Bengali Potatoes & Black Pepper

This is a simple dish with the spiciness of the pepper. It is from Bengal, a region which lies in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal region is both in India and Bangladesh. Dhaka is the largest city of the region, and it is also the capital of Bangladesh. The second largest regional city is Kolkata, still known to many by its English rendering, "Calcutta," a city which lies in India. While I put in my own ingredient amounts, this recipe is from "Indian Cooking," by Madhur Jaffrey, North American edition, 2003, Barron's, NY.

4 or 5 medium white potatoes boiled in their skins, then chilled, then peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and fry therm for a minute or two. Add the salt and stir to mix. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the potatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper and stir to mix. Cook for another 2 minutes uncovered, then add the cilantro, stirring once more.

WORD HISTORY:
Cot -This word for a "small, light weight, easily transportable bed," and, "a hammock-style bed, originally used on ships in officer's quarters," "seems" to have a non Indo European origin, possibly from a Dravidian source in southern India, such as "katil/kattil," with the meaning, "small bed." This gave Hindi the transliterated form, "khat," with the same general meaning. Hindi is an Indo European language from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European. English borrowed the word in the first half of the 1600s, as a result of the growing involvement of England in India.    

Guacamole

This now common dip, sometimes also used as a spread for sandwiches, has become ever more popular. It is typically served as a dip for tortilla chips, but I like it with regular potato chips or pretzels. 

Ingredients:

2 avocados, flesh scooped out and mashed coarsely (or smoothly, if that's your preference)
4 green onions, including part of the green, sliced then roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 serrano chili peppers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon salt

Cut the avocados and remove the pit. Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl, then mash it. Immediately pour the lime juice over the mashed avocado, mix in well; otherwise, the avocado will begin to turn brown. Add the other ingredients and mix in well. Cover the guacamole with plastic, so that the plastic literally touches the mix. Then put another piece of plastic tightly over the bowl. Chill the guacamole before serving.

WORD HISTORY:
Guacamole -This compound word for a common dip goes back to Old Uto-Aztec "ahwa," which "seemsingly" meant, "avocado." This gave Nahuatl (one of the Aztec languages) "ahuacatl." The second part of the word also goes back to Nahuatl "mulli," which meant, "spiced broth." The compound came from "ahuacamolli," which was borrowed into Spanish as, "guacamole," then borrowed by English in the early part of the 20th Century. 

Stalag 17, Quite a Film

This 1953 film, a mixture of seriousness and lighthearted moments, may have you chuckling one moment, only to snap you back to the reality that this is a movie about a POW camp.* It was
produced and directed by Billy Wilder, who came to the United States as Hitler took power, as Wilder was Jewish. He was born in southern Poland, then under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but he lived and got his start in 1920s Berlin. Wilder was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for "Stalag 17." SPOILER ALERT: I will deal with many of the key parts of the movie, including the ending.

The story centers around more than 600 American aircrew sergeants held in Germany as POWs in a "Stalag," the abbreviated German form of "Stammlager;" that is, "POW camp." The prisoners determine that there is a spy, a "stoolie," in their midst, as the German commandant, Colonel von Scherbach, played to the utmost arrogant perfection by Otto Preminger, knows everything the prisoners do, including any escape plans. The story is narrated, as such, by one of the prisoners, "Cookie," played by Gil Stratton. Since one barracks seems to be the location of the "stoolie," the guys in that barracks try to do some secret things, while remaining on guard for the spy.

One of the prisoners, J.J. Sefton, played by William Holden,** a slick wheeler-dealer, makes sharp deals with the German guards, and because of these deals, he has some comforts unavailable to the other prisoners, which creates resentment, and makes him a target of the prisoners' suspicions, especially those of "Duke," played by tough guy, Neville Brand. Sefton's cocky attitude toward the guys only serves to heighten the tension. But no one is really sure who the stoolie is, as the barracks' security officer, named Price, played by Peter Graves (brother of "Gunsmoke's" James Arness), and the barracks' chief, named "Hoffy," played by Richard Erdman, try to figure out how to keep plans from getting to von Scherbach.

