wierd dreams, nightmares from Welsh Rabbit
David R. Throop
nightmares or sleep walking?
David Throop
Atari8bit Power
<6pqftd$9ee$1...@cascade.cs.utexas.edu>:
> Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
> nightmares or sleep walking?
>
> David Throop
Sounds like an episode of Gomer Pyle USMC.
I really didn't want to remember that. Perhaps the
Welsh under-cook their food. That could get a diner
really hopping.
Phil Sunde
<atariex@B_LO_Kmailexcite.com> wrote:
While Gomer Pyle may have featured this in an episode, the idea is
older.
See: Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend by Winsor McCay, artist of Little
Nemo in Slumberland, from 1903. (Sample pages at
http://www.tentacle.com/mcayd1.htm
http://www.wondersociety.com/rws/art/mccay/rarebit/index.html
http://www.pandorasbox.com/littlenemo.html)
"Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend also dates from this period. The cartoon's
premise revolves around a character who consistently indulges his
taste for rarebit (a rather rich dish), which causes him to have at
times fantastical - at times disquieting sleep visions. The series
dealt with dreams in a somewhat surreal way, and included elements of
cannibalism, deformity, dismemberment and death. Dreams of a Rarebit
Fiend is at turns wicked, nightmareish, irrational and just plain
weird. In 1906, Edwin S. Porter created a short film based on the
strip." -- Bill Blackwell, from the pandorasbox.com page noted above.
Phil
A.Ferszt
>
> Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
> nightmares or sleep walking?
>
> David Throop
It is an old common belief here in the UK that eating cheese before
going to bed will give a person bad dreams.
deke.sp...@generous.net
>Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
>nightmares or sleep walking?
It's not Welsh Rabbit. It's only pronounced that way. It's Welsh Rarebit.
I only had Welsh Rarebit once. They took a piece of white bread, tossed a couple
of rashers of bacon on it, added a ladel of Cheez Whiz, and microbopped it to
warm it up.
Sure sounds like an eggless omelet to me.... Do omelets cause wierd dreams,
nightmares, or sleepwalking?
Deke
---------------------------------------------
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Keith Willis
>It's not Welsh Rabbit. It's only pronounced that way. It's Welsh Rarebit.
Please see post <yC+eiEA6...@jackalope.demon.co.uk> from 2nd May
1998 in DejaNews, in which Mike Holmans cited a splendid debunking of
this notion.
--
The above message reflects my own views, not those of Hewlett Packard.
When emailing me, please remove the upper-case stuff from my address.
Madeleine Page
wrote in response to David Throop:
: >Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
: >nightmares or sleep walking?
: It's not Welsh Rabbit. It's only pronounced that way. It's Welsh Rarebit.
You know, deke, before you stagger in and make lordly corrections of
others, it's an *awfully* good idea to check whether you know what you're
talking about. In this instance (surprise), you're talking through your
ass.
May I suggest checking the SOED? There, under "Welsh rarebit" it says
"1785. [Etymologizing alteration of prec.]". "Prec" is "Welsh rabbit",
which dates from 1725.
: I only had Welsh Rarebit once. They took a piece of white bread, tossed a couple
: of rashers of bacon on it, added a ladel of Cheez Whiz, and microbopped it to
: warm it up.
Whatever the name of that disgusting combination, it is nothing like a
good WR. A proper WR consists of melted cheese and butter with seasoning
(typically including ale, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, maybe a little
dry mustard). All heated gently and stirred until it gets creamy and
luscious, then poured over buttered toast.
: Sure sounds like an eggless omelet to me.... Do omelets cause wierd dreams,
: nightmares, or sleepwalking?
The logic of this question escapes me. There are no eggs in WR, and there
is not necessarily any cheese in an omelette. So how in hell would knowing
that omelettes cause weird dreams give you any information about WR's
impact on dreams?
To answer the original question, yes, it's commonly accepted folk wisdom
that cheese eaten shortly before you go to sleep will make you dream.
That, at least, is what I heard often from family members when I was
growing up in the UK.
Madeleine "Welsh Rarebit is just a British raclette" Page
Kim Dyer
> of rashers of bacon on it, added a ladel of Cheez Whiz, and microbopped it to
> warm it up.
You poor child. It's actually not too bad a description, although
to do it right you use cheddar, and make a cheese sauce that is
quite heavily seasoned with worchestershire sauce.
== Kim
David Hatunen
And toast the bread and cut it into points of toast...
--
*********** DAVE HATUNEN (hat...@wco.com) ************
* Daly City California: *
* where San Francisco meets The Peninsula *
******* and the San Andreas Fault meets the Sea *******
Lee Rudolph
>Whatever the name of that disgusting combination, it is nothing like a
>good WR. A proper WR consists of melted cheese and butter with seasoning
>(typically including ale, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, maybe a little
>dry mustard). All heated gently and stirred until it gets creamy and
>luscious, then poured over buttered toast.
At which point, you will have something not quite completely unlike
a proper waelsch raclette.
Lee "descended from a long line of Klopfensteins" Rudolph
Kim Dyer
> good WR. A proper WR consists of melted cheese and butter with seasoning
> (typically including ale, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, maybe a little
> dry mustard). All heated gently and stirred until it gets creamy and
> luscious, then poured over buttered toast.
Was it here that we were having a discussion of scones and
clotted cream a while back? While not high on the American
Heart Association's list of preferred dietary staples it seems
to me that there is ample evidence against the undeservedly
bad reputation of food in Britain.
-- Kim
Madeleine Page
[snip my Welsh Rarebit recipe]
: Was it here that we were having a discussion of scones and
: clotted cream a while back? While not high on the American
: Heart Association's list of preferred dietary staples it seems
: to me that there is ample evidence against the undeservedly
: bad reputation of food in Britain.
Sensible woman! Given that "here" (alt.folklore.urban) is not the place
for an extended culinary discussion, I've removed it from the followups.
Forgive my indulgence in adding a couple of observations before I get back
on afu track.
British food *can* be dreadful beyond compare and what a bad British cook
can do to a poor innocent vegetable is not pretty to contemplate. This
sorry truth is, however, offset by the fact that a *good* British cook can
produce superb food. The UK has a culinary tradition that includes Jugged
Hare, Game Soup, Gooseberry Crumble, Starry-Gazey Pie, Partridge with
Quince, College Venison, Stilton with Pears, Leek Pie, raised meat pies
such as Melton Mowbray Pie, Brandy Snaps, Devonshire Cream, marmalade,
Simnel Cake and other delicacies.
ObLegendaryContentSortOf: Snails are a traditional British dish, having
"been eaten for many centuries in the west country. In the eighteenth
century they were th ought to be very good for backward children"
(FitzGibbon, Theodora _The Art of British Cooking_, JM Dent, London,
1965). "Snails" are, curiously, included in the Poultry and Game section
of the book. They are traditionally cooked with cider, tarragon, onions,
carrots and cloves.
Madeleine "then again, I happen to love haggis" Page
A.Ferszt
>
> > Whatever the name of that disgusting combination, it is nothing like a
> > good WR. A proper WR consists of melted cheese and butter with seasoning
> > (typically including ale, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, maybe a little
> > dry mustard). All heated gently and stirred until it gets creamy and
> > luscious, then poured over buttered toast.
>
> clotted cream a while back? While not high on the American
> Heart Association's list of preferred dietary staples it seems
> to me that there is ample evidence against the undeservedly
> bad reputation of food in Britain.
>
The reputation is not entirely undeserved. In common with a lot of other
countries (including the US), there are plenty of very good recipes
available in the UK. The problem (also in common with the US) is with
the execution.
Par example: scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam and tea form the
basis of what is called a 'cream tea'. Commonly available in tea rooms,
posh cafes and country pubs. Sounds great...the reality frequently is
cold hard dry scones, white stuff that comes out of an aerosol can and
anonymous red stuff in little plastic tubs, plus astringent milky brown
liquid with an oil slick on it.
I could go on for pages with similar examples!
Liam
>
> mp...@panix.com (Madeleine Page) writes:
>
> >Whatever the name of that disgusting combination, it is nothing like a
> >good WR. A proper WR consists of melted cheese and butter with seasoning
> >(typically including ale, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, maybe a little
> >dry mustard). All heated gently and stirred until it gets creamy and
> >luscious, then poured over buttered toast.
