A ▲

AB&I (n.) - American Brass & Iron
Aebelskiver (n.) - Danish popover-like dessert baked on the stovetop in a cast iron pan with multiple hemispherical indentations
Al Carder (n.) - A New York-based catering firm which used custom imprinted Wagner aluminum ware
Alaska(n) Coil (adj.) - Spring steel handle design of waffle irons and lifters, perhaps named for similarity to Eskimo basket weave
American Pattern (adj.) - Griswold waffle iron making thinner cakes with smaller, more numerous indentations than the French
Anode (n.) - Positive terminal of an electrolytic cell, the electrode at which oxidation occurs
Applied Handle (n.) - Term for a Griswold lid handle which, actually cast, has the appearance of having been added afterwards
Arc Logo (n.) - Trademarks of various foundries consisting of block lettering curved in an arc
Aristocraft (n.) - Griswold brand of designer cast aluminum ware
As-Cast (adj.) - Term for an unmodified iron surface texture, i.e. not polished, ground, or milled
Assignee (n.) - Term for a holder of patent rights assigned to them by another, usually the inventor
Assignor (n.) - Patent term for an inventor who assigns rights to another

B ▲

Bakelite (n.) - Trademarked name for a phenolic plastic resin used for cookware handles, etc
BB (n.) - Blue Book (The Book of Griswold & Wagner by Smith & Wafford)
Best Made (n.) - Store brand made for Sears Roebuck by Griswold
BIN (n.) - Buy It Now, eBay™ listing option
BKF (n.) - BarKeeper's Friend, a mild abrasive scouring powder suitable for use in cleaning cast iron
Blacking (n.) - Carbonaceous mixture applied to mold surfaces to improve casting finish, aka Blacking Carbon
Blacklock (n.) - Foundry started by Joseph Lodge, burned down in 1910, rebuilt as Lodge Mfg. Co
BOLO Oven (n.) - Griswold patented "Big Oven-Little Oven" made for use on top of woodstoves
Bosh (n.) - Widest part of a furnace shaft, an inverted cone in shape, the part where ore begins to melt.
Bottom Gated (adj.) - Casting in which iron entered the mold cavity at what would become the bottom of the piece
Breakfast Skillet (n.) - Skillet, square or round, with divided areas to separate various meal components
BSR (n.) - Birmingham Stove & Range Co.
Buttering (n.) - Smeared area indicative of pattern marking alteration
Button Logo (n.) - Raised Griswold trademark seen on some lids/covers

C ▲

Camp Oven (n.) - Cast iron pot, footed for use over an open fire with a flat, heavy, rimmed lid to hold hot coals
Cast Iron (n.) - Iron containing about 1.7 % carbon, making it strong but also brittle. Unlike wrought iron, not malleable.
Cathode (n.) - Negative terminal of an electrolytic cell, the electrode at which reduction occurs
CBS (n.) - Corn Bread Skillet
Century (n.) - Cast iron cookware series produced by Birmingham Stove & Range Co. in the 1950s-1960s
CF (n.) - Chicken Fryer
CHF (n.) - Chicago Hardware Foundry
Chicken Fryer (n.) - Deep skillet, typically size 8, often made without pour spouts
CI (n.) - Cast Iron
CICN (n.) - Cast Iron Cookware News, a bi-monthly newsletter self-published 1988-1990 by avid collector Steve Stephens
Circa (prep.) - Abbreviated "ca." Latin "approximately", used to describe proximity to a year or timespan, e.g. ca. 1909, ca. late 1800s
Clean-Easy (adj.) - A porcelain finish applied to the undersides of some Griswold dutch oven and skillet covers
Cliff Cornell (n.) - Owner of Cleveland Flux Co, who gave many specially commissioned items as employee and customer gifts
CLOWS (n.) - Inscription on cooking surfaces of advertising waffle irons made by Griswold for Clow Milling Co's Waffle Flour
CN, C/N (n.) - Catalog Number (Wagner terminology)
CO (n.) - Camp Oven
Cocotte (n.) - Small fireproof dish in which foods are cooked and served, alternate term used by Staub for a dutch oven
Coke (n.) - Coal derivative, the result of the distillation of bituminous coal in the absence of air.
Cold Pour (n.) - Condition wherein iron flowed improperly inside mold because it had begun to cool, resulting in defect
Combo Cooker (n.) - Three piece nesting unit consisting of a deep pot, a shallow pot, and a cover which doubles as a skillet
Cope (n.) - Term for the top part of a sand mold flask
Core (n.) - An insert in the mold that produces internal features in the casting such as holes.
Crucible (n.) - Bottom of the furnace shaft where molten iron and slag collect, sometimes called the hearth.
Cupola (n.) - Vertical shaft furnace for melting metal in direct contact with coke by forcing pressurized air through openings near its base