During the film, three characters provide some lighthearted moments: "Animal," played by Robert Strauss, *** who is in love with actress Betty Grable; his friend and sidekick, "Harry Shapiro," played by Harvey Lembeck; and German guard, "Sergeant Schultz," played by Sig Ruman (born in Hamburg), who often enters the barracks to get the men out for roll call by screaming, "Raus!" (colloquial German for ''Out!") ****

Things really get rolling when another POW is brought in, "temporarily," as he is an officer, a Lieutenant Dunbar, played by Don Taylor. It turns out, that while in custody in Frankfurt, the lieutenant had managed to throw a "time bomb" onto a German ammunition train, which exploded after a couple of miles down the track. The Germans had been unable to figure out exactly what had happened, let alone, who did it. But the general story comes out in the barracks, and sure enough, Colonel (German: Oberst) von Scherbach finds out and Dunbar is taken from the barracks for interrogation. Suspicion of Sefton now boils over into outright accusation, as just prior to this, a radio the prisoners had been smuggling around the camp to get the war news is found and confiscated by the Germans, who knew right where to look. Then Sefton is seen in the part of the camp housing Russian women prisoners, so the guys assume he traded the radio for the "visitation rights." When Sefton returns from the Russian compound, the men beat the hell out of him, then they raid his stash of trading goods.

A Red Cross official comes to inspect the camp and to make certain the Geneva Convention is being upheld. The prisoners tell him of Dunbar's being taken away, so he goes to von Scherbach's office, where Dunbar is being kept on his feet for hours of interrogation. The commandant tells the Red Cross official that Dunbar is no longer a prisoner of war, because he is a saboteur, but the man tells von Scherbach that he must be able to prove that, or he will be held responsible in trials after the war. This brings the commandant to call in Schultz to make contact with the spy in the barracks, so he can find out exactly how Dunbar could have carried a time bomb on him in Frankfurt, after being thoroughly searched.

Throughout the picture, we see a table with a chessboard and chess pieces set up in the barracks, and at times we see some of the guys playing chess. Above the table hangs a single light on a wire. Eventually we see the wire has a loop in it at times, and we also see Schultz taking a chess piece from the table and replacing it with another piece from his pocket when the men are out for roll call. So, we learn this is how the spy and the commandant communicate, by little notes placed inside a hollow chess piece. When either the spy or the commandant want to communicate with the other, a loop is placed in the light's wire, indicating there is a message in the chess piece. So, Schultz follows the commandant's order and leaves a message in the chess piece with instructions for the spy, and he then puts a loop in the wire for the spy to see.

As the guys celebrate Christmas Day with some music from a phonograph, we now get to see who the spy is. Security officer Price sees the loop in the wire, goes to the corner of his bed and removes a chess piece to exchange for the one with the message. He carefully makes the exchange and then straightens the wire. Sefton, badly injured from the beating he was given, is lying on his bed and he sees the shadow of the light's wire with a loop in it, but then a little later, the the loop is gone. This makes him curious.

Price now has his instructions from the commandant, and using "security" as a ruse, he asks another prisoner, who had been with Dunbar in Frankfurt, how Dunbar was able to carry a time bomb on him, after having been searched. The guy explains that he used a pack of matches with a lit cigarette stuck inside to burn down slowly, then ignite the matches and anything combustible around it. Because it is too complicated to explain in a note, Price puts a loop in the wire, and Sefton sees the loop again, but he is uncertain what it means, if anything. That night, the Germans sound the air raid sirens to get the prisoners out of the barracks, so that Price can explain the "time bomb" to Schultz. Price lags behind, closing the barracks' door when he thinks all of the prisoners are outside. He goes to Schultz and tells him in German to watch while he demonstrates how Dunbar blew up the train with the matches and cigarette. They leave the barracks and out of the darkness comes Sefton, who now knows who the spy is (it's evening and all lights are out because of the supposed air raid). The thing is, Sefton has to think about what to do with his new knowledge. He figures if he tells everyone about Price, the Germans will pull Price out and place him in another camp to do his spying. If he or the guys kill Price, they will face the same fate from von Scherbach in retaliation.

The guys learn that a couple of SS men are in the camp to take Dunbar to Berlin. They decide to pull a daring rescue of Dunbar by using a homemade smudge pot and creating a lot of noise and activity on the grounds outside. They have to act immediately. Price is now startled, because he needs a way to inform the commandant about the plans that are already going into operation, so he suggests that he go outside "to keep Schultz off balance." Sefton knows that Price will tell Schultz about the plan, so he speaks up and asks for a guard to be placed on him, since they think he's the stoolie, then he can't be blamed if anything goes wrong. He suggests Price, since he's the security officer, and the guys agree. So Sefton has neutralized Price for the operation, which goes off, and Dunbar is rescued and hidden somewhere in the camp by barracks' chief "Hoffy," who is the only guy to know Dunbar's whereabouts.

