Have to Adult 2016-07-27

[Sgt. Howard]

Nice haircut. But why dye the grey lock? It looked good on her.

Don't worry, I'm sure that there are many more gray hairs in her future. Assuming that she doesn't simply go bald from pulling her hair.

I've heard some people call French or French-speakers "frogs."

I don't know if this is derogatory/offensive, and if it is, I have no idea how severe it is, so I just avoid it.

It's generally considered rude but not terribly offensive, though a lot depends on just how and when it is used.

As has been pointed out, it's a food-based slang used by the British against people from France or Belgium or the Netherlands or that general area. Through the 18th and 19th Centuries, the British tended to often be at conflict with their neighbours across the Channel (the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Seven Year War, the Napoleonic Wars, and so on). They called those neighbours "frog-eaters" or just "frogs" as an insult, implying that they lived in a swamp and also just had really weird culinary tastes. And the British were in turn called "roast beefs", due to the supposed or actual British obsession with that particular dish. It's pretty much the same as calling Germans "krauts".

France used to require all automobiles driving in their country to have special yellow headlights. They were very strict on that, which meant that even during joint military exercises with other nations' armies any foreign military would have to purchase the special lights for their vehicles to drive on French roads. Which greatly annoyed all of the non-French soldiers. The reason given for the special lights was that they were supposed to give better vision in foggy conditions. They were fog-lights. Thus, everybody took to calling them "frog-lights". Which greatly annoyed all of the French soldiers.

"Krauts" comes from the German Navy serving sauerkraut to ward off scurvy- it works. English were called "Limeys" because that's how THEY warded off scurvy. Be thankful- at the same era, the US Navy issued ketchup- at the time it was a patent medicine, one of the few that actually did what it claimed.

[Sgt. Howard]

Rattlesnake does NOT taste like chicken. It tastes like rattlesnake. Something between crab and abalone, and I'm not sure that's close enough... but it's delicious!!!

[AnotherFairportfan]

Aren't Geese protected by a migratory bird act or whatever? Kinda hard to sell meat of a protected species.

I think that is to protect *wild* geese.. you can find goose for eating in most places,. coming from a proper farm..

As i linked, there are annual waterfowl hunting seasons, and that applies to geese.

[My2Cents]

Through the 18th and 19th Centuries, the British tended to often be at conflict with their neighbours across the Channel (the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Seven Year War, the Napoleonic Wars, and so on).

More like the 9th through 20th centuries. It all started when William the Conqueror became king of England and brought his problems back home in Normandy, France, with him. WWI in many ways was the end of it with the fall of the last true monarchies.

[illiad]

Ah, Ketchup must have had a LOT more Vitamin C in it those days... Or do you mean 'not the tomato kind' ???

today AFAICS Heinz Ketchup only has 6% Vit C... But then many countries have 'banned' it due to not having enough solid tomato pulp in it!!

many other brands have the weight of tomatoes used to make 100 g ketchup.. I usually find there is too much vinegar in it, and get another brand with less vinegar, and much less sugar and other stuff..

[Just Old Al]

well, frogs legs are just like a small chicken.. at the 'boring' end of eclectic tastes... :E
Not tried kangaroo, horse (sold at respectable butchers all over France) , octopus or squid ?? (its called 'calamari' to not frighten some McDonalds eaters..
Haven't you had prawns , scampi, shrimp?? they are basically a smaller version of lobster...
and very prone to naming differences across the world...

Ande I'll have a plate of each, and keep th iced tea coming. Talk about yer mixed grill.

Frog legs are boring unless wild-caught, horse tends to be strongly flavoured and tough.If it's got suckers deep-fry it and pass the marinara sauce. The rest of that list? Simmer it in white wine and scallions, chill and serve on a bed of rock salt.

Omnivore? Hell, yes.

[lake_wrangler]

Many species of wild goose and duck (and others) are in a subset called "migratory game birds". These birds can be hunted, in accordance with Federal and state regulations. There are bag limits, open and closed seasons, restrictions on how and where you can hunt them, and a requirement that each hunter buy and sign and carry a "Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp)" which is, in effect, a Federal permit to hunt these birds.

Hunting seasons...
Kind of, something like this?

[ziggy78eog]

Catherine, you are a Parent, you can never stop adulting. Ever.

[Sgt. Howard]

well, frogs legs are just like a small chicken.. at the 'boring' end of eclectic tastes... :E
Not tried kangaroo, horse (sold at respectable butchers all over France) , octopus or squid ?? (its called 'calamari' to not frighten some McDonalds eaters..
Haven't you had prawns , scampi, shrimp?? they are basically a smaller version of lobster...
and very prone to naming differences across the world...

Ande I'll have a plate of each, and keep th iced tea coming. Talk about yer mixed grill.

