I have hesitated to post this for fear of not being believed, but--

When I lived in New York, a long time ago (and please do not ask how long ago), just out of graduate school, and from the South, I ordered a milk shake and was given a glass of milk shaken with a syrup--chocolate, I suppose, though I've forgotten. I asked what happened to the ice cream and I was given to understand that the expectation that milk shakes should contain ice cream was a southern expectation. In New York, the server said, milk shakes were not made with ice cream, that they were just shaken.

It is possible that the server was mistaken and was thinking just of--my mind has gone blank now, shaking a carbonated beverage with a syrup. But I think I recall complaining to acquaintances and was told the same thing, that in New York, milk shakes did not contain ice cream.

Anyhow, FWIW. New York now "allows" iced tea as well, and when I was there, people found the idea rather laughable. Sandwiches have changed too.

But the milk shake thing seems to be a pretty major difference.

Is anyone out there who remembers the same thing?

As I said, I hesitate to post this. Anyhow--[preparing to wince if no one else is aware of it]