The Germans search and search, but no Dunbar. The thing is, the prisoners now know they must make a move to get Dunbar out of the camp, as otherwise, they know he'll be found. They decide to put all dog tags in a hat and draw to see who will try to get Dunbar, and himself, out of the camp. Now Price comes back into play, and he volunteers to do the job, saying how he wants to make up for the security failures of the past. The guys agree and then Hoffy tells where Dunbar is hidden; in a large water tank. Now Sefton speaks up and says he'll take bets that Dunbar will never get away. At first the guys think it is Sefton in his wheeler-dealer mode again, but when Price says they need to act before the Germans find out where Dunbar is, Sefton says, "The Germans know where Dunbar is." He confronts Price with, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" (Do you speak German?) Price immediately denies knowing German, but when Sefton asks him the date and time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Price knows the date, December 7, but as to the time, he says he was having dinner. As Price had claimed to be from Cleveland, it was lunchtime in Cleveland at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, but it was dinnertime in Berlin! Sefton then grabs the hollow chess piece from Price's jacket. He then shows the guys how the whole system had worked between Price and the commandant, with Schultz acting as go-between.

With the spy known, Sefton offers to take Dunbar out of the camp, because the "odds are better." All agree and he then tells them to give him 5 minutes to go out the trap door, to crawl under the barracks, and to get Dunbar out of the water tank." They are to then shove Price out into the compound to draw all of the lights and attention of the German guards in the towers around the camp. He hopes that will give him and Dunbar the chance to cut through the barbed wire (he has wire cutters) and to get outside the camp. The plan goes into operation and Sefton gets Dunbar. The guys throw Price out the door with cans tied to his ankles to make lots of noise. He yells out in German, but the siren is sounding and the guards in the towers are firing machine guns, so his cries of "Hilfe" (help) cannot be heard. He is killed. Sefton and Dunbar cut through the wire and run from the camp. Von Scherbach and Schultz come out of the commandant's office, thinking they will see Dunbar dead on the ground, but when the body is turned face up, the looks on their faces tell everything.       

* POW=prisoner of war

** Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Sefton.

*** Strauss was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

**** The Sergeant Schultz character became an important role in the television comedy "Hogan's Heroes" in the 1960s, which was also set in a Stalag, and played by John Banner, who became famous for saying, "I know nooooothing!"

Photo is from the Paramount Home Entertainment 2006 edition

WORD HISTORY:
Prison-This word, related to both "apprehend" and "comprehend" (both were borrowed into English), goes back to Indo European "per," which had the notion, "forward, in the front;" thus, "before, to the front, ahead, head toward." This gave Latin the prefix, "pre." Further, the core of the word goes back to Indo European "ghend/ghed," which meant, "to seize, to take." This, plus the prefix,^ gave Latin the verb "prehendo," meaning, "to take, to seize, to grasp." This then produced the Latin noun "prehensio," meaning, "a seizing, a taking;" thus also, "a taking into captivity." This eventually provided forms "prensionem," then "presionem," which passed to Old French as "prison/prisoun," which meant, "imprisonment," but then the word also broadened further into "the place of imprisonment." English borrowed the word in the 1100s, with both meanings, "imprisonment" and "place of imprisonment."

^ It isn't always clear why Latin used some prefixes on words or what the prefixes truly meant in every case.

Basel Flour Soup (Basler Mehlsuppe)

Basel is located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, right in the area of the border across from Germany and also Alsace, in France. The general German dialect in the entire region, in all three countries, is Alemannic, with Basel residents speaking the "Baseldeutsch" (Basel German) variety of Alemannic. This simple soup, perhaps the signature dish of the city of Basel, especially during "Fasnacht," a term used in some other German areas, alongside "Fasching" and "Fastnacht," but which is known in other parts of Europe and the world as "Carneval" (some areas spell it "Carnaval," "Carnival," or, "Karneval"), but which is known to Americans as "Mardi Gras," held in New Orleans. Cologne, Germany and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are also famous for their Lenten celebrations.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons butter
6 cups beef stock
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (and dependent upon how much salt is in the beef stock)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon marjoram
1/2 cup toasted croutons
a second small onion, cut into rings, then dredged in flour
butter or canola oil (or mixed) for frying the onion rings
1/4 cup shredded Emmentaler cheese (Swiss cheese)