>
> a proper waelsch raclette.
>
> Lee "descended from a long line of Klopfensteins" Rudolph
Does anyone know the earliest citing of raclette? In England "toasted
cheese" dates at least from the 17th century - Welsh Rabbit a little
later. But I don't have any information about the earliest mention
of raclette. TIA
Liam
Simon Slavin
thr...@cs.utexas.edu (David R. Throop) wrote:
> Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
> nightmares or sleep walking?
Cheese. It's meant to be cheese that gives you strange dreams.
Referred to in a Genesis song called, if I remember correctly,
_Scenes from a Night's Dream_.
Welsh ... erghhhh ... I can't type it ! That concoction you
mentioned has lots of cheese in it. And before anyone starts a
discussion on the etymology of the name, please consult dejanews.
Simon.
--
Simon Slavin. 'ware junk-email-trap. | As far as I can tell the entire
<http://www.hearsay.demon.co.uk> | program consists of a routine to
-------------------------------------+ flash up a window which says "Device
quote from Peter Gutmann: | is not responding to SCSI command".
Leslie Paul Davies
112 "Why do you doubt your senses?"
113 "Because," said Scrooge, "a little thing affects them.
A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats.
You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard,
A CRUMB OF CHEESE, a fragment of underdone potato.
There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever
you are."
[emph. added]
GL
--
Paul W2SYF/4 Ft Lauderdale
"Heisenberg may have slept here... "
Leslie Paul Davies
lpda...@bc.seflin.org
Chris
No, it's Welsh Bunny.
Chris "Ok, I know- shouldn't have gone there" Webb
Simon Slavin
deke.sp...@generous.net wrote:
> On 30 Jul 1998 14:01:01 -0500, thr...@cs.utexas.edu (David R. Throop) wrote:
>
> >Isn't there some folktale about Welsh Rabbit causing wierd dreams,
> >nightmares or sleep walking?
>
> It's not Welsh Rabbit. It's only pronounced that way. It's Welsh Rarebit.
>
> I only had Welsh Rarebit once. They took a
> piece of white bread, tossed a couple
> of rashers of bacon on it, added a ladel
> of Cheez Whiz, and microbopped it to
> warm it up.
But what did they do when you asked them to make a Welsh Rarebit ?
You need /flame/. Not a microwave. It absolutely can't contain meat.
The bread should be partially toasted and then lightly buttered before
adding cheese. I've never seen Cheez Whiz, but if it's the stuff in
pressurised cans it won't work right [1] because you need cheese you
can layer with gaps in between the bits. Once generally uses a medium-
strength Chedder but I've had good results with with Cheshire. (I'll
entertain arguments about the suitability of sticky cheeses like Brie
for this, but only because I enjoy a good laugh.)
You should also have some sort of garnish -- parsley's usual, though
raw mushroom's good for a change -- and it goes rather well with a
dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce, but not so much that you can't
taste the cheese. Some prefer tomato sauce to Worcestershire Sauce
but it's just an excuse to eat more sugar.
Serve with white wine or milk. I'm told that the taste of Coke or
Pepsi goes rather well with it. Do not follow with anything cold
like icecream, as it'll ruin the aftertaste of the cooked cheese.
PS: This is the modern, fast and easy version. There's a more
complicated version which includes Beer which I have neither the
facilities to make nor the patience to wait for.
[1] Simon's rule of cooking: if you can spray it, it's not food.
Alina Holgate
>
> In article <35c1a44a...@news.bright.net>,
> deke.sp...@generous.net wrote:
> > I only had Welsh Rarebit once. They took a
> > piece of white bread, tossed a couple
> > of rashers of bacon on it, added a ladel
> > of Cheez Whiz, and microbopped it to
> > warm it up.
>
> But what did they do when you asked them to make a Welsh Rarebit ?
A friend of mine ordered Welsh Rarebit in the States and it was
served up with a dollop of cream and dusted with icing sugar.
Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
develop beyond that of a two year child?
Young
> Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
> develop beyond that of a two year child?
Aren't you charming? Why don't you call us Americans instead of
what you said above which has an entirely different meaning?
nancy
Lizz Holmans
'Merkins'. They know what it means, which is the main reason they like
to do it.
It seems that on USENET using racial/ethnic slurs is taboo--except
toward Americans. Using a dirty joke to identify any other nation's
citizens would be flamebait deluxe--except towards Americans.
Some Americans have also picked up this usage. That doesn't make it any
better.
Lizz 'Very reluctant patriot, but enough is enough' Holmans
--
Visit http://www.urbanlegends.com
Young
>
> Young <qwe...@mail.monmouth.com> writes
> People Over Here think it's incredibly funny to call Americans
> 'Merkins'. They know what it means, which is the main reason they like
> to do it.
>
> It seems that on USENET using racial/ethnic slurs is taboo--except
> toward Americans. Using a dirty joke to identify any other nation's
> citizens would be flamebait deluxe--except towards Americans.
>
> Some Americans have also picked up this usage. That doesn't make it any
> better.
>
> Lizz 'Very reluctant patriot, but enough is enough' Holmans
(laugh!) Okay, so she's even a bigger bitch than I thought at first ...
thanks for the insight ... nancy ...
Mike Holmans
<di...@jackalope.demon.co.uk> decided to opine:
>People Over Here think it's incredibly funny to call Americans
>'Merkins'. They know what it means, which is the main reason they like
>to do it.
>
>It seems that on USENET using racial/ethnic slurs is taboo--except
>toward Americans. Using a dirty joke to identify any other nation's
>citizens would be flamebait deluxe--except towards Americans.
>
>Some Americans have also picked up this usage. That doesn't make it any
>better.
>
Until I encountered a.f.u. three years ago, I had never seen the use
of the word 'merkin' to denote USAans. Since then, I have never heard
it used by anyone in conversation in UKoGBaNI, except by those who are
net-savvy enough to be regular users of worldwide newsfroups. If I
inadvertently use the word in normal speech or correspondence with
non-USENETters in UKoGBaNI, I usually get looks of incomprehension or
questions as to what I'm on about.
It was pretty obvious what it meant here in AFU from the context, and
I took it as a pronunciation joke. At the time, I wondered how many
people actually knew that it was also the word for 'pubic wig', and
quickly realised that the afuisti did, because they're clever and
well-read and so forth.
Pubic wigs are not usually seen on sale in supermarkets in UKoGBaNI,
and I don't think I've had more than two or three conversations
involving the subject in the last twenty-odd years, all of which have
been about the point and practicality of such items, with great
puzzlement about how they are to stay in place given that most people
who would be charmed by the sight of someone else's pubic hair would
be fairly likely to involve themselves in activities almost
specifically designed to dislodge a hairpiece. All of these
conversations have eventuated as a result of someone coming across the
word 'merkin' in a book and having to look it up in a big dic, being
surprised, and then talking about their discovery a bit later.
I'm not saying Lizz is wrong to be offended: there are certain slurs
aimed at Limeys which don't have me in stitches when I hear them. But
the suggestion that 'merkin' = 'USAan' is something which is wildly
popular in UKoGBaNI is extremely odd, and I think it is highly
debatable whether many UKoGBaNIans would know what a merkin in its
other sense actually is.
Mike "methinks the lady doth protest too much" Holmans
--
"I'm so honoured that you've replied to one of my posts that I'm speechless.
Do I get a certificate, or something?" - Linda Taylor
Young
So ... Lizz and Mike, do you two know each other?
nancy
Madeleine Page
: Alina Holgate wrote:
: > Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
: > develop beyond that of a two year child?
: Aren't you charming? Why don't you call us Americans instead of
: what you said above which has an entirely different meaning?
This thread is crossposted to rec.food.cooking and alt.folklore.urban, and
the above is a classic example of cross-cultural misunderstanding. Here in
afu, those from the US are routinely called Merkins, just as afu is
regularly called a froup. Just one of those things.
We don't usually allow unaccompanied minors on afu, by the way.
Madeleine "it's a firkin shame to upset the very Young" Page
Bob Y.
