Topic: several veg growing terms that seem to confuse gardeners

[Digeroo]

I came from a family where we had afternoon tea, tea in a tea cup with saucer served with a piece of cake or a biscuit, and maybe a small sandwich such as cucumber then later we had supper, which was meat and two veg and followed by a dessert which was eaten with a fork which we ate in the kitchen.

I had friends who had high tea at about 5pm which was meat and two veg but served with bread and butter and a mug of tea followed by pudding eaten with a spoon.  They laughed at me when I used a fork and found it unthinkable that I did not like tea.  This was eaten in the parlour.  Supper for them was a snack before bedtime.

Another friend had afternoon tea and much later dinner, which was a very posh affair.  I found it amusing that her parents sat at opposite ends of the table. Her father carved the meat with great ceremony.  

[plainleaf]

to more to the list
American: something is heating up
uk something is hotting up

also so many in uk have no idea that broiling and boiling are not same thing.
I will let those not who do not know what broiling is discover it's meaning for themselves.

[Lishka]

easy-peasy plainleaf - do I get a prize please?

broiling = grilling

I think that perhaps on this thread with the great Turnip debate and everyone insisting that their definition is the right one, we might say that "things are hotting up over on Plainleaf's thread" - meaning a heated debate is in progress or sommat?

Dunno about 'heating up' except in the kitchen......sure that others might have other definitions.

GrannyAnnie! Are you being deliberately provocative with this continued mention of 'cookies' ::) ? Apart from the over-sweet chocolate chip ones, American origin I think, we DON'T HAVE COOKIES. We have biscuits :P

Over to you to define American biscuits, please ..... ;D ;D ;D

[katynewbie]

I know I am going to regret this, but on this side of the pond, broiling is grilling. Isn't it? Dagnabbit, Lishka just beat me to it!

[Lishka]

And I suppose that Lishka has also beaten you to to asking the perceived meaning of 'fanny pack' in both countries?

Here in the UK, I'm not even going to attempt it :o ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

I had friends who had high tea at about 5pm which was meat and two veg but served with bread and butter and a mug of tea followed by pudding eaten with a spoon....This was eaten in the parlour.

I'm trying to picture balancing a full plate on one's knees on a sofa! Or is your "parlour" same as a dining room with table?
I grew up eating all meals in the kitchen. The big meal was around 6 PM when dad got home from work- always meat, a green veg, a yellow veg, a starch of some sort, a salad and dessert. Mom liked baking desserts- pies, cakes and liked trying new things. I can still remember the first time we tasted pizza baked by anyone and that was Mom's, and she was Pennsylvania Dutch.  

If we had company we'd eat in the dining room mainly because there wasn't room for more than four seated in the kitchen.

Sorry about using "cookie" term. I thought by now everyone knew biscuit=cookie (except computer nerds)

[grawrc]

I just googled Images of "High Tea" and it showed very fine little cakes and sweet things dolled up with whippedcream and cherries and ganishes galore etc on multi-tiered serving plates--that's why we think it is a joke when we serve only a cup of tea and a cookie from the cookie jar and proudly announce "It is "High Tea time"  I guess serving it at 10:30 AM is also incorrect.
[/quote]
What you describe sounds more like what I know as afternoon tea (not in the Ritz I hasten to add!!)
http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/

Afternoon tea is what I would have with friends after an afternoon trip to an art exhibition when one might be a trifle peckish but not ready for either high tea or dinner!!

High tea was something we used to have with my paternal grandmother to ensure she had something half decent to eat without my mother having to produce a meal for all of us after a week at work. otherwise she (granny) ONLY ate cakes and sandwiches - but mostly cakes!! It was either a hot main course or a selection from cold meats, salad, leftover steak and kidney or other meat pies, smoked/ pickled fish followed by cakes and scones and buns. We all sat at the dining table to eat it, whereas afternoon tea was on coffee tables and side tables (at least until we got a cocker spaniel!!). I think that might be why it is called high tea - it was eaten at the table. (up high)

At that time all meals were washed down by tea or nothing ... part of our colonising past?

[katynewbie]

Parlour? It's a strange thing, for some it was a room only used on special occasions, with sofa's and chairs, no table, probably an aspidistra plant in the window, and dusted to within an inch of it's life. Elderly aunts often had  a room like this. As a child in the 50's it filled me with fear, I might break something!

[grawrc]

Yep .. said paternal grandmother's had a slighly musty smell (a bit like her  ;)), lots of rickety and uncomfortable furniture and nothing that I was allowed to touch!!