D ▲

Danish Cake Pan (n.) - Another name for an Aebelskiver Pan
DFF (n.) - Deep Fat Fryer
DISA/DISAMATIC (n.) - Automated production line for the rapid production of sand casting molds
DO (n.) - Dutch Oven
Doufeu (n.) - Pot with recessed lid made to be filled with ice to promote condensation, French for "gentle heat"
DPD (n.) - Abbreviation for Dawn™ Power Dissolver™ kitchen cleaning product often used to clean cast aluminum
Drag (n.) - Term for the bottom part of a sand mold flask
Drip Drop (n.) - Wagner trademarked name for self-basting lid design
Drippers (n.) - "Self-basting" points, ridges, or dimples on the underside of dutch oven or skillet lids
DRU (n.) - Diepenbrock & Reigers of Ulft, Dutch makers of enameled cast iron ware, aka DRU Holland
Drying Oil (n.) - Oil (as linseed oil) that changes readily to a hard tough elastic substance when exposed in a thin film to air
Du-Chro (n.) - Combination bright/satin chrome finish trademark of Griswold
Ductile Iron (n.) - Iron capable of being fashioned by tensile force into a new form, such as wire or thread
Dutch Oven (n.) - Flat bottom pot with a tight-fitting cover usually having projections to baste food with condensed moisture

E ▲

Eccentric Kettle (n.) - Kettle with off-center, reduced diameter bottom to fit in stove eye but take up less stovetop space
ECI (n.) - Enameled Cast Iron
Electro (n.) - Slang, Electrolysis
Electrolyte (n.) - Dissolved substance which serves as an ionic conductor
EP (n.) - Erie, PA (Griswold)
EPU (n.) - Erie, Pennsylvania, USA: One of several Griswold trademark designations
EUC (n.) - Excellent Used Condition
Extra Finish Ware (n.) - Griswold marketing term for tumble polishing, also machine finishing of some cooking surfaces

F ▲

Fantasy Piece (n.) - Term for a counterfeit item for which no genuine original exists.
Ferric Oxide (n.) - Hydrated iron oxide or iron(III) oxide with the formula Fe₂O₃, a.k.a. rust
Ferrous Oxide (n.) - a.k.a. Iron(II) oxide, a black powdery substance with the chemical formula FeO
Fire Ring (n.) - Term sometimes seen used to refer to a Heat Ring
Flash (n.) - Thin fin or web of metal extending from a casting along the joint line due to cope and drag not matching
Flash Rust (n.) - Spontaneous formation of oxidation on newly clean, bare iron due to ambient humidity
Flask (n.) - Multi-part box structure used to create and hold a sand mold
Flop Griddle (n.) - Pancake cooking device with shallow flat cups on a hinged section made to be flipped over
Foot Forward (adj.) - Term for variation of Griswold lamb cake mold with foreleg extended rather than tucked under
FPW (n.) - Favorite Piqua Ware
French Oven (n.) - Alternate term used primarily by Le Creuset for a dutch oven
French Pattern (adj.) - Griswold waffle iron making thicker cakes with fewer, deeper indentations than the American

G ▲

Gang Mold (n.) - Mold created to cast multiple pieces in a single pour
Gate (n.) - Point of entry for molten iron into the mold cavity
Gate Mark (n.) - Area of pan where excess metal ground off after casting
Gem Pan (n.) - One of several variations of pans made to produce small individual non-yeast muffins, cakes, breads a/k/a gems
GHC (n.) - General Housewares Corporation
Good Health (n.) - Store brand made by Griswold
Graphite (n.) - Electrically conductive form of carbon, useful as an anode for iron cleaning by electrolysis
Green Sand (n.) - Damp fine mixture of silica, clay, and other material, used to make cast metal molds
Grey Book (n.) - Early American Cast Iron Holloware 1645-1900: Pots, Kettles, Teakettles, and Skillets book by John Tyler
Ground (adj.) - Polished surface created by rotating piece at high speed against grindstone spinning in opposite direction