Frog legs are boring unless wild-caught, horse tends to be strongly flavoured and tough.If it's got suckers deep-fry it and pass the marinara sauce. The rest of that list? Simmer it in white wine and scallions, chill and serve on a bed of rock salt.

Omnivore? Hell, yes.

Rattler- Skin and fillet, hot iron pan with butter and garlic. 6" strips. Never more than 5 seconds to each side. YUMMMM!!!!!

[FreeFlier]

Aren't Geese protected by a migratory bird act or whatever? Kinda hard to sell meat of a protected species.

I think that is to protect *wild* geese.. you can find goose for eating in most places,. coming from a proper farm..

The Federal Migratory Bird Protection Act covers almost all birds found in the US (there are a few exceptions, such as feral pigeons, starlings, and other "pest" birds, and some upland game birds.) It's illegal to kill, capture, transport, or offer-for-sale such birds without a Federal permit.

I believe it's limited to birds that migrate interstate on a significant level, because that was the only way to make a federal law on the subject legal.

FreeFlier is correct - a hunter who shoots at a wild goose is required to retrieve the bird, tag, transport, and consume it (personally or in-family). Shooting at birds "for sport" and wasting the bodies is not legal. Neither is shooting it on your license and then selling it, I believe. You''re not allowed to possess a wild game bird shot by someone else unless the original shooter has tagged it properly (I believe this is to prevent hunters from shooting more than their bag limit, and then claiming that "Oh, my friend shot this one").

Enforcing retrieval is a little problematic, because there are genuine escapes . . . but the game warden generally considers it to be special conditions.

You don't want any LEO to decide that you're under special conditions. I've seen it done . . . he got an entire book of traffic tickets written against him. (He earned it.)

And it doesn't stop the "Oh my friend shot this one", but it does slow it down.


Amusingly, crow used to be classed as a game bird in some states . . . because if it wasn't a game bird, it couldn't be hunted.

--FreeFlier

[illiad]

well, if I am in your part of the country, I can be sure of a GOOD meal!!!

[Warrl]

In this case, I think "adult" is being used sort of as a verb... like "swim" or "strive" or "dig".You Anglos* are so weird...

In English you can mostly forget the notion that <word> is NOT a <part of speech>. (Well, pronouns and prepositions are rather limited, but aside from those...) "Adult" is at least a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.

English is also really good at creating new words, by either abbreviation or construction. The question "is that even a word?" is usually answered "if it wasn't before, it is now".

[Aleister Crow]

Rattlesnake does NOT taste like chicken. It tastes like rattlesnake. Something between crab and abalone, and I'm not sure that's close enough... but it's delicious!!!

Agreed. And in my experience, the only animal that actually does taste like chicken is chicken. The differences may be subtle, but they're there.

[Just Old Al]

Agreed. And in my experience, the only animal that actually does taste like chicken is chicken. The differences may be subtle, but they're there.

With your avatar why do I consider that statement disturbing?

[Warrl]

Through the 18th and 19th Centuries, the British tended to often be at conflict with their neighbours across the Channel (the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Seven Year War, the Napoleonic Wars, and so on).

More like the 9th through 20th centuries. It all started when William the Conqueror became king of England and brought his problems back home in Normandy, France, with him. WWI in many ways was the end of it with the fall of the last true monarchies.

England and France have been at war with each other since before there was such a thing as "England" (literally - before the Angles invaded Britain) or "France". There are reasons why the westernmost portion of France's north coastline is known as "Brittany", and within it there's a region known as "Cornouaille".

[Sgt. Howard]

In this case, I think "adult" is being used sort of as a verb... like "swim" or "strive" or "dig".You Anglos* are so weird...

In English you can mostly forget the notion that <word> is NOT a <part of speech>. (Well, pronouns and prepositions are rather limited, but aside from those...) "Adult" is at least a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.

English is also really good at creating new words, by either abbreviation or construction. The question "is that even a word?" is usually answered "if it wasn't before, it is now".

If 'Google' is considered a legitimate verb, I assure you no noun is safe...

[jwhouk]

Well, considering I've been Wapsi'd, I'd say yes.

[AnotherFairportfan]

My brother was at a con somewhere in Europe - Poland, maybe - and Toni {Weisskopf, his publisher at Ben Books} had arranged a meeting with all or most of his translators.

The Frenchman, the Italian and the Spanish guy were complaining about did he know how much grief his fairly common verbing of nouns gave them.

The German guy just sat back and smiled.

[Catawampus]

When you start verbing gerunds, though, you may have gone too far. Or not far enough. It can be hard to tell.

[Sgt. Howard]

My brother was at a con somewhere in Europe - Poland, maybe - and Toni {Weisskopf, his publisher at Ben Books} had arranged a meeting with all or most of his translators.

The Frenchman, the Italian and the Spanish guy were complaining about did he know how much grief his fairly common verbing of nouns gave them.

The German guy just sat back and smiled.

Of course he did- most German Verbs ARE nouns