>Alina Holgate wrote:
>
>> Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
>> develop beyond that of a two year child?
>
>Aren't you charming? Why don't you call us Americans instead of
>what you said above which has an entirely different meaning?
>
>nancy
I doubt she even knows what one is. Rude AND crude.
d(:)
Bob Y.
TV: a weapon of mass distraction.
— Heard on CNN
David Hatunen
Alina Holgate <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>A friend of mine ordered Welsh Rarebit in the States and it was
>served up with a dollop of cream and dusted with icing sugar.
>Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
>develop beyond that of a two year child?
Why do you assume those people were average?
GrapeApe
>served up with a dollop of cream and dusted with icing sugar.
>Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
>develop beyond that of a two year child?
Good lord! Where was this place? One of the few decent Ukogbani dishes and its
made worse than other Ukogbani atrocities..
hol...@my-dejanews.com
> Lizz Holmans wrote:
> > People Over Here think it's incredibly funny to call Americans
> > 'Merkins'. They know what it means, which is the main reason they like
> > to do it.
> > better.
>
> (laugh!) Okay, so she's even a bigger bitch than I thought at first ...
> thanks for the insight ... nancy ...
I thought the usage merkin mainly came about because to non-U.S.A.n's the
statement "I'm American" comes out sounding like "ahm a merkin", at least in
some regional U.S. accents.
Sorry for cross-posting to rec.food.cooking. I'll watch my headers more
carefully in future.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
Leo Matheny
point is that they like to play word games. They even refer themselves as
Brits. As if the meaning is something British. My new Websters defines
brits as a small herring, or as overripe grain. Also known as short for
brittian, which means fragmented or broken apart. Maybe they {The Brits}
know full well what it means and are telling us that is what they are.
However does this make Great Britain an oxymoron? Perhaps too much
laborious idleness,or cruel kindness....has infected thier thinking, and
they want to spread it around. Leo of Va.
Lizz Holmans
<di...@jackalope.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<MBRhSHAI...@jackalope.demon.co.uk>...
> >> develop beyond that of a two year child?
> >
> >what you said above which has an entirely different meaning?
> >
> 'Merkins'. They know what it means, which is the main reason they like
> to do it.
>
> toward Americans. Using a dirty joke to identify any other nation's
> citizens would be flamebait deluxe--except towards Americans.
>
> better.
>
> Lizz 'Very reluctant patriot, but enough is enough' Holmans
> Visit http://www.urbanlegends.com
>
Shrike
>
>> Until I encountered a.f.u. three years ago, I had never seen the use
> of the word 'merkin' to denote USAans. Since then, I have never heard
> it used by anyone in conversation in UKoGBaNI, except by those who are
> net-savvy enough to be regular users of worldwide newsfroups. If I
> inadvertently use the word in normal speech or correspondence with
> non-USENETters in UKoGBaNI, I usually get looks of incomprehension or
> questions as to what I'm on about.
>
> It was pretty obvious what it meant here in AFU from the context, and
> I took it as a pronunciation joke.
> debatable whether many UKoGBaNIans would know what a merkin in its
> other sense actually is.
>
>
Please not that this is intentionally being cross-posted.
I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
suppose I'm just not "net-savvy enough". I did, however, still take
offense to the post. Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
old's? Please, Lizz, awe us with your knowledge of American cooking and
eating habits. I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
in the States conducting research to justify your claim. Just because
you got a sugar covered Welsh Rabbit, you feel that you have the right
to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult?
Didn't your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
Jennifer Halverson
Young
> offense to the post. Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
> average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
> old's? Please, Lizz, awe us with your knowledge of American cooking and
> eating habits. I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
> in the States conducting research to justify your claim. Just because
> you got a sugar covered Welsh Rabbit, you feel that you have the right
> to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult?
> Didn't your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
> you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
>
> Jennifer Halverson
There must have been some bad snipping going on ... Lizz did not
say that about Americans. Some troll from Australia did; I've
forgotten her name.
nancy
Robin Cowdrey
pronunciation as we speak. I suspect he would be absolutely
thrilled to be a merkin :)
Robin (who has been variously called limey, pom bastard and
toffee-nosed Brit and is proud to be everyone of them)
Robin Cowdrey
You take yourself too seriously, Leo of Va.....smile : )
Robin/Limey/Pommie Bastard/Herring/Over-ripe Grain/Great Big
Brit
Alina Holgate
> I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
> suppose I'm just not "net-savvy enough". I did, however, still take
> average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
> old's? Please, Lizz, awe us with your knowledge of American cooking
> and eating habits.
Ahem. You are condemning Lizz Holmans for an offence to which Alina
Holgate must plead guilty. Lizz Holmans cast no aspersions on american
tastebuds.
> I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
> in the States conducting research to justify your claim. Just because
> you got a sugar covered Welsh Rabbit, you feel that you have the right
> to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult?
You are obviously unaware of the many tragic cases of homicide/suicide
among continental chefs brought on by the provocation of watching
Americans order chateaubriand, paella, pheasant, mushroom souffle or
some other gourmand's delight only to end the order with "and bring me
a Coke to drink with that".
> Didn't your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
> you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
No, but then my mother was a strange woman.
Madeleine Page
: Please not that this is intentionally being cross-posted.
Nice to maximise the audience for your silliness. I've omitted
alt.folklore.urban from the followups.
: I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
: suppose I'm just not "net-savvy enough".
A wide vocabulary is not a function of being "net-savvy". You don't have
to be cyber-wise to avoid terms like "net-savvy" or "cyber-wise", or
look up terms like "merkin". You just need a nice big dic.
: I did, however, still take
: offense to the post. Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
: average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
: old's?
Who indeed?
[Hint: she didn't say this. Any of it]
: Please, Lizz, awe us with your knowledge of American cooking and
: eating habits. I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
: in the States conducting research to justify your claim. Just because
: you got a sugar covered Welsh Rabbit, you feel that you have the right
: to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult?
A few more hints:
- It wasn't Lizz who wrote the joke you're being so earnest about.
- Lizz has indeed spent many years familiarising herself with American
cuisine and eating habits. Not that hard for her really, in that she's an
American.
- It wasn't "an offensive insult", it was something that ordinarily
intelligent adults call "a joke".
Apart from that, yours is a *really useful* contribution. Thank you *so*
much.
: Didn't your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
: you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
I doubt Lizz' mother was that trite. Your mum, on the other hand, probably
was. So where's the nice stuff in *your* post, then?
Madeleine "motes and beams, duckie, motes and beams" Page
Kim Dyer
> average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
> old's?
All you need to do is see what sells in the markets, and taste
the food in "normal" restaurants all across the country. Note
the success of chains selling bland food, and the complete dearth
of chains selling anything with a reasonable amount of seasoning.
While YOUR taste may be more sophisticated, it does not speak to
the taste of the the AVERAGE American.
-- Kim
Michael J. Edelman
Kim Dyer wrote:
> ...All you need to do is see what sells in the markets, and taste
> the food in "normal" restaurants all across the country. Note
> the success of chains selling bland food, and the complete dearth
> of chains selling anything with a reasonable amount of seasoning.
> While YOUR taste may be more sophisticated, it does not speak to
> the taste of the the AVERAGE American.
Or the average anyone. Been in an English market lately? ;-)
--
Michael Edelman http://www.mich.com/~mje
Telescope guide: http://www.mich.com/~mje/scope.html
Folding Kayaks: http://www.mich.com/~mje/kayak.html
Airguns: http://www.mich.com/~mje/airguns.html
Juanma Barranquero
Hash: SHA1
On Wed, 05 Aug 1998 12:37:40 +1100, Alina Holgate
<hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>the provocation of watching Americans order chateaubriand, paella,
>pheasant, mushroom souffle or some other gourmand's delight only
>to end the order with "and bring me a Coke to drink with that".
Sorry for jumping in, but I'm Spanish and I drink Coke when eating
paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
/L/e/k/t/u
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Eric Hocking
> Lizz, awe us with your knowledge of American cooking and
> eating habits. I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
> in the States conducting research to justify your claim.
Commonly known as leading with your chin Jen.
