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Taster’s Cherce

Dig this fun piece at the Smithsonian on the origins of food idioms:

Sowing your wild oats: According to World Wide Words, a blog written by British lexicographer Michael Quinion, this expression dates to at least the 16th century, and refers to the worthlessness of wild oats (the probable precursor to cultivated oats) as a cereal crop. Therefore, a young man who sows wild oats is—ahem—spreading seeds without purpose, or otherwise pursuing idle pastimes.

Upper crust: In olden days, the top half of a loaf a bread was considered better, and was served to the nobility. (Source: Mad as a Wet Hen!)

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4 comments

1 Chyll Will   ~  Aug 13, 2010 3:20 pm

Well, without getting a sappy and such, we here at Bronx Banter know that there's nothing better than Sliced Bread >;)

As for oats... um... the right amount of chocolate makes almost anything edible.

2 Alex Belth   ~  Aug 13, 2010 3:21 pm

1) AAAAA-men!

3 Diane Firstman   ~  Aug 13, 2010 3:48 pm

I like to think of myself as an "idiom savant" :-)

4 Sliced Bread   ~  Aug 13, 2010 6:26 pm

[1] aw, shucks, Chyll.

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