Phosphates were carbonated beverages made-from-scratch by the "soda jerk" using carbonated soda
water, flavored syrups and phosphoric acid -- in this case, they are flavored with strawberry syrup.
In slang, Strawberry Phosphates refer to strippers; the term is in reference to Thornton Wilder'
s play "Our Town", in which Mrs. Gibbs references her son George spending all of his
money on strawberry phosphates, jokingly thought to be the character Emily's stripper
name.