[GrannieAnnie]

I just googled Images of "High Tea" and it showed very fine little cakes and sweet things dolled up with whippedcream and cherries and ganishes galore etc on multi-tiered serving plates--that's why we think it is a joke when we serve only a cup of tea and a cookie from the cookie jar and proudly announce "It is "High Tea time"  I guess serving it at 10:30 AM is also incorrect.

What you describe sounds more like what I know as afternoon tea (not in the Ritz I hasten to add!!)
http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/

Afternoon tea is what I would have with friends after an afternoon trip to an art exhibition when one might be a trifle peckish but not ready for either high tea or dinner!!


[/quote] I've heard of a chocolate trifle anc a British trifle but not a trifle peckish

[Lishka]

bloomin eck, here I am again (cooking the Mexican dish Posole for dinner and it can cook safely by itself for a whle..)

GrannyAnnie or any other US contributor....why is salad eaten in the US BEFORE the main dishes, please? Here it's served (if it is at all) AFTER the main dishes have been consumed.

Ta (and I'm still waiting for your US 'biscuit' definition btw) Came as such a surprise to me when the family moved to the Southern States when, at the bar waiting for our table, these delicious,well,scones..came, straight from the oven, to have with our drinks.

Biscuits they weren't! Deliciously more-ish scones they were 8)

[betula]

When I was a child Dinner was had at lunchtime.Tea was the main evening meal.

Imagine how confused I was when I went out into the big wide world...........but
everybody had school dinners :-\

Our local hotel does High tea,lovely delicate finger sarnies and cake........leaving no room for your tea LOL

[Lishka]

So very sozz - now see that G/Annie's responded to the Great Cookie/Biscuit Debate.

The Parlour tho,think that KatieNewbie's got it spot-on.described my Grands Front Parlour to a T..except......antimacassars? Don't know about the spelling & not going to check BUT for those who don't know and who are as idle as me, before men slicked their hair with Brylcream, they used Macassar oil on their hair. To prevent the oil staining the chair back, an oblong piece of cloth was placed on it = antimacassar. Even when Brylcream was replaced by the oil, the term continued in use.

[katynewbie]

Oh, don't get me started on what meals are called. Friend got a job where she could claim expenses, She claimed for 'dinner' when away from the office. This went on for months until her manager called her in. Dinner was far more expensive than lunch...

[plainleaf]

here are two terms that really confuse a pumpkin vs a squash.
 

[pumkinlover]

Well this is a good one ;D
I wasn't sure but as  a Pumpkinlover I thought I'd better find out.

Am I right in saying that a Squash is used genericallyfor any of the family and a Pumpkin is generally used for the round orange ones we have for Halloween (or is that Trick or Treat ;D ;D ;D)

[GrannieAnnie]

GrannyAnnie or any other US contributor....why is salad eaten in the US BEFORE the main dishes, please? Here it's served (if it is at all) AFTER the main dishes have been consumed.

In restaurants I think it is just for the convenience of the cook- easy to put out on the table and folks have something to nibble on until the hot main dishes arrive.

But for family dinners it is always served with the meal...at least in our house ::)  Very dangerous making blanket statements like that in the USA since we have more "Italians" than Italy, etc. and each ethnicity puts its own spin on the "American" way to do things, some even serving "salads" that don't fit my definition of what that is in the least. I think of it as being a raw vegetable usually including a leafy green but some folks serve mixed chopped fruit as a salad and the craziest is "pretzel salad" which actually tastes good but salad it is NOT! :o

[Trevor_D]

Is this a private hi-jack, or can anyone join in?

When I was a kid - that's another term open for discussion, isn't it? - dinner was at 1.00 (sorry, 13.00 hours) and tea was at 4.30 (give or take a few minutes). Then we had an "evening meal" at 6ish. But dinner was the main meal of the day. On Sundays it was roast and we ate at 1.00 on the dot.

Now I'm grown up, we have lunch - ie. a quick salad or sandwich, or something on toast - between 12.00 & 1.00 and dinner - the meat & 5 veg bit - at 6.00. (Actually, I often ask, "What do you fancy for tea this evening?")

Terminology, eating habits and timetables change. Nothing's fixed.

Grew squashes this year, but not pumpkins. I tend to only grow those biennially, in succession....

[GrannieAnnie]

Grew squashes this year, but not pumpkins. I tend to only grow those biennially, in succession....

:) :) :)

[Lishka]

Grew squashes this year, but not pumpkins. I tend to only grow those biennially, in succession....

:) :) :)

 ;D ;D ;D Nice one Trev!