Ordering A Sandwich At A Fast Food Restaurant

What does “footlong” mean at a sandwich shop?

At an American sandwich shop, you choose the size. A footlong is a long sandwich. It is one foot long. One foot is twelve inches, about thirty centimeters. The other size is a six-inch, which is half as long. So “footlong” is not a special food. It is just the big size. When the worker asks “One foot or six inches?”, they want to know how long you want your sandwich.

The word comes from the chain Subway, but now many people use it. In the clip the worker asks: “What size would you prefer? One foot or six inches? One foot.” Tip: a “foot” here is the length, not your foot. One foot = 12 inches.