In a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes browned. Gradually add the beef broth, stirring to prevent lumps. Add the onion, cloves, salt and pepper, stir to mix well. Keep soup at a gentle simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the marjoram. Let soup gently simmer another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the flour coated onion rings until browned. If you make your own croutons, also prepare them. Serve each bowl of soup with some shredded cheese added, then top with some croutons and a few onion rings.

WORD HISTORY:
Carnival-This word, originally only meaning, "celebration before Lent," is a compound, the first part of which, "carni," is distantly related to "shear" and to "share." This goes back to Indo European "sker," which meant, "to cut." This gave Latin "caro," meaning, "something cut off;" thus, "meat, flesh of fruits and vegetables." The second part of the word, distantly related to "light;" that is, "not heavy," goes back to Indo European "legwh," which had the notion, "light in weight." This gave Latin "levis," with the same meaning. This then produced the verb, "levare," with the meaning, "to lift up, to raise," from the idea of "not heavy," but the word also took on a number of figurative meanings, including, "remove, take away." Together the words produced the expression, "carnem levare," which meant, "take away meat." This was contracted into Italian "carnevale," with the "festival before Lent" meaning, and this passed into French as, "carnaval." English borrowed the word in the first half of the 1500s, but it wasn't until the 1920s or 1930s, that American English expanded beyond the traditional meaning to many different kinds of similar festivities, regardless of the time of year. German borrowed the word directly from Italian, but with the spelling, "Karneval."

Rumanian Meatballs (Chiftele)

The Rumanian word "chiftele" (pronounced as if, "keef-tehlay"), means "meatball," and it is the Rumanian rendering of Turkish "Köfte," the Turkish word for "meatball." * While the words may be similar, the Rumanian and Turkish meatball recipes have little in common. The Turks (as the Ottoman Empire) ruled Rumania for quite some time, although most of the day to day governance was done by Rumanian princes, with the approval of the Ottoman Turks, to whom the princes paid a fee.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground pork
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 medium potato, grated, then squeezed of liquid
1/2 carrot, grated
3 tablespoons dill, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup breadcrumbs, I use panko, or use 1 stale white roll, coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
flour (for coating the meatballs)
vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

In a large heavy bottomed skillet, over medium heat, heat enough oil to provide a small layer of oil over the bottom of the skillet. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the flour. Roll amounts of the mixture into meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball. Roll the meatballs in flour to coat them, shaking off the excess flour. Put the meatballs into the hot oil, but don't overcrowd the pan, and you can fry the meatballs in batches. Fry the meatballs, turning them to brown them on all sides and to thoroughly cook them. They are often served with mustard, and fried or grilled peppers are sometimes served on the side.   

* For my recipe for Turkish meatballs, here is the link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/01/turkish-meatballs-yogurt-sauce-kofte.html

I had my chiftele with mustard and fried peppers

WORD HISTORY:
Crumb-This word goes back to Indo European "ger," which had the notion, "to bend, to turn, to wind" (long "i"). This then produced "grumho," with the meaning, "that which is scraped up or scratched up together" ("perhaps" from the idea of "bent fingers or tools used to scratch or scrape?"). This gave Old Germanic "krumon," meaning, "things scraped or scratched up," especially in reference to "soil," then to "bread." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cruma," which meant, fragment, crumb, piece." This then became "crumme," before the insertion of the ending "b," in the 1500s, which likely was pronounced in those times. The other Germanic languages have: German "Krume" (also the diminutive, "Krümel"), Low German Saxon "Kroom" (also the diminutive, "Krömel"), Dutch "kruim" (also the diminutive, "kruimel"), Danish "krumme," Swedish has the compound, "inkråm," which means, "the inside ('the crumb') of a loaf of bread;" thus also the figurative, "giblets, guts." I did not find verifiable forms in Frisian or in Icelandic. 

