug, in the sense of ear, in Scotland the regular
dialectical word, and in English commonly applied to the earshaped
handles of metal or earthenware pots, pitchers, &c. If so the word
means something that can be pulled or tugged.
http://12.1911encyclopedia.org/L/LU/LUG.htm


Search strategy:

"lug dish"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22lug+dish%22

Online Dictionaries
http://searchenginez.com/dictionary.html


I trust this answers your question. If any portion of my answer is
unclear, please ask for clarification.

Best wishes,
robertskelton-ga

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Clarification of Answer by robertskelton-ga on 27 Aug 2002 22:01 PDT

Here is some additional info supplied by fellow researcher
pinkfreud-ga:

A lug dish, also called a lug bowl, is a serving bowl, sometimes
round, sometimes oval. It is characterized by two non-pierced handles,
or "lugs," which aid in passing the bowl from person to person at the
dinner table. In my family, we've always used these as serving dishes
for hot vegetables. The bowl may be uncomfortable to hold because of
its hot contents, but if you lift it by its handles, the heat won't be
transmitted to your fingers. I associate this style of old-fashioned
bowl with the South, where I live. I can't recall seeing lug dishes on
the table when I've visited my relatives up North.

Two more images:

Marianne's Pottery 
http://www.mariannespottery.co.uk/brochure.htm 

Midwest Party Rentals 
http://www.midwestpartyrentals.com/equipmentcatalog/china/data.htm

---

Request for Answer Clarification by youngnonna-ga on 28 Aug 2002 06:23 PDT

I came across a lug dish while searching for Blue Danube China on
e-bay. In the lot of china up for auction, the seller is including
what she referes to as Old Vienna Deep Lug Dishes. The lug dishes are
part of a 13 piece place setting for 12. Did pinkfreud-ga ever come
across individual lug bowls or dishes? What would be served in an
individual lug bowl?
Also, Is the vowel used in the pronunciation short?

---

Clarification of Answer by robertskelton-ga on 02 Sep 2002 22:29 PDT

Please scroll down to the comments section where pinkfreud has
enhanced my answer even further.

Thank you very much.

A lug dish, also called a lug bowl, is a serving bowl, sometimes
round, sometimes oval. It is characterized by two non-pierced handles,
or "lugs," which aid in passing the bowl from person to person at the
dinner table. In my family, we've always used these as serving dishes
for hot vegetables. The bowl may be uncomfortable to hold because of
its hot contents, but if you lift it by its handles, the heat won't be
transmitted to your fingers. I associate this style of old-fashioned
bowl with the South, where I live. I can't recall seeing lug dishes on
the table when I've visited my relatives up North.

On these sites you will find photos of different styles of lug dishes:

Ohio River Pottery
http://www.ohioriverpottery.com/pages/harline20.html

Lipper International
http://www.lipperinternational.com/p_blue_danube-26.htm

Marianne's Pottery
http://www.mariannespottery.co.uk/brochure.htm

Midwest Party Rentals
http://www.midwestpartyrentals.com/equipmentcatalog/china/data.htm

The word "lug," in this sense, means "handle." According to the Oxford
English Dictionary on my desk, "lug" was initially a 16th century
Scottish word for the external ear, and came to mean "handle" or
appendage" because of the resemblance between an ear and a curved
handle, as in the lug dish.

Dear youngnonna,

Regarding your question about individual lug dishes, I believe this
style of bowl was almost always part of a set, rather than being made
for individual sale. When I was a youngster, my family had several
mismatched lug dishes that we used as vegetable serving utensils, but
this was because my family was too poor to afford china that matched!
We bought ours at thrift shops and rummage sales.

An "Old Vienna" deep dish in a Blue Danube China set? Wow, we had one
of those, back in the early '50s when I was a rug-rat! It's a
beautiful blue-on-white pattern, very elegant. This sure brings back
memories.

Our Blue Danube stuff was practically indestructible. It looks dainty,
but it is amazingly tough. As I mentioned, we used these to serve hot
veggies, and we ate a lot of hot veggies, since we had a nice big
garden out back.

The pronunciation of "lug" is with a short 'U'. "Lug" rhymes exactly
with "bug" and "hug."

~pinkfreud