--
Eric "I have the recipe book from a visit to Wales on the weekend" Hocking
"A closed mouth gathers no feet"
== Melbourne, Australia ==
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ehocking
p.s. I always heard this about pizza[1]
[1] The thread subject that is.
George Russell
Alina Holgate wrote in message <35C528...@deakin.edu.au>...
>A friend of mine ordered Welsh Rarebit in the States and it was
That's Welsh Toast.
mitcho
> Bleeech! How come the tastebuds of your average merkin don't
> develop beyond that of a two year child?
Ya know, all this foody jingoism is very good and all that, but what I
really want to know is Alina's opinion of the culinary tastes of, say,
your typical Southern Sudanese refugee. I mean, which is the more
proper accompaniment with your UN-supplied portion of reconstituted
mealy - canned Coke looted from a Khartoum warehouse or choleric local
well water? I'm sure there must be some standards here.
BTW, as a former Merkin expat in the UK, I must say I find the notion of
an Englishperson (a Monmouthian to boot) laying in to average Merkin
appreciation for food in an international forum which prolly even has a
few Frenchies about rather droll, to say the least.
Mitcho
Pommes frites with mayonnaise - food of the gods. Thank you Belgium
Lizz Holmans
>I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
>offense to the post. Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
>average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
>eating habits. I assume of course, that you have spent extensive time
>you got a sugar covered Welsh Rabbit, you feel that you have the right
>to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult?
As you have been generously informed by other folks, I said nothing of
the sort. You really, really ought to make sure you're right before you
go ahead.
I wouldn't eat Welsh Rabbit even if it was convered in powdered sugar.
The sugar and toast would be fine, but I just don't like cheese. It's
got nothing to do with British or American cheese--or any other ethnic
food.
I am fairly conversant with American and British cooking, as an American
living in the U.K. tends to be. In general, I prefer American cooking; I
grew up with it, after all, and Mars Bars without almonds seems a
perversion fit only for use as a marital aid for debauched rock stars.
Introducing my husband to Real American Food (men have married me for my
chicken-fried steak) has been a delight and a challenge. Learning to
live without grape jelly is barely compensated by learning to love
treacle sponge pudding.
I also occasionally cook Italian, French, and traditional Jewish food. I
make bread, from graham crackers to bagels, and disdain bread machines--
I like food processors, though.
Now, even if you *had* attributed the correct statement to the correct
person, I hope I have stated enough of my food credentials to satisfy
you.
>Didn't your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
>you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
No, but Davy Crockett once made a statement you might want to study.
Lizz 'Okay, send the bitch the food letter' Holmans
--
Visit http://www.urbanlegends.com
Ceylon Stowell
>Please not that this is intentionally being cross-posted.
Eeuuuuggghhhh.
>
>I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
>suppose I'm just not "net-savvy enough". I did, however, still take
>offense to the post. Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
>average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
>old's?
The "crude" meaning of the word merkin is at least a century
older than the internet, which may explain why you rarely hear
it any more.
As for anyone from the UK commenting on food, please don't start
a doomed subject here. If you have ever visited UK and tried to
eat there, you quickly develop sufficient human compassion to
simply ignore anything those poor boiled beef souls have to
say about anything remotely related to food. The French, Italians,
and Germans are all universally far too charitable in their
comments on UK food, but in the spirit of good karma, we try
not to rub it in too much.
Shrike
>
>
> As you have been generously informed by other folks, I said nothing of
> the sort. You really, really ought to make sure you're right before you
> go ahead.
>
Oh Boy! I have made a horrible error. I realize that mistook Alina
Holgate's post to be Lizz's. I appologize for my mistake. None of my
comments were intentionally directed toward Lizz. Lizz is just at the
bad end of my gross error. I do not question Lizz's knowledge of
American cooking. It was a case of mistaken identity. I'm sorry for
any grief I have caused Lizz and any of her friends.
Jennifer Halverson
Robin Cowdrey
Scotland : )
Robin
mitcho wrote:
> Mitcho
> Pommes frites with mayonnaise - food of the gods. Thank you Belgium
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
hol...@deakin.edu.au
mitcho <mit...@netcom.com> wrote:
> Ya know, all this foody jingoism is very good and all that, but what I
> really want to know is Alina's opinion of the culinary tastes of, say,
> your typical Southern Sudanese refugee. I mean, which is the more
> proper accompaniment with your UN-supplied portion of reconstituted
> mealy - canned Coke looted from a Khartoum warehouse or choleric local
> well water? I'm sure there must be some standards here.
As you've so generously solicited my opinion I think that the key
issue here is that your typical Southern Sudanese refugee has no
opportunity to exercise choice - however, if they were offered the
choice of, say, an impudent beaujolais or a Coke and they chose the
Coke I would smirk at them or maybe even look askance at them.
> BTW, as a former Merkin expat in the UK, I must say I find the notion of
> an Englishperson (a Monmouthian to boot) laying in to average Merkin
> appreciation for food in an international forum which prolly even has a
> few Frenchies about rather droll, to say the least.
If I wanted to wound me to the quick I'd probably post something like
"this criticism is ironic considering that the national dish of Ostraya
is a meat pie drenched in tomatoe sauce". Time for lunch.
hol...@deakin.edu.au
le...@lander.es (Juanma Barranquero) wrote:
> Sorry for jumping in, but I'm Spanish and I drink Coke when eating
> paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
I am truly saddened to hear that you obviously have a medical
condition which precludes you from enjoying the many fine regional
varieties of wine unique to your homeland, not to mention that
ambrosial concoction, sangria, for which your countrymen deserve
accolades.
One time in a bar in Madrid I saw them topping up the vat of
sangria by pouring in a full bottle of brandy and another bottle
of some white spirit (possibly vodka). I was highly impressed
that they didn't stint by topping it up with some cheap local red.
I knew I was in safe hands.
Greg Locock
>
> If I wanted to wound me to the quick I'd probably post something like
> "this criticism is ironic considering that the national dish of Ostraya
> is a meat pie drenched in tomatoe sauce". Time for lunch.
ObObservation: the national cuisine of Australia is Thai.
Cheers
Greg Locock
mitcho
>
> If I wanted to wound me to the quick I'd probably post something like
> "this criticism is ironic considering that the national dish of Ostraya
> is a meat pie drenched in tomatoe sauce". Time for lunch.
Oops. Walked into that one, I did. Still, this particular geographic
remove does nothing to diminish my thesis.
Mitcho
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mit...@netcom.com Urban Redneck of Goat Hill, California TR15 2BU
http://www.employees.org/~ozyman o http://www.urbanlegends.com
David Hatunen
Juanma Barranquero <le...@lander.es> wrote:
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>
>On Wed, 05 Aug 1998 12:37:40 +1100, Alina Holgate
><hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>
>>the provocation of watching Americans order chateaubriand, paella,
>>pheasant, mushroom souffle or some other gourmand's delight only
>>to end the order with "and bring me a Coke to drink with that".
>
>paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
We are American. You will be assimilated.
David Hatunen
[...]
>to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult? Didn't
>your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
>you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
Actually, it was Thumper's mother who said that. But she was
quoting Thumper's father.
I try not to take my advice for living from animated bunnies.
Madeleine Page
: It should matter that the majority of Americans do not have "regional
: U.S. accents" that make "I'm an American" sound like "Ahm a merkin."
: Why not paint some more with that broad brush??
You're absolutely right, Nancy. Americans, Americans. Not "merkins", which
is an incalculably vile slur painted with a broad brush across the
forehead of an utterly blameless nation. A nation filled with persons of
the highest integrity, the most superbe cuisine, the deepest wisdom, the
utmost sagaciousness, the warmest hearts and the cleanest washrooms of any
nation on earth. A country inhabited by people who are the epitome of
taste and discernment, filled as they are with humble gratitude and
gladness of heart at being citizens of so great a country as the U S of A.
Americans are, in short, uniformly charming, modest, affable and worthy of
every respect at all times.
I trust the foregoing meagre offering will help palliate Alina Holgate's
execrable behaviour in casting aspersions on US taste, paltry and pallid a
paean though it is when held up against the perfection that is America.