A Friend in West Virginia, Part Sixteen

My Clarksburg, West Virginia friend has said some nasty, demeaning things about other guys, and told me about how he had treated them. Like Trump, he seems to think there are no consequences for his behavior toward others. It seems there is no backtracking by him to even hint at any kind of apology. I'm sure he feels that is weakness, but saying, "I'm sorry," even if in a roundabout way, doesn't show weakness, it shows strength. It's not always something any of us can say easily. If we make a mistake, do we want to continue to hold onto that mistake, or do we want to correct it? If you're driving to Toledo, but you make a wrong turn, do you keep going, or do you make a correction? In our dealings with others, if we overreact in some negative way toward them, do we want to go to our graves holding onto errant beliefs and feelings? Do we say to ourselves, "I stayed the course, even though I was wrong and hurt others, I never gave in?" Or perhaps even worse, do the victims of your mistake go to their graves never hearing even a faint, "I made a mistake, I'm sorry."

WORD HISTORY:
Lip-This word goes back to Indo European, "leb," which had the notion, "to droop, to be slack." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "lepjon," meaning, "lip." This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "lippa," which then became, "lippe," before the modern form. The other Germanic languages have: German "Lippe" and also, "Lefze" (used more for some animals, including dogs), Low German Saxon "Lipp," West Frisian "lippe," Dutch "lip," Danish "læbe," Norwegian "leppe," Swedish "läpp." I could not find a form in Icelandic. It "may be" that the Old Germanic form only lasted in the West Germanic languages, and that Danish, Norwegian and Swedish (all from the North Germanic branch of Germanic) borrowed their forms from Low German or maybe Frisian. That would account for the fact that there is no "apparent" form in Icelandic, nor could I find a form in Old Norse, essentially the ancestor of these North Germanic languages, with Icelandic being especially close to Old Norse, even still in modern times.

'Breaking Away' Showed Growing Up

Main Cast:

Dennis Christopher as Dave Stohler

Dennis Quaid as Mike

Daniel Stern as Cyril

Jackie Earle Haley as Moocher

Paul Dooley as Ray Stohler (Dave's father)

Barbara Barrie as Evelyn Stohler (Dave's mother)

Robyn Douglass as Katherine

Hart Bochner as Rod

 

This film is a dramedy from 1979 directed by Peter Yates, and it won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. It deals with four guys just out of high school in the Bloomington, Indiana area. The four boys are trying to decide what to do as they move into adulthood. Dave Stohler loves bicycle racing, and he idolizes the Italian team so much, he starts to study Italian, although in the meantime, he speaks English with an Italian accent, sings Italian songs, including opera, eats Italian food, calls his dad Papa," and.... well, you get the idea. His father, Ray, has a heart condition and is on a restricted diet. He is a former worker in the declining limestone business of the area, and is now owner of a used car lot, and he can't understand his son's fascination with everything Italian. The boy's mother, Evelyn, wants her son to enjoy this last "youthful" summer, as he decides upon his course in life. She realizes how quickly time passes. She fixes the Italian dishes for the three of them, which only irritates the father, who finally says, "I want some American food, I want French fries!" The father and son have some contentious times, as the father wants his son to prepare for the hard knocks of life; hard knocks he knows all about, as his son's cheerful personality brings his dad to say, "He's never tired, he's never miserable. When I was his age, I was tired and miserable." The dad has a little fear that his son may be more successful than he has been, for when the mother mentions about Dave possibly going to college, the father says, "Why should he go to college? I never went to college."

The four guys, all from working class families, hangout together and swim in one of the now abandoned limestone quarries. The thing is, some of the college students, all from fairly well off families, also go there to swim, a situation that especially troubles one of the guys, Mike, who resents the intrusion into the local swimming place by the college students. Further, the college students often call the townspeople "cutters," a put down term associated with the stone cutting business. Mike, who played football in high school, presents himself as a tough guy, but he fears life now that he is out of high school, and he wants to try to keep things as they've been; to keep that "old gang of mine" together. He makes one of the guys feel uneasy about having a girl friend, as she is a threat to take the guy away from the group. Mike lashes out at the university students, as he feels insecure about his working class identity versus their middle and upper middle class upbringings. In an absolutely great scene, Mike talks about how he was a good football player in high school, but now he will have to hear about the new university "hotshot" player every year, "and it will never be me.....These college kids out here are never going to get old or out of shape." Then he mentions how the students call the the town's people "cutters," as a put down.

