That may be a more modern affectation of the English. Sailors in the glory days of the Royal Navy consumed them. Though it's well known that they preferred the smaller specimens as a matter of policy.Dave wrote:But what they neglect to say, for reasons that I don't fully understand, is just why the spaghetti weevil was no longer a problem. Like many other species of weevils, beetles, and insects-in-general, the spaghetti weevil is quite edible and nourishing... they're quite tasty when toasted with just a pinch of garlic salt. The canny Swiss spaghetti farmers had realized that they could create a very nice secondary income by collecting the weevils, freezing them, and exporting them to South America, where the Eurocentric bias against eating insects isn't an issue.
I suppose the filmstrip publishers didn't want to risk an "ewww" reaction from the English movie-going audience for which this short seems to have been made. No sense putting the customers off of their suet pudding.
Inside Track 2018-02-01
Moderators: Bookworm, starkruzr, MrFireDragon, PrettyPrincess, Wapsi
Forum rules
When two threads are posted for a day's comic, the thread posted first becomes the starting post. Please delete the second thread and add your post to the first thread. When naming the thread: Comic Name YYYY-MM-DD
Thanks guys! This keeps the forum nice and neat.
When two threads are posted for a day's comic, the thread posted first becomes the starting post. Please delete the second thread and add your post to the first thread. When naming the thread: Comic Name YYYY-MM-DD
Thanks guys! This keeps the forum nice and neat.
-
- Posts: 807
- Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:34 pm
- Location: Pennsylbama, between Philly and Pittsburgh
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the linchpin of civilization.
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Indeed. In fact, that was how many of the British aristocracy made their fortunes, supplying bug-infested foodstores to the Navy. As with the Gold Rush in California, it wasn't those who went adventuring who made the real fortunes... it was those who sold them their supplies and equipment.Typeminer wrote:That may be a more modern affectation of the English. Sailors in the glory days of the Royal Navy consumed them. Though it's well known that they preferred the smaller specimens as a matter of policy.
For business reasons, these actually weren't structured as sale, but as loans... for which Her Majesty's Government would then pay a forfeit when the sailors ate the food. Sort of a reverse pawnshop arrangement. The merchants didn't have to pay sales tax, and the Government could return excess food to the merchant and pay nothing if (e.g.) a ship's voyage was cancelled due to weather or political events. (The sailors often referred to these food suppliers as loan sharks, for obvious reasons).
I believe that some of my ancestors were engaged in this trade. My middle name is Chandler, and that's a family name taken from an old term for a dealer in supplies and equipment for ships (really! I am not making this up!)
So (getting back to your statement about policy) I guess this means that my great-great-great-great-grandfather might actually have been the lessor of the lesser of two weevils.
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Yes, a Chandler is the guy who runs a hardware store for ships. And, they're called Mealworms for a reason -- Yum, yum!
Don't let other peoples limitations become your constraints!
My Deviant Art scribbles
The Atomic Guide to Basic GIMP Stuff
My Deviant Art scribbles
The Atomic Guide to Basic GIMP Stuff
- Just Old Al
- Posts: 1684
- Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:43 am
- Location: Wilderness of Massachusetts
- Contact:
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Really.Dave wrote: lessor of the lesser of two weevils.
SO much verbiage...so little point.
Dave has finally used up the marker he earned when I made a joke about structural engineering in bras so long ago. That sucker was Ferghoot level, Dave.
"The Empire was founded on cups of tea, mate, and if you think I am going to war without one you are sadly mistaken."
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Hey, if Isaac Asimov can get away with it (and I cite his short story Shah Guido G) I figured I might... and I had to give a proper response to Typeminer, who left that narrative left hook hanging out there waiting to hit somebody in the chin.Just Old Al wrote:Dave has finally used up the marker he earned when I made a joke about structural engineering in bras so long ago. That sucker was Ferghoot level, Dave.
Although, it's true, I do need to be careful. Greg warned me, some time back, that my sense of humor has been sufficient to have me blacklisted, watch-listed, and warning billboards about me posted in several states.
At the time I hadn't believed him... but a recent incident changed my mind. While traveling up north, I came across a park in which a big group of antiquarians were staging a Revolutionary War re-enactment. I stopped in to visit and watch, but when the ticket-seller saw the name on my credit card, he called for Security and I was quite firmly asked to leave.
The guys dressed up as soldiers didn't care one way or the other, but the flute-and-drum-corp members wanted nothing to do with me. Their leader said "We've heard about you. We figure you're the kind of guy who would bring a pun to a fife night."
And they threw me out.
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
At least their response was notably in scale.
/drops a pianoforte in the pun jar/
--FreeFlier
/drops a pianoforte in the pun jar/
--FreeFlier
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
I was eating up until a moment ago....Dave wrote:The guys dressed up as soldiers didn't care one way or the other, but the flute-and-drum-corp members wanted nothing to do with me. Their leader said "We've heard about you. We figure you're the kind of guy who would bring a pun to a fife night."
And they threw me out.
Don't let other peoples limitations become your constraints!
My Deviant Art scribbles
The Atomic Guide to Basic GIMP Stuff
My Deviant Art scribbles
The Atomic Guide to Basic GIMP Stuff
-
- Posts: 807
- Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:34 pm
- Location: Pennsylbama, between Philly and Pittsburgh
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Well, yeah. They didn't have to throw you past the Pun Jar's accretion disk.Dave wrote:Their leader said "We've heard about you. We figure you're the kind of guy who would bring a pun to a fife night."
And they threw me out.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the linchpin of civilization.
Re: Inside Track 2018-02-01
Good thing there's nobody else at home right now. They'd ask me what has me chuckling when I should be asleep.
There is no such thing as a science experiment gone wrong.