Madeleine "and not one USAan could ever be said to lack a sense of
humour, either" Page
David Hatunen
>As you've so generously solicited my opinion I think that the key
>issue here is that your typical Southern Sudanese refugee has no
>opportunity to exercise choice - however, if they were offered the
>choice of, say, an impudent beaujolais or a Coke and they chose the
>Coke I would smirk at them or maybe even look askance at them.
Why?
Please explicate.
Rodger Coghlan
>
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> >I thought the usage merkin mainly came about because to non-U.S.A.n's the
> >statement "I'm American" comes out sounding like "ahm a merkin", at least in
> >some regional U.S. accents.
>
> U.S. accents" that make "I'm an American" sound like "Ahm a merkin."
> Why not paint some more with that broad brush??
>
And, of course, there is the fact that more than half the Americans in
the world are not citizens of the U.S. nor do they reside there.
Rodger "God save Vespucciland" Coghlan
--
All opinions expressed are Mine
(mea culpa, mea culpa, Mea maxima culpa)
Rob6677
>I trust the foregoing meagre offering will help palliate Alina Holgate's
>execrable behaviour in casting aspersions on US taste, paltry and pallid a
>paean though it is when held up against the perfection that is America.
Well, yes.
Now if only you lot would stop inserting unnecessary "u's" into words
and redirected that energy into making shoes for orphans, the world
would be a far more civilised place.
Rob "still too new for an internym" H.
cjr
>
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> >I thought the usage merkin mainly came about because to non-U.S.A.n's the
> >statement "I'm American" comes out sounding like "ahm a merkin", at least in
> >some regional U.S. accents.
>
> It should matter that the majority of Americans do not have "regional
> U.S. accents" that make "I'm an American" sound like "Ahm a merkin."
> Why not paint some more with that broad brush??
>
> N.
Just a simple question - why is "merkin" a negative slur? I'd say it
sounds more like most words when they get mashed together -"I'm
American" to mumble "i'mmerkin." There are quite a few in the English
language given that many don't enunciate their words precisely.
The Catholics might be able to relate to this one - when I was a kid we
used to say the Rosary together. The "Holy Mary, mother of God" portion
ends with "now and at the *hour of* our death." My brother's name is
"Albert." I could have sworn (before I was formally taught the words)
that my dad always said "Now and at the ALBERT of our death, Amen." And
I thought it funny that my brother's name was in a prayer :).
About regional accents - I'd say the majority of Americans *do* speak
with regional accents, it's just not as distinct as some others.
Californians definitely sound different than Midwesterners or New
Englanders. Even very slight accents can be detected. I always loved how
we Americans would say "We don't have an accent, the British do." We
*all* have accents, some more pronounced than others.
Cherise - who never thought I had a "regional' accent until I moved out
of CA.
--
To send mail: roh...@nd.edu
David Martin
> You're absolutely right, Nancy. Americans, Americans. Not "merkins", which
> is an incalculably vile slur painted with a broad brush across the
> forehead of an utterly blameless nation. A nation filled with persons of
> the highest integrity, the most superbe cuisine, the deepest wisdom, the
> utmost sagaciousness, the warmest hearts and the cleanest washrooms of any
> nation on earth. A country inhabited by people who are the epitome of
> taste and discernment, filled as they are with humble gratitude and
> gladness of heart at being citizens of so great a country as the U S of A.
> Americans are, in short, uniformly charming, modest, affable and worthy of
> every respect at all times.
I knew if I waited long enough you'd take back those
nasty things you said about me.
> Madeleine "and not one USAan could ever be said to lack a sense of
> humour, either" Page
Oh, maybe not.
David "humours" Martin
--
For the alt.folklore.urban FAQ see:
http://www.urbanlegends.com/afu.faq/ or
http://www.panix.com/~sean/afu/ or
E-mail mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with "send
usenet/news.answers/folklore-faq/*" in the body of your message.
McGeary
cjr <nos...@no.edu> writes:
> Just a simple question - why is "merkin" a negative slur?
1. It's only a "negative slur" to them what objects to being called
"pubic wig."
2. Can you give me an example of a *positive* slur?
Colleen "gettin' wiggy wid it" M.
Ceylon Stowell
>Now if only you lot would stop inserting unnecessary "u's" into words
>and redirected that energy into making shoes for orphans, the world
>would be a far more civilised place.
This may not be purely english in origin. My understanding is
that it came from the scots. Apparently they only make haggis
from the inner parts of male sheep, thus leaving them with a
surplus which they hat to put somewhere.
Harry A. Demidavicius
Some of my best meals have been eaten in the Napa Valley, San
francisco and down towards Monterey. The local chefs have developed a
marvelous array of dishes that need not take a backseat to anyone or
any Country. The staff will tell you precisely the ingredient content
etc. if you are unable or unwilling to consume something.
Having said that, chain restaurants and their cousins, the fast food
outlets, are all franchised operations who either draw from central
commissaries, or prepare to strict recipes and instructions provided
by the franchise. These large companies, McDonalds, Perkins, Olive
Garden et al have taken great pains to keep their stuff uniform and
"SAFE" - by virtue of preparation, sanitation and ingredients. They
are avoiding as much legal action as possible by keeping out
ingredients like peanut/butter/oil from dishes where you would not
expect to find them [stew thickener]. Doesn't make their stuff
gourmet, but it *is* uniformly the same across all their franchises
and you can eat it with safety in Calgary and in Tampa who are a ways
apart geographically.
A couple and their three kids on a 200 mile trip are not likely to
stop for a gourmet lunch in some quaint place. No time. A couple may
go to that quaint place w/o the kids.
I'm willing to bet it isn't much different in Europe, Australia etc
Harry Demidavicius
Calgary Alberta
On Wed, 05 Aug 1998 07:37:41 -0400, Kim Dyer <kim...@aol.com> wrote:
>>Who the hell is Lizz Holmans to say that the
>> average americans tastebuds don't develop beyond those of a two year
>> old's?
>
>All you need to do is see what sells in the markets, and taste
>the food in "normal" restaurants all across the country. Note
>the success of chains selling bland food, and the complete dearth
>of chains selling anything with a reasonable amount of seasoning.
>While YOUR taste may be more sophisticated, it does not speak to
>the taste of the the AVERAGE American.
>
>-- Kim
Robin Cowdrey
> About regional accents - I'd say the majority of Americans *do* speak
> with regional accents, it's just not as distinct as some others.
> Californians definitely sound different than Midwesterners or New
> Englanders. Even very slight accents can be detected. I always loved how
> we Americans would say "We don't have an accent, the British do." We
> *all* have accents, some more pronounced than others.
>
> Cherise - who never thought I had a "regional' accent until I moved out
> of CA.
>
> --
> To send mail: roh...@nd.edu
I remember, when I first arrived in Canada, how amazed I was
to hear people comment on my 'English' accent. I didn't
have an accent; they did.
My argument was: 'What language do I speak?' 'Where am I
from?' 'What language do you speak?' 'Where are you from?'
It always got blank stares!! Accents are extremely
subjective. Toaday I sound like I sit on a rock in the
middle of the Atlantic Ocean. As far as 'those-around-me'
is concerned what sounds normal is W. Canadian English
because I'm used to it....I've lived here for 30yrs. and
still people ask me where I'm from. I hear a regional
accent and my antennae go up...where's s(he) from? Even the
BBC, who used to be the arbiters of 'standard English', have
given up and employ all kinds of people with regional
accents (I listen on RealAudio). One of my pleasures when
visiting a different part of the 'English' speaking world is
to listen. Absolutely the best place is the Circle line on
the London Underground. I could sit here all day,
shamelesly listening and looking....a wonderful
experience....I'm sure there are other places where the same
situation exists.
--
Robin
'Some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant'
Anon.
Robin Cowdrey
>
> In article <35C7B4...@netreach.net>, Shrike <shr...@netreach.net> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> >to make a sweeping generalization and an offensive insult? Didn't
> >your mother (or any self-respecting person) ever say to you, 'If
> >you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?'.
>
> Actually, it was Thumper's mother who said that. But she was
> quoting Thumper's father.
>
> I try not to take my advice for living from animated bunnies.
>
and 3 kids bawling their eyes out when Bambi's mom died).
