That was weird yet intriguing

[minoanmiss]

Dream blogging. Content advisory: linguistics.

I had a dream about a Good Eats episode that was about British Food That Doesn't Suck (they barely had enough material for a half hour ep) and the linguistics behind the pronounciation of St. John as Sinjin. Alton Brown had a new, Welsh wife who was better at accents than he was and played several roles in the episode.

At the same time, a bunch of RedRoom students were watching the episode and dissecting it for Americanisms.

Also, there was fruitcake. The fudgy kind I know from my childhood, this time. And... I think, a flaming plum pudding Alton Brown style. I think he used bourbon.

Anyway, it was more realistic than the average for my dreams, and I would watch that ep.

Comments

[sonia]

That sounds like a really good dream! The kind where you wake up smiling.

[dine]

I'm kind of over my Alton Brown enthusiasm of years ago, but I would totally watch that ep!

[baranduin]

That is an awesome dream. I know England has a bad reputation for food but I always ate so well when there. Probably all the clotted cream :-)

[ng_moonmoth]

When spouse and I were in England some years back for our honeymoon, we were amused by the menu at most pubs being not at all out of place for the kind of US neighborhood restaurants that make no pretense of "fine dining" but do emphasize the local food and have been doing a good job with it for years. Upon asking, we were told that British cuisine was badly wounded as a casualty of World War II and the accompanying rationing, and was a good long time recovering from it. Which, by all indications, it is well along in doing.

[baranduin]

That makes total sense. I've always had delicious simple food there with fresh local ingredients, whether in a restaurant or cooking for myself.

[lunabee34]

Aahahhahahaa. I was way farther into my career than I'd like to admit before I heard anyone pronounce that character's name aloud. And then I was all WTF.

[corvidology]

My US friends are also very amused by the way we pronounce place names in the UK as well given names. :D

If I hear one more person on the food channel use War-ces-ter-shi-er sauce...

[minoanmiss]

The only reason I pronounce Worcestershire sauce close to correctly is that there is a city near me named Worcester that uses the British pronounciation (but then I am in 'New England' after all).

[lunabee34]

We always said Wusstershur but I think y'all would just say say Wusster for the place name, right?

[minoanmiss]

I'm pretty sure, yeah. Here in New England we have a Worcester pronounced Wusstur.

[lunabee34]

*nods nods*

[corvidology]

I'd say that was right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPerqGHwj3k

Just cut off the first part for the town as opposed to the county. :D

[lunabee34]

That's how we say it. Hurrah! The rednecks got something right. Heeee.

[amaebi]

What a layered trifle of a dream!

Re English food: Do you like Jane Grigson or Elizabeth David? I do.

[minoanmiss]

I have heard of both those ladies, but my real introduction to British food was the Two Fat Ladies.

[corvidology]

*feels urge to defend British food*

Goes and lies down.

[minoanmiss]

Be warned, I am from Jamaica and shall tease you! Aha!

*laughs and hugs you* Actually, reading old Briish and British-influenced American cookbooks, I remember being very struck by how tasty some of the recipes sounded, when the cook did not get in the way of the ingredients.

[corvidology]

No problem. If an English person can't take a joke... well. :D