H ▲

Hamburger (adj.) - Term sometimes used to describe the Martin stylized logo.
Hammered (adj.) - As relates to cast metal ware, a finish which mimics hammered metal, but is actually molded into the piece
HD (adj.) - High Dome, usually referring to a Griswold cover with a high profile
Heat Ring (n.) - Raised rim around the bottom circumference of a pan, either to aid stability or improve heating efficiency
HG (n.) - Handled Griddle
High Base (adj.) - Tall waffle iron frame made for use on gas or electric stove burners
Hinged (adj.) - Skillet/lid design with slot/tab on rim to hold lid open while working with food, slot also usable as assist handle
Hollow Ware (n.) - (also Hollowware) Term for cast metal items like pots, pans, kettles, etc.
HR (n.) - Heat Ring
HTF (n.) - Hard To Find

I ▲

IHR (n.) - Inset Heat Ring
IM (n.) - Iron Mountain (Griswold unmarked line)
Inset (adj.) - Describes a heat ring smaller than the outer circumference of pan, a raised circular ridge

J ▲

Japanning (n.) - Black lacquer coating sometimes applied to non-food contact cast iron pieces as a rust-proofing

K ▲

KKK (n.) - Krusty Korn Kobs, Wagner Ware corn stick pan trademark
Krumkake (n.) - Norwegian rolled waffle cookie served either plain or filled, also used as ice cream cone
KSR (n.) - King Stove & Range Co., predecessor of Martin Stove & Range Co

L ▲

Ladle (n.) - Heat-resistant receptacle used for transporting and pouring molten metal
LBHR (n.) - Large Block Heat Ring (Griswold)
LBL (n.) - Large Block Logo, refers to Griswold 3¼"+ diameter logo with block lettering, in use 1920-1940
LD (adj.) - Low Dome, usually referring to a Griswold cover with a low profile
Little Slam (n.) - Wagner gem pan with cups in the shapes of playing card suits
Long Life (n.) - Store brand made by Wagner
Low Base (adj.) - Short waffle iron frame used on woodstove eyes, where turning paddles pass below range surface
LSL (n.) - Large Slant Logo, refers to Griswold logo in use 1909-1929, 1939-1944
Lye (n.) - Caustic substance used in the removal of organic build-up from cast iron pans, sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

M ▲

Magnalite (n.) - Trademarked name of cast aluminum ware made by Wagner Ware
Maid Of Honor (n.) - Store brand sold briefly by Sears Roebuck in the 1950s, thought to have been made by Lodge
Maker's Mark (n.) - Figure or character, usually incised, added to a pattern to identify its maker
Marriage (n.) - Term to decribe two pieces which, while they may fit together, were not parts of an original set
Maslin Kettle (n.) - From an archaic term for mixture or mash, a pot having narrow base with a wide top to promote evaporation
Master Pattern (n.) - Original pattern, usually made of wood or brass, from which working patterns are replicated
Match Plate (n.) - Automated molding system in which pattern halves are affixed to opposite sides of a metal plate
MBL (n.) - Medium Block Logo (Griswold 2¼"-2½" diameter)
Merit (n.) - Store brand made for Sears Roebuck by Griswold
Miami (n.) - Lower-priced line of skillets made by Favorite
Milled (adj.) - Smooth, flat surface on some pans created by a machining process using rotary cutters to remove material
MOH (n.) - Maid Of Honor (Sears Roebuck)
Molasses Bath (n.) - 10% solution of liquid animal feed grade molasses and water used to remove rust from cast iron
Mold Cavity (n.) - The impression in a sand mold remaining after removal of the pattern
Molder's Mark (n.) - Character or symbol, usually raised, added to the pattern or mold at time of casting to identify the molder
Monday Morning (adj.) - Martin #3 skillets with trademark inverted, believed the result of a hungover foundryman
Movement (n.) - Term describing the behavior of a warped bottomed pan when the rim is pressed down upon
Munk Pan (n.) - Norwegian version of the Aebelskiver/Danish Cake Pan, different in that it lacks the perimeter skirt