I'm quite sure that Uncle Walt's homilies had a profound
effect on all those kids who grew up watching his movies.
Alina Holgate
>
> In article <6qb7vm$798$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>
> >As you've so generously solicited my opinion I think that the key
> >issue here is that your typical Southern Sudanese refugee has no
> >opportunity to exercise choice - however, if they were offered the
> >choice of, say, an impudent beaujolais or a Coke and they chose the
> >Coke I would smirk at them or maybe even look askance at them.
>
> Why?
> Please explicate.
Coca-cola is sweet, sticky, fizzy and has no alcohol content therefore
rendering it fit for consumption only by those who have not yet reached
puberty. It fits into the category of "lolly-water".
To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my travels
around the world that Coke has just the right balance of electrolytes to
act as a panacea for those suffering the effects of, er, how do I put
this delicately - upset digestive systems. Any truth in this? Could
Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
Eric Hocking
> Just a simple question - why is "merkin" a negative slur?
I'll try a simple answer to, as you say, a simple question.
"merkin" is a slur in afu. It is in this forum that I first struck it, and
only in this forum that I've encountered it in this context, that is; when
applied to (nth) Americans. Bringing it up in casual (and not so casual)
conversation elicits a "what?[0]".
I always took it as an afu affectation along the lines of UKoGBaNI.
Fairly rapidly[1] I was appraised of the meaning of the word, and I still
took it in the vein of a light hearted "taking the piss" in the context of a
convivial trading of insults that is the rough and tumble of afu.
That said, I can see someone taking offence being called a pubic hair
substitute.
Just as an aside on the qualifications of pronounciation, while in Vietnam
(Ho Chi Minh City) the locals were just being allowed again to learn English
(circa '92) and one of the dominating texts was a volume entitled, "How to
speak English with an American accent"[2]. It was a volume that used
phonetics to aid pronucication and the back cover was quite explicit in it's
aim by representing the front cover title in the form of, "How to Speak
English with a Namerican accent".
--
Eric "in other words I have nothing to say" Hocking
"A closed mouth gathers no feet"
== Melbourne, Australia ==
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ehocking
[0] ...The fuck are you talking about?
[1] That is lurking, holding my tongue and reading the FAQ
[2] And the Vietnamese nationals and Aussie expats had a shit-pile of great
fun taking the piss out of practicing the "practicals"
A.Ferszt
>
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> >I thought the usage merkin mainly came about because to non-U.S.A.n's the
> >statement "I'm American" comes out sounding like "ahm a merkin", at least in
> >some regional U.S. accents.
>
> It should matter that the majority of Americans do not have "regional
> U.S. accents" that make "I'm an American" sound like "Ahm a merkin."
> Why not paint some more with that broad brush??
>
> N.
That is not true. The question of accents has a lot to do with the
listener. It is entirely possible that to a 'foreigner' it would sound
like that. I had an amusing encounter with someone in a convenience
store in Nashville, who asked me a question. It took several tries
before I worked out that she was asking me what else I might need. I was
born in Europe and brought up in the NYC area, but I had to remind
myself that she *was* speaking English. I adore regional accents (even
if they do take getting used to) and it's too bad that they are being
homogenised both in the US and the UK.
David Hatunen
>In article <35cb6009...@talia.ibernet.es>,
> le...@lander.es (Juanma Barranquero) wrote:
>
>> paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
>
>condition which precludes you from enjoying the many fine regional
>varieties of wine unique to your homeland, not to mention that
>ambrosial concoction, sangria, for which your countrymen deserve
>accolades.
I don't suppose you noticed he never said he didn't enjoy wine?
[...]
David Hatunen
Alina Holgate <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>David Hatunen wrote:
>>
>> In article <6qb7vm$798$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>>
>> >As you've so generously solicited my opinion I think that the
>> >key issue here is that your typical Southern Sudanese refugee
>> >has no opportunity to exercise choice - however, if they were
>> >offered the choice of, say, an impudent beaujolais or a Coke
>> >and they chose the Coke I would smirk at them or maybe even
>> >look askance at them.
>>
>> Why?
>> Please explicate.
>
>Coca-cola is sweet, sticky, fizzy and has no alcohol content therefore
>rendering it fit for consumption only by those who have not yet reached
>puberty. It fits into the category of "lolly-water".
So?
Why do you smirk at people who might have different tastes than
you?
>To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my
>travels around the world that Coke has just the right balance of
>electrolytes to act as a panacea for those suffering the effects
>of, er, how do I put this delicately - upset digestive systems.
>Any truth in this? Could Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
Coke syrup is a famous old palliative for upset stomachs. You used
to be able to buy it at pharmacies. Maybe you still can.
mitcho
Alina Holgate wrote:
>
> > >As you've so generously solicited my opinion I think that the key
> > >issue here is that your typical Southern Sudanese refugee has no
> > >opportunity to exercise choice - however, if they were offered the
> > >choice of, say, an impudent beaujolais or a Coke and they chose the
> > >Coke I would smirk at them or maybe even look askance at them.
> To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my travels
> around the world that Coke has just the right balance of electrolytes to
> act as a panacea for those suffering the effects of, er, how do I put
> this delicately - upset digestive systems. Any truth in this? Could
> Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
If this is the case, then it would only be prudent for the Sudanese
refugee to eschew the beaujolais in favor of the Coke, wouldn't it?
I'm going to be spending some time in North Africa myself this month, so
this information might come in handy.
Mitcho
Rick Tyler
:You're absolutely right, Nancy. Americans, Americans. Not "merkins", which
:is an incalculably vile slur painted with a broad brush across the
:forehead of an utterly blameless nation. A nation filled with persons of
:the highest integrity, the most superbe cuisine, the deepest wisdom, the
:utmost sagaciousness, the warmest hearts and the cleanest washrooms of any
:nation on earth. A country inhabited by people who are the epitome of
:taste and discernment, filled as they are with humble gratitude and
:gladness of heart at being citizens of so great a country as the U S of A.
:Americans are, in short, uniformly charming, modest, affable and worthy of
:every respect at all times.
:
:I trust the foregoing meagre offering will help palliate Alina Holgate's
:execrable behaviour in casting aspersions on US taste, paltry and pallid a
:paean though it is when held up against the perfection that is America.
:
:Madeleine "and not one USAan could ever be said to lack a sense of
:humour, either" Page
I know there must be some kind of troll here, but I just don't get it.
-- Rick "Ever' word true, 'pon my hono'" Tyler
-------------------------------------------------------
"Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar
only into the depths of ignominy." -- Patrick O'Brian
+ FAQ and lore at www.urbanlegends.com +
Justin D. Bukowski
Madeleine Page <mp...@panix.com> wrote:
>You're absolutely right, Nancy. Americans, Americans. Not "merkins", which
>is an incalculably vile slur painted with a broad brush across the
>forehead of an utterly blameless nation. A nation filled with persons of
>the highest integrity, the most superbe cuisine, the deepest wisdom, the
>utmost sagaciousness, the warmest hearts and the cleanest washrooms of any
>nation on earth. A country inhabited by people who are the epitome of
>taste and discernment, filled as they are with humble gratitude and
>gladness of heart at being citizens of so great a country as the U S of A.
>Americans are, in short, uniformly charming, modest, affable and worthy of
>every respect at all times.
Don't forget the immigrants. We get hundreds of thousands, maybe
millions each year. Many of which come here for the excellent
educational opportunities.
Justin "and the homeless, we gots lots of them, too!" Bukowski
--
I bounce Bcc:'d mail
Mark
>
> >To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my
> >travels around the world that Coke has just the right balance of
> >electrolytes to act as a panacea for those suffering the effects
> >of, er, how do I put this delicately - upset digestive systems.
> >Any truth in this? Could Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
>
> to be able to buy it at pharmacies. Maybe you still can.
>
our local super-duper supermarket) the pharmacist didn't have a clue
about "coke syrup" being used for upset stomachs. When I asked for it I
was neatly redirected to the soft drink aisle. Upon further
investigation she disavowed any knowledge of this usage.