Then there is Cyril, who has some smarts, and who makes funny little comments, but in an intelligent sort of way. He is trying for a scholarship. Then there is Moocher, a little guy who claims not to be bothered by his small size, but nothing gets Moocher riled more than someone calling him "shorty." Moocher is the guy with the girlfriend that so bothers Mike. And speaking of girlfriends, Dave meets a girl, Kathy, who attends Indiana University, and he convinces her he is really from Italy. The thing is, she is the girlfriend of one of the university guys, Rod, who likes using the term "cutters" as a snooty put down.

After the boys get into a destructive fight with Rod and his friends in the university cafeteria, the university administration sees how nasty the feelings are between the students and the townspeople, and the decision is made to allow a cycling team from the town into the university race, a decision met with scorn by Rod who tells the university president the townspeople aren't good enough to be in the race. The guys want Dave to be the leader of the team, with them filling out the required four members to enter the race. The problem is, if he enters the race, Kathy will know he's not an Italian, that he made up that story, and that will likely end any chance he has for her. He tells the guys he's getting a job and he goes to work for his dad at the car lot. 

In the meantime, an announcement is made that the Italian team is coming to the Bloomington area to participate in a different race, a race Dave can't wait to enter. With the race only a couple of days off, Dave asks his dad if he can have that day off. His dad refuses. Then, a student who bought a car comes with some friends pushing the car onto the lot. He wants a refund, saying he was told verbally there was a 90 day guarantee. Dave steps in and says his dad should give the refund, causing his dad heart palpitations and the need for bed rest. The car lot is closed while the dad remains at home to recover. Dave races with the Italians, who cheat, and cause him to wreck, and thus be eliminated from the race. Now he sees some of the nasty reality of life. Disillusioned, he goes home to see how his father is. This is a great, great, great scene! Dave's father admonishes him for giving the student the refund. Dave, terribly dejected, apologizes and says, "I'm sorry I gave that guy his money back. Everybody cheats, I just didn't know." His father, now seeing his son's pain, says calmly, "Now you know." * Now the son experiences misery, and he cries and hugs his dad, who says, "I didn't want you to be this miserable." The loss of innocence and idealism is very painful! You may have to hold back some tears yourself.

Turned off by the Italian team's cheating, Dave gives up on his Italian "life." While his father recovers, he takes Dave to the university and tells him how he helped cut the stone for many of the buildings. He and Dave begin to reconnect as father and son. Dave calls himself a "cutter," but his dad corrects him, "You're not a cutter, I'm a cutter." He then encourages Dave to go to college. The resentment is gone and he wants his son to do better than he has done. With Moocher invited to dinner, Dave's parents spring a special surprise on them. They show them t-shirts they have had made for the boys to wear as a team for the university race. Across the front is the word, "CUTTERS." The boys embrace who they are, no phoniness, no trying to be something they are not.

I'll leave it here for the events of the race; plus, there are many things that happen during the film that I haven't touched upon. If you haven't seen this movie, please do so. If you haven't seen it for a long time, be sure to refresh your memory by watching it again. It had no major stars at that time and it wasn't a big budget production, but it is a wonderful movie and I'm certain you'll enjoy it.

* This scene has stuck with me all of these years, and back in, I'll guess, about 1993, there was this very nice lady who lived in an apartment building I managed. She was deeply religious and naive. She came to the office one day and told me she had had some money stolen from her apartment. It hurt her even more, because it was money she had collected for her church. I don't remember the amount now, but this was not like 5 or 10 dollars, but perhaps more like $100 or thereabouts. She had left her apartment door ajar and went down one flight of stairs to the laundry room, which was located right below her apartment. She said she was only gone a few minutes and when she came back, the money was gone from her table. I remember the day well, and I recalled the scene from "Breaking Away," when she said, "I didn't think people were so nasty, that you can't step away for a couple of minutes, but that they won't rob you." I answered as Dave's father did, "Now you know."

