Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related UK versus US English: Smackdown 2004

Just a few random food-related additions...

James said:

I forgot about this. I've been diabetic for more than half my life. I almost never have real maple syrup. There are several companies who make sugar-free approximations. Many of them, as far as I'm concerned, are little more than artificial sugar water, but there are a couple good brands out there. Carey's is good as well as one or two others, but, IMHO, Smucker's is the best. The sugar-free syrups are smoother in texture than pure maple syrup and, of course, lack that peculiar bite which is unique to maple sugar. The latter is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, but is completely unforgivable according to my brother-in-law. Depends on your tastes, I guess.

About Shepherd's Pie -- In the US, we don't really eat that much lamb. For some reason, we don't use the term "Cottage Pie" here, either. Possibly marketing reasons. The only popular "cottage" food we have here is cottage cheese. Not something you want associated with Shepherd's Pie. So, Shepherd's Pie here is generally made with beef.

Dictionary.com has the following definitions:

In both definitions, they decline to pin down a specific type of meat.

Webster's online lists much the same definition for Shepherd's Pie, but says this about Cottage Pie:

As for pot pies, I'm not certain, but I believe the term refers to the fact that the pie's filling is stewed together in a simgle pot before being put into the crust and baked. Another, less likely, possibility is that, since the pies are traditionally large and deep (individual portion pot pies are a relatively new thing), they might once have been baked inside of a pot instead of a pie pan.

I did stumble on this link in my attempts to resolve the pot pie question. It's all about the pasty, including recipies, history, quotes, and interviews.

As for water, microwaving is the most efficient means of heating it that I know. It's quick and effective. There are, however, two main problems with doing so.

First, microwaves don't heat evenly, so you need to be sure to stir any liquids you microwave. Most people know that these days, but Mom's very careful about warning us. Back in the early days of microwaves, she heated up baby bottles in the microwave. She felt the formula in the bottle, and it seemed good. What she didn't realize is that the microwave had created hot spots, so that the milk the baby was getting would suddenly turn from comfortably warm to scaldingly hot. Oops. Luckily, we all turned out okay anyway.

Second, in some rare cases, small pockets of steam can get trapped inside tiny nooks formed by uneven container walls (clay mugs, for example). They can become superheated, and, when you begin to stir the water, they can then literally explode out. A friend of a friend was seriously scalded in this way. There's a more detailed explanation on Snopes.

Back on topic... a minor interesting point came up on IRC last night. Consider these two sentences:

What else could I possibly have meant?

What else could I have possibly meant?

I don't want to speak for the whole country on this one, but I'd use either, more or less interchangably. It depends on context and emphasis. I think. Generally, I'd tend towards "have possibly." US FoLCs, which would you use?

I'm told that only "possibly have" is used in UK English. Is that right?

Does the answer change if the sentence is different?

What could she possibly have meant by that?
What could she have possibly meant by that?

What do you think that could have possibly meant?
What do you think that could possibly have meant?

Could that possibly have been more awkward?
Could that have possibly been more awkward?

Now I'm getting tired and confused. I'm not sure what I'd say where. Anyone else?

Paul