Mark
A.Ferszt
>
> I thought that was a Dutch thing -- I bet they'd love it in
> Scotland : )
>
> Robin
>
> mitcho wrote:
>
> > Mitcho
> > Pommes frites with mayonnaise - food of the gods. Thank you Belgium
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yes it's Dutch as well. Don't forget that Belgium is both Dutch-speaking
and French-speaking.
Kim
>Some of my best meals have been eaten in the Napa Valley, San
>francisco and down towards Monterey.
>I'm willing to bet it isn't much different in Europe, Australia etc
their food nice and bland doesn't mean the AVERAGE person from
ANYWHERE doesn't want their food their own country's particular
version of "bland". The french fries with mayonaise mentioned
elsewhere in this thread is a prime example. (In Amsterdam
I suppose ketchup in a novel thing to use with your fries. I
sure saw HUGE lines in every McDonalds I *quickly* passed.)
-- Kim
Pam Jacoby
Actually, it's clear sodas for the tummy (drink clear and eat white).
Cola syrup was prescribed for diarrhea. And yes, I'm old enough to have
been around when it was available for that use.
Bruce Tindall
>Actually, it's clear sodas for the tummy (drink clear and eat white).
>Cola syrup was prescribed for diarrhea. And yes, I'm old enough to have
>been around when it was available for that use.
Maybe we're both so old our memories are slipping, but I've used
Coca-Cola syrup, bought in a pharmacy in the 1980s(L), for nausea,
and the instructions on the label referred to it as a remedy for same.
Nowadays the only thing I can find is a much more expensive
preparation called Emetrol, which contains phosphoric acid, which
is an ingredient of Coca-Cola, is it not?
The only other retail source of Coke syrup I knew of near me
was Jeff's Campus Confectionery in Chapel Hill, where they made
fountain Cokes from the "raw" syrup up until they had to close
earlier this year because the *#($#&(@ landlord gave the lease
to a place selling something called "smoothies", which I am
given to understand are like milkshakes but are made with bananas
instead of cows.
B "*now* I need some Emetrol" T
--
Bruce Tindall tin...@panix.com
Ted Frank
Bruce Tindall <tin...@panix.com> wrote:
>Pam Jacoby <Pamela...@Unisys.com> wrote:
>>Actually, it's clear sodas for the tummy (drink clear and eat white).
>>Cola syrup was prescribed for diarrhea. And yes, I'm old enough to have
>>been around when it was available for that use.
>
>Maybe we're both so old our memories are slipping, but I've used
>Coca-Cola syrup, bought in a pharmacy in the 1980s(L), for nausea,
>and the instructions on the label referred to it as a remedy for same.
I can do you one better; I purchased something labelled "Cola Syrup" in a
pharmacy in the mid-1990s, with instructions etc. for nausea.
I'd ask if anyone else has been nauseous or known someone who has, but
that's plainly too big an opportunity of a straight line.
--
http://www.radix.net/~moe
http://www.conceptlab.com/simulator/morning/clock800.html?
http://www.cais.net/frisch/meatmation/thestory.htm
Jason Goodman
> I had an amusing encounter with someone in a convenience
> store in Nashville, who asked me a question. It took several tries
> before I worked out that she was asking me what else I might need. I was
> born in Europe and brought up in the NYC area, but I had to remind
> myself that she *was* speaking English.
I'm an American graduate student at MIT; I was talking with my Russian
officemate once last year, and he said "I tink I must haff Boston accent" (in
a Russian accent too thick to describe in text.) I laughed, and asked him why
he thought that. "Well, here in Boston, I go to store, I go to restaurant,
and everybody understands what I say. But last week, I take trip to North
Carolina for job interview. Nobody in store understand what I say there. So
I must have Boston accent."
--
The letters a.s. in my address are an anti-spam fix. Remove 'em to email me.
RIC MERRITT
Don Whittington
STAR...@webtv.net (RIC MERRITT) wrote:
> No wonder you Brits are always so thin.....who would want to eat this
> stuff.....yuck!
Thank you for this charming post. I have no idea to what stuff you refer,
mind you, but I trust your observation is well made.
Don "Robert Morley, Winston Churchill, Peter Ustinov, (your favorite thin
Englishman here)" Whittington
Cindy Kandolf
| Actually, it's clear sodas for the tummy (drink clear and eat white).
| Cola syrup was prescribed for diarrhea. And yes, I'm old enough to have
| been around when it was available for that use.
Back when i was a kid (1970s), our family doctor was an older man, and
of the school that there was no sense going to the pharmacy if you
have something in the kitchen that will do the trick. He recommended
"clear sodas" for both diarrhea and nausea, but what he meant was
non-cloudy sodas. Cola counted as clear because the light will shine
through it; root beer, for instance, did not.
I have no idea if it worked, but it sure tasted better than "real"
medicine.
(Up in these parts, the treatment for an upset stomach tends to
include fish balls in white sauce. If nothing else, this is ample
incentive to get well quickly.)
- Cindy Kandolf, certified language mechanic, mamma flodnak
flodmail: ci...@nvg.ntnu.no flodhome: Bærum, Norway
flodweb: http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/
JoAnne Schmitz
>In article <35cb6009...@talia.ibernet.es>,
> le...@lander.es (Juanma Barranquero) wrote:
>
>> Sorry for jumping in, but I'm Spanish and I drink Coke when eating
>> paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
>
>I am truly saddened to hear that you obviously have a medical
>condition which precludes you from enjoying the many fine regional
>varieties of wine unique to your homeland, not to mention that
>ambrosial concoction, sangria, for which your countrymen deserve
>accolades.
Amazingly enough, Ms. Holgate, some people do not choose to drink alcoholic
beverages with dinner, for many reasons. Do you drink anything that does
not make you so dizzy as to post to alt.folklore.urban with singleminded
opinions, half-remembered anecdotes and little else?
>One time in a bar in Madrid I saw them topping up the vat of
>sangria by pouring in a full bottle of brandy and another bottle
>of some white spirit (possibly vodka). I was highly impressed
>that they didn't stint by topping it up with some cheap local red.
>I knew I was in safe hands.
Korsakov's here we come.
JoAnne "what did I say" Schmitz
sbarker...@uconect.net
>pharmacy in the mid-1990s, with instructions etc. for nausea.
>
I still have a bottle of that somewhere at my mothers house...
Nasty stuff!
But it does seem to work.
Sue
If you are a dyslexic agnostic insomniac, do you lie
awake at night wondering if there really is a dog?
Casady
>
> In article <6qbl13$nf6$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
> >In article <35cb6009...@talia.ibernet.es>,
> > le...@lander.es (Juanma Barranquero) wrote:
> >
> >> Sorry for jumping in, but I'm Spanish and I drink Coke when eating
> >> paella. Does that make me an american? ;)
> >
> >I am truly saddened to hear that you obviously have a medical
> >condition which precludes you from enjoying the many fine regional
> >varieties of wine unique to your homeland, not to mention that
> >ambrosial concoction, sangria, for which your countrymen deserve
> >accolades.
>
He did in fact mention one specific dish, and not something
more generic. It has been the best part of thirty years
since I was in Spain. Gas was about a buck and a half a gallon,
no idea if any tax increases, seven cents, or otherwise, were in the
works, but I do remember that gin and coke was a very popular
drink, particularly with some of the cheaper domestics, that
needed help from a flavorful mix. It was not at all bad, and the
point,
I suppose, is that it is risky to jump to conclusions about
preferences especially in areas _purely_ a matter of taste. I had
never suspected that gin and coke might be fit to drink.
Casady
Linda Lawson
>On 6 Aug 1998 14:33:58 -0400, mp...@panix.com (Madeleine Page) wrote:
>
>:You're absolutely right, Nancy. Americans, Americans. <snip long>
>:Americans are, in short, uniformly charming, modest, affable and worthy of
>:every respect at all times.
I never wore a uniform in my life
>:
>:Madeleine "and not one USAan could ever be said to lack a sense of
>:humour, either" Page
>
>I know there must be some kind of troll here, but I just don't get it.
>
>-- Rick "Ever' word true, 'pon my hono'" Tyler
Don't you pon' yo hono around here, sonny. this is a clean-livin froup
--
Linda "I know one, but I'd never say so" Lawson
OtiGoji
sodas" for both diarrhea and nausea,
Of course, in the '50s you didn't need a doctor to know the 7-Up had to be room
temperature.