N ▲

N.E.S. (n.) - New England Style (Gem/Muffin Pan)
National (n.) - Lower-priced line of skillets and lids made by Wagner Ware
NFS (adj.) - Not For Sale
Ni-Resist (n.) - A cast iron with high nickel content offering enhanced corrosion resistance
NIB (adj.) - New In Box
No Trump (n.) - Lodge gem pan with cups in the shapes of playing card suits
NOS (adj.) - New Old Stock, an old but never used item
NR (adj.) - No Reserve, eBay™ listing option
NWOT (adj.) - New, Without tags
NWT (adj.) - New, With Tags

O ▲

O'Clock (adj.) - Term used to denote the relative position of markings or characteristics on pan bottoms
O.P.& Co. (n.) - Orr Painter & Co.
Odorless (adj.) - Cooking vessel design, for use with woodstoves, with duct to exhaust cooking odors by convection
OHR (n.) - Outside Heat Ring
Oneta (n.) - Lower-priced line of skillets made by Wapak
Outside (adj.) - Describes a heat ring located at outermost perimeter of pan bottom, an extension of pan sidewall

P ▲

Parting Compound (n.) - Substance, typically powder or oil based, applied to a pattern to ease its removal from a sand mold
Parting Line (n.) - Joint at which halves of a sand mold come together, often seen as thin ridge on edges of a casting
Pattern (n.) - Original used as a form to produce duplicate pieces, made slightly enlarged to offset shrinkage during cooling
Patty Mold (n.) - Decoratively-shaped iron used to make deep-fried pastry shells a/k/a rosettes
Pie Logo (n.) - Wagner Ware trademark with the stylized logo inside a wedge-shaped outline
Pig/Pig Iron (n.) - Ingots of freshly smelted iron formed in rows fed by a main trough, reminiscent of suckling piglets
Pitted/Pitting (adj./n.) - Erosion of metal either by oxidation or by extensive use over a sulphur-containing heat source
Placeholder (n.) - Term for a piece of less-than-desired condition obtained and used temporarily to complete a set
Plett Pan (n.) - Cast iron griddle pan with seven 3" circular impressions for making small, thin Swedish pancakes
Plumbago (n.) - Powdered graphite. See Blacking
PN, P/N (n.) - Pattern Number (Griswold terminology)
Posnet (n.) - Meaning originally "small pot", an iron pot with three legs and a long handle for use over a fire
Pre-Griswold (adj.) - Term erroneously applied by eBay sellers to Griswold pieces marked only "ERIE"
Puritan (n.) - Store brand made for Sears Roebuck by Griswold and Favorite

Q ▲

Quaker Ware (n.) - A late era Griswold line featuring a white enameled interior and a bare iron exterior

R ▲

RB (n.) - Red Book (The Book of Wagner & Griswold by Smith & Wafford)
Recast (n.) - Piece cast using an actual pan as a pattern to create the mold
Red Mountain (n.) - Cast iron cookware series produced by Birmingham Stove & Range Co. in the 1930s-1940s
Reinforced (adj.) - Refers to the additional iron thickness seen at various stress points, either distinctive or blended
Repro (n.) - Slang, Reproduction
Reproduction (n.) - Non-genuine copy, a counterfeit
Riser (n.) - A reservoir built into a casting mold to prevent the formation of cavities due to shrinkage of solidifying metal
Rosette Iron (n.) - Iron for making decoratively-shaped pastry shells fried in oil
Runner (n.) - Horizontal passage in a mold which connects the sprue base to the gate