Photo is from the 2012 edition 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD

 WORD HISTORY:
Metaphor-This compound, with the "meta" part being distantly related to English "mid," and with the second part, "phor," being distantly related to "bear" (that is the verb meaning, "to carry," usually with the idea of "to carry something heavy," and also, "to give birth to offspring"), goes back to the Indo European root, "medhi" (for the "meta" part), which had the notion of "among, in the midst;" thus, figuratively, "in common with." This gave Greek "metá," which meant, "after, between ('in the midst'), across, in common together." The second part goes back to Indo European ""bher," which meant, "to carry" and "to give birth, or to yield produce." This gave Greek "pherein," meaning, "to carry, to bear" (in the sense, "carry"). Greek then formed the compound, "metaphérein," meaning, "to carry over or across;" thus also, "to carry the meaning of a word over to a word of similar meaning ("in common," sort of). This then produced the Greek noun, "metaphora," meaning, "a transference," again with the, "transfer of word meaning to another word," being one of its meanings. Latin borrowed the word as "metaphora," with the "word transfer" meaning. The word was passed to Latin-based French as "métaphore," and English borrowed the word circa 1500, with Latin likely providing further reinforcement. 

Liechtenstein: Little Egg Dumplings & Cheese (Käsknöpfle)

First, often in this article, I'm using the term "German" in the broader sense; that is, in the cultural and linguistic sense, rather than in the narrower nationality sense; "citizens of Germany."

This is a dish using "Spätzle," the little noodle/dumpling/pasta bits, almost always served in some manner in German-themed restaurants in the U.S., and, I'm sure, elsewhere. That term too is the general term in German, which is understood by German speakers in all areas of Europe, as "Spätzle" is a famous part of German cuisine, coming from the southwestern German region of "Schwaben" (Swabia). It literally means "little sparrows" (Spatz=sparrow, see Word History, below) in the dialect of that southwestern region of Germany (the dialect is called Schwäbisch *=Swabian in English). In other German areas in the south (German in the broad sense), including Liechtenstein, instead of "Spätzle," the term used is, "Knöpfle" (literally, 'little buttons'). "Käs" is the close relative to English "cheese," which is what it means. The dumplings, whether you called them "Knöpfle" or "Spätzle," are made the same, with only slight variations, as some people use milk instead of water, and others, the total purists, believe they should only be made from eggs, flour and salt. I looked at about 10 recipes from Liechtenstein, and all but one used water (the other used milk), so I made mine with water (I usually make mine the "purist" way). Germans (broad sense) often have special equipment at home to make the Spätzle, which is used to force the dough through, and it drops into the hot water, but you can just use a large spoon and drizzle the dough/batter into the water. Understand, this general recipe is not exclusive to Liechtenstein, but it is sort of the national dish of that little country,** so I chose to use Liechtenstein.

You can certainly add more cheese, if you'd like, and a mix of two or more cheeses is common in Liechtenstein, with one always being "(Swiss) Emmentaler" (some say, "Emmental"), which is what most Americans think of as "Swiss cheese," with the off white color and holes in the cheese. "Appenzeller," another cheese from the German area of neighboring Switzerland, is also often used, as well as, "Gruyère," another cheese from Switzerland, but it's from an area of majority French-speaking population, although with a substantial German-speaking minority. "Fontina," a northern Italian cheese, is also used by some.   

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
(optional) a good pinch of nutmeg
simmering salted water
1/2 cup Swiss cheese (Emmentaler), shredded
1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
1 onion, halved, then thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter (or you can use vegetable or canola oil)

In a pan large enough to hold 4 to 5 inches of water (also wide; you want the dumplings to have plenty of room to "swim"), add a couple of tablespoons of salt, and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the water simmers nicely. In a bowl, mix the flour, eggs, salt and water. Germans (broad sense) make the batter/dough various thicknesses. With this recipe, I made it somewhat "fluid," where there was resistance when stirring with a spoon, and where the thick batter could be drizzled into the simmering water. If you make it even thicker, more of a true dough, you can cut off pieces. The batter will almost instantly solidify in the hot water, and the dumplings will float to the top when done (Germans often say "swim"), and you can use a slotted spoon to take them from the water, before you add another batch. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pot, as sometimes one or two might stick to the bottom. Have your cheeses shredded and in a separate skillet, melt the butter or heat the oil, then saute the onion slices until browned. When all of the dumplings are cooked, you can microwave them briefly to reheat them, then stir in the cheese until it melts (some mix in the cheese and bake the dish until the cheese melts). Add some browned onions to the top of each serving. Applesauce is commonly served along with the dish.

* Swabian is a dialect that is part of the overall German dialect "Alemannic," which is also spoken in Switzerland, Alsace, extreme western Austria (not in the rest of Austria) and Liechtenstein, as well as some small parts of northern Italy.