OtiGoji
"Look at the size of those footprints!"
Ceylon Stowell
>
>To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my travels
>around the world that Coke has just the right balance of electrolytes to
>act as a panacea for those suffering the effects of, er, how do I put
>this delicately - upset digestive systems. Any truth in this? Could
>Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
Coke as a soft drink? I'd be surprised if the carbonation helps
much.
I do remember medical style folklore back in the early 60's that
the old [less sweet to me] Coke syrup was used for upset stomach
and I believe it may also have been used much earlier in mixtures
to hide the taste of some other ingredients. The folklore in the
60's was that doctors would indeed prescribe coke syrup for whatever.
Rice broth and carbonation maybe would help with the travel trots.
Ceylon Stowell
>The only other retail source of Coke syrup I knew of near me
>was Jeff's Campus Confectionery in Chapel Hill, where they made
>fountain Cokes from the "raw" syrup up until they had to close
>earlier this year because the *#($#&(@ landlord gave the lease
>to a place selling something called "smoothies", which I am
>given to understand are like milkshakes but are made with bananas
>instead of cows.
I believe the banana smoothie is made by first feeding a
cow LOTS of bananas...
lendee
pharmacies still keep it on hand.
Delores
Ceylon Stowell <lsto...@triton.dnai.com> wrote in article
<6qiu90$rv8$1...@triton.dnai.com>...
Casady
>
> Alina Holgate <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
> >
> >To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my travels
> >around the world that Coke has just the right balance of electrolytes to
> >act as a panacea for those suffering the effects of, er, how do I put
> >this delicately - upset digestive systems. Any truth in this? Could
> >Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
>
> Coke as a soft drink? I'd be surprised if the carbonation helps
> much.
>
> I do remember medical style folklore back in the early 60's that
> the old [less sweet to me] Coke syrup was used for upset stomach
> and I believe it may also have been used much earlier in mixtures
> to hide the taste of some other ingredients. The folklore in the
> 60's was that doctors would indeed prescribe coke syrup for whatever.
>
> Rice broth and carbonation maybe would help with the travel trots.
I recall seeing small bottles of coke syrup on the shelf with the
over the counter drugs, fairly recently, within five years, or less.
I do recall that it was labeled for use in cases of nausea, but I
don't remember the dose. Appearantly it was actually used for
medicinal purposes, at least at one time.
Casady
Carmen Bartels
> Alina Holgate <hol...@deakin.edu.au> wrote:
>>
>>To try to inject a ULish flavour to this - I've been told on my travels
>>around the world that Coke has just the right balance of electrolytes to
>>act as a panacea for those suffering the effects of, er, how do I put
>>this delicately - upset digestive systems. Any truth in this? Could
>>Coke cure the third world of dysentry?
>
> Coke as a soft drink? I'd be surprised if the carbonation helps
> much.
>
Here in Germany many doctors recommend *flat* Coke (stirring
carbonation out vigorously) and 'Salzstangen' (thin stalks of dough,
baked and sprinkled with coarse salt) if you have that problem.
They say that the salt is good for replacing the lost minerals and that
Coke does quite-n the stomach and tastes better than most medicines.
Carmen,
who gladly changed from unsugared black tea and coal tablets to this
combo
--
Carmen Bartels elfgar@NightFall, elfgar@Xyllomer
ca...@squirrel.han.de caba@irc
Steve Caskey
> If I wanted to wound me to the quick I'd probably post something like
> "this criticism is ironic considering that the national dish of Ostraya
> is a meat pie drenched in tomatoe sauce". Time for lunch.
In Australia, a "floater" is a meat pie drenched in tomato sauce on a bed of
mushy peas. Elsewhere in the English speaking world, a "floater" is a corpse
that has been in the water too long and has become inflated with the gases of
decomposition. Absolutely no significance should be attached to this.
Steve "indulging in the great trans-Tasman tradition" Caskey
--
Just another mindless public servant at the Ministry of Education
"Pilgrimage" is a spoonerism of "grim pillage." This may explain the
Crusades.
See the alt.folklore.urban FAQ and archive at http://www.urbanlegends.com
Juanma Barranquero
Hash: SHA1
On Thu, 06 Aug 1998 07:12:36 GMT, hol...@deakin.edu.au wrote:
>I am truly saddened to hear that you obviously have a medical
>condition which precludes you from enjoying the many fine regional
>varieties of wine unique to your homeland
Wrong.
>not to mention that
>ambrosial concoction, sangria, for which your countrymen deserve
>accolades.
Wrong again (That's two on a row). I just *love* sangria.
But anyway, I mostly drink Coke when eating unless I'm eating a fine
meal, and paella usually is not a "fine" meal, is more of the
all-thursdays-in-your-local-cheap-restaurant variety :)
/L/e/k/t/u
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Juanma Barranquero
Hash: SHA1
On Sat, 08 Aug 1998 08:05:08 -0700, Casady <rca...@webslnger.com>
wrote:
>I had never suspected that gin and coke might be fit to drink.
It is usual for you to drink wine with... er... soda? (I mean,
carbonated water with sugar, how do you call that? It is "gaseosa" in
Spanish).
And "calimocho"? (that's coke with red wine; it is very popular among
teenagers short on money)
/L/e/k/t/u
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Juanma Barranquero
Hash: SHA1
On 6 Aug 1998 07:05:52 -0700, hat...@shell1.ncal.verio.com (David
Hatunen) wrote:
>We are American. You will be assimilated.
Good enough. I must be one of the *really* few pro-americans in this
whole continent :)
/L/e/k/t/u
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chris 'fufas' grace
Steve Caskey wrote in message <01bdc3fa$113fb4f0$140a69c0@furrfu>...
>
In Australia, a "floater" is a meat pie drenched in tomato sauce on a bed of
>mushy peas.
As far as I know, a 'floater' is a meat pie of the type which has a lump of
meat in the middle floating in a great pool of fat so that when you bite
into the pie, you end up wearing the fat.
Which obviously makes it a dietary staple for Australian Menswear salesmen.
Elsewhere in the English speaking world, a "floater" is a corpse
>that has been in the water too long and has become inflated with the gases
of
>decomposition. Absolutely no significance should be attached to this.
No. Just another reference to Australian Menswear Salesmen.
Paul Herzberg
<1998Aug10.1...@transdataco.nz>...
>Steve Caskey wrote in message <01bdc3fa$113fb4f0$140a69c0@furrfu>...
>In Australia, a "floater" is a meat pie drenched in tomato sauce on a bed
of
>>mushy peas.
>As far as I know, a 'floater' is a meat pie of the type which has a lump of
>meat in the middle floating in a great pool of fat
>>that has been in the water too long and has become inflated with the gases
of
>>decomposition. Absolutely no significance should be attached to this.
In my part of the English speaking world (South Yorkshire, England - I'm
pretty sure this counts) a floater is a particularly vicious (or possibly
viscous) greeny that has been spat into your pint. A situation presenting
you with two options: turning the spitter into one of the previous
definitions of a floater or drinking the pint down in one.
Paul "guess which option I went for" Herzberg
Rapunzel
> >that has been in the water too long and has become inflated with the gases
> of
> >decomposition.
Well, that's not what the word is most commonly used for in this
vicinity, but I guess it might take 3 or 4 flushes to get rid of a
corpse as well.
David R. Throop
>I for one, did not know the crude meaning of the word 'merkin'. I
>suppose I'm just not "net-savvy enough". I did, however, still take
>offense to the post.
If you are going to keep posting to rec.food.cooking about merkins,
you will have to supply a recipe for them.
David "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin" Throop
Joseph Michael Bay
>(Up in these parts, the treatment for an upset stomach tends to
>include fish balls in white sauce.
Er, we usually take "treatment for" a condition to be something
that lessens, rather than causes, said condition.
--
Quis investigator privatus negrus est, qui secusmachina omnibus pullibus est?
Hastile! Quis immittet se in periculum, ut suum filius excipere? Hastile!
Dixunt Hastilem maaalus mater -- Conticesce!
Eloquor modo Hastilis. Potis defodere est.