S ▲

Sad Iron (n.) - Cast iron clothes pressing iron heated by placing on a stove, sad being an archaic term for heavy
Safety Kettle (n.) - Kettle with locking, hatched tin lid and assist handle to safely drain liquid while hot
Salesman's Sample (n.) - Term often erroneously applied to toy cast metal cookware
SB (n.) - Smooth Bottom
SBL (n.) - Small Block Logo, refers to Griswold 1⅞" diameter logo in use 1940-1957
SCO (n.) - Self-Cleaning Oven
Scotch Bowl (n.) - Shallow iron pot with deep heat ring for stability and curved walls and bottom to facilitate constant stirring
Seasoning (n.) - The build-up over time of layers of carbonized and polymerized fats creating a non-stick cooking surface
SHW (n.) - Sidney Hollow Ware
Side Gated (adj.) - Casting in which iron entered the mold cavity at what would become the side of the piece
Silverlike (n.) - Flat plating finish trademark of Griswold
Silverlite (n.) - Plating finish trademark of Wagner Ware
SK (n.) - Skillet
Slag (n.) - Byproduct of iron smelting, glassy, mostly silica, containing impurities from the ore.
Slag Inclusion (n.) - Casting imperfection consisting of impurities in the form of artifacts of the casting process
Slant EPU (n.) - Griswold Cross-In-Double-Circle TM/Logo with Slanted Lettering, and "Erie, PA, USA" beneath
Slant Erie (n.) - Griswold Cross-In-Double-Circle TM/Logo with Slanted Lettering, and only "Erie" beneath
Slant Logo (n.) - Griswold 3¼"+ diameter logo with slanted lettering, in use primarily 1906-1929
SLE (n.) - Slant Erie
SLEPU (n.) - Slant Erie, PA, USA (Griswold)
Smoke Point (n.) - Temperature at which a cooking oil or fat breaks down and begins to give off smoke
Smoke Ring (n.) - Term sometimes seen used to refer to a Heat Ring
Sniping (v.) - The practice of waiting until the final seconds of an online auction before bidding
Soda Ash (n.) - Common name for sodium carbonate, Na2CO3
Sodium Carbonate (n.) - Chemical (Na2CO3) used as an electrolyte for the cleaning of cast iron using electrolysis
Sodium Hydroxide (n.) - Chemical name for lye, NaOH
Spider (n.) - Cast iron flat-bottomed pan made with legs and a long handle for use over an open fire; an archaic term for a skillet
Spinner (n.) - Slang, Term for a pan with a downward-warped bottom
Sprue (n.) - Vertical passageway through a sand mold for molten iron to reach the runner
Sprue Mark (n.) - Round mark on bottom of piece where iron entered the mold, a technology in use until late 18th century
Steel (n.) - Iron containing 0.3 to 0.5% carbon, making it more rigid than wrought iron, more ductile than cast iron.
Stylized Logo (n.) - Usually refers to Wagner Ware trademark with large single stylized W for both words
Symbol Ware (n.) - Griswold line of cast aluminum ware with colored enameled lids

T ▲

Tapered Logo (n.) - Wapak trademark with lettering gradually diminishing in size, left to right
Thermal Shock (n.) - Condition wherein rapid heating or cooling of a metal pan causes warping, cracking, or shattering
Tite-Top (n.) - Griswold trademarked name for self-basting lid design
TM (n.) - Trade Mark, Trademark
Tumbling (v.) - Process to remove casting artifacts and polish cast metal ware in a large rotating drum filled with small bits of metal
Turk's Head (adj.) - Term describing muffin pans with fluted round cups similar in shape to a Bundt pan
Turtle Top (n.) - Older Wagner dutch oven cover with shape reminiscent of a tortoise shell

U ▲

Unmarked (adj.) - Pieces made without the manufacturer's trademark for distribution in lower-priced market channels
User (n.) - A piece deemed to have little or no collectible value, but still possessing qualities good for cooking
USP (n.) - United States Pharmacopeia, published standards for the regulation of drug and food ingredients

V ▲

Victor (n.) - Lower-priced line, primarily a limited range of skillets, made by Griswold
Vinegar Bath (n.) - 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water used to aid in removal of rust from cast iron
Void (n.) - Cavity produced in a casting during solidification

W ▲

Wall Hanger (n.) - Pan with not readily-apparent damage which reduces collectible value, but which still remains display-worthy
Wardway (n.) - Store brand made for Montgomery Ward by Wagner
WI (n.) - Waffle Iron
Wobble (n.) - Term describing the behavior of a warped bottomed pan when the rim is pressed down upon
Working Pattern (n.) - Pattern used in mold making production, copied from a master, and usually made of aluminum
Wrought Iron (n.) - Malleable iron containing only a trace amount of carbon.
WWSO (n.) - Wagner Ware Sidney -O-

Y ▲

Yankee Bowl (n.) - Moderately deep iron pot with deep heat ring for stability and curved walls and bottom to facilitate constant stirring
YB (n.) - Yellow Book (Griswold Muffins Pans by Jon B. Haussler)

Z ▲

Z Logo (n.) - Variation of Wapak tapered logo featuring a Z shaped tail attached to the trademark