** For those with some knowledge of German history, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg are both representative of the German states of the old German Empire, when Germany had, at one time or another, anywhere from hundreds, to a couple of thousand of generally such small states, usually led by princes or dukes.

With a little dish of applesauce on the side.

WORD HISTORY:
Sparrow-This word for a common bird goes back to Indo European "sper," with "perhaps" the underlying notion being, "twitching or fidgeting animal/bird," as many birds twitch. This gave its Old Germanic offspring "sparwon," which meant "sparrow." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "spearwa," with the same meaning. This then became "sparowe," before the modern version. The other Germanic languages have: German "Sperling," ^ Low German Saxon "Sparling," Dutch "spreeuw" (meaning: "starling"), Danish and Norwegian "spurv," Icelandic " 'spör'fugl," Swedish "sparv."  

^ The origin of "Spatz," another German word, mainly southern, but generally known everywhere, for "sparrow," is not entirely clear. The Old High German form of the word for sparrow, was "sparo."  The idea is, this became "spar" in the dialects in what is now southwestern Germany. This then came to be pronounced as if, "spartz," but then lost the "r."   

Turkish Meatballs & Yogurt Sauce (Köfte)

The Turkish name for these, Köfte, pronounced sort of, "kuftah," simply means "meatball." Ingredients can vary somewhat from place to place in Turkey, and beef is not uncommonly used. You can increase the amount of chili pepper or cayenne for more heat, but the amount I show below should not scorch anyone's mouth. Notice there is no egg, although I saw a few recipes which included egg, but they "seemed" to be from non Turkish cooks. The yogurt sauce can be made well in advance, even the day before, and it should be chilled for at least a couple of hours, in any case. The time will allow the flavors to blend, so make the yogurt sauce first.  

Ingredient (about 10 meatballs):

1 pound ground lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (Panko are great, they're coarse)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground sumac (optional) *
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

The Yogurt Sauce: 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped mint (can be fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

For the yogurt:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for a minimum of a couple of hours, preferably longer.

For the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350 (F). Line a baking sheet or shallow pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil (this will make clean up much easier). In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix just until all are mixed in. Roll heaping tablespoons of the mixture into meatballs. Allow a little space between the meatballs. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, by which time the outsides should be a "little crispy," but the insides will be tender. Just to be safe, as all ovens are not the same, check the meatballs after 35 minutes, then judge how much longer they may need for the level of "crispness" you like. Leaving them unchecked for the entire 45 minutes may dry them out. I used the entire 45 minutes and they were wonderful, but I did check them at 35 minutes, then again at 40 minutes. 

* This type of sumac is not the poisonous variety we think of in the United States and Canada, although it is from the same overall plant family. This spice, from the plant's berries, is deep red in color, with a tangy, sort of lemony flavor; in fact, if you don't have it, or don't have access to buy it easily, you can just leave it out, or I found some recipes mention substituting a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or a teaspoon of grated lemon peel. I had some sumac, so I used it. 

WORD HISTORY:
Turk/Turkey-The Turks speak what linguists believe is a language unrelated to English, coming from the Turkic language family. There has been disagreement about this family of languages from central Asia, and its ties or non ties to the Altaic languages, also from central Asia. Anyhow, ancient Chinese used the term "tu-kin" for the people living in the area of the Altai Mountains (thus "Altaic" for that language family), but whether "tu-kin" is the ancestor of "Turk," is seemingly an open question. Did these people adopt a variant form for themselves, or did Chinese get the term from these people? Whatever the truth, it seems that Greek picked up "Tourkos," perhaps from Persian "turk." ^ Latin picked up the word from Greek as "Turcus," and this passed into French as "Turc." English got the word from French during the 1200s or 1300s. The national name, "Turkey," came into use during the 1300s, from Latin "Turchia." ^^

^ Persian is an Indo European language related to English, but much, much further down the family tree.

^^  The English word for the bird we Americans think of for Thanksgiving, came from a shortening of "Turkey hen/Turkey cock," as there was a similar bird brought into Europe by the Portuguese, imported by way of Turkey; thus the name came to be applied to the bird. As for people called a "turkey," ahh.... I'll leave that alone!

A Friend in West Virginia, Part Fifteen

Last year's New Year's Eve (20015/2016) my friend in Clarksburg and I spent all evening emailing. I mean all evening, over 100 emