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In researching a story set in the U.S.A. during World War II, I came across a slang term for food procured through the black market (not rationing stamps). Now I can’t find where I read it.

In the instance I read, I believe it was a term for a side of beef, but I also believe it could be any food (later, I may stand corrected on that). I’m unsure if the word began with the letter “B,” but it may have.

What was the slang term in the U.S.A. during World War II for black market (i.e., illegal) food?

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  • Sounds like bootleg.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Jan 28, 2020 at 22:53
  • It's a bit afield ... but does contraband sound right?
    – jimm101
    Commented Jan 28, 2020 at 22:59
  • But the USA did not have food rationing. So how can there have been a black market? There certainly was rationing and a black market in Britain. I don't know if there was a name for such food - but the people who operated it were called "spivs".
    – WS2
    Commented Jan 28, 2020 at 23:21
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    @WS2 Yes, there was rationing in the US during WWII.
    – mkennedy
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 0:35
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    I second @YosefBaskin. Bootlegging, while usually associated with alcohol, can apply to anything made or distributed illegally. This article uses the term specifically in conjunction with meat.
    – Tinfoil Hat
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 3:09

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Several historical articles on US rationing during WWII have mentioned "meatlegging", a portmanteau of 'meat' and 'bootlegging', as a term in common use; reportedly almost 20% of US meat production was sold illicitly through various methods during the rationing period.

(Searching for the noun 'meatleggers' also brings up a variety of historical references.)

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/647379/world-war-ii-black-market-meat https://www.secretsoftheeasternshore.com/black-market-chicken/ https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/home-front-illicit-trade-and-black-markets-in-world-war-ii.htm https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/western-pennsylvania-history-bootleg-beef-black-market-meat-wwii/

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