[Grammar] Salad: countable or uncountable noun

[kadioguy]

(On TV program Let's Talk in English)

Matt: I'm really hungry. I'm going to eat a lot of food. Those hamburgers smell good.
Susie: The hot dogs smell good too. What did you bring to the barbecue?
Matt: I brought some potato salad and drinks.
Susie: I brought a fruit salad. And Tina brought raw vegetables.
Matt: Taylor brought chicken to grill. She doesn't like hamburgers or hot dogs.
Susie: That's fine. Everyone should have some good food to enjoy!
Matt: Yes. And we can enjoy it all together.

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Matt uses the word "salad" as an uncountable noun, but Susie uses it as an countable noun. How do they choose the word "salad" as an uncountable noun or as an countable noun? I don't know what the difference is in meaning between them.

How about this? (Exchange the usage of two.)

Matt: I brought some potato salads and drinks.
Susie: I brought fruit salad.

 

[kadioguy]

Say what? Where does Matt use it as an uncountable noun, and where does Suzie use it as a countable noun?

I mean this:

Matt: I brought some potato salad and drinks.
(I would think "potato salad" here is an uncountable noun.)

Susie: I brought a fruit salad.
(I would think "a fruit salad" here is a countable noun.)

Quote "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary":

[uncountable, countable] (in compounds) raw or cooked vegetables, etc. that are cut into small pieces, often mixed with mayonnaise and served cold with other food

potato salad
a pasta salad

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/salad?q=salad

 

[Raymott]

You can use it either way. "A salad" is a meal-sized serving of salad.

 

[GoesStation]

How about this? (Exchange the usage of two.)

Matt: I brought some potato salads and drinks.
Susie: I brought fruit salad.

Susie's line is possible, but I can't imagine anyone saying Matt's. I'm afraid it's just idiomatic; fruit salad can be countable, but in normal usage, potato salad can't—in American English, anyway.

 

[jutfrank]

It's fine to say a potato salad, as a countable noun. It doesn't matter what kind of salad you're talking about, you can use the word either countably or uncountably. As post #4 says, we use the word countably to refer to an individual portion, or dish.

Do you like potato salad?
I made a potato salad.

Do you eat fruit salad?
I made a fruit salad.

 

[jutfrank]

potato salad can't [be countable]—in American English, anyway.

Are you sure? I think you might mean plural, not countable.

 

[GoesStation]

Are you sure? I think you might mean plural, not countable.

You're right. Also, there is a case where it can be plural but I decided not to bring it up to avoid confusing the OP.

 

[Tdol]

It could be countable when ordered as a dish, couldn't it?

 

[GoesStation]

It could be countable when ordered as a dish, couldn't it?

Yes, and I can think of a few other times, such as when stocking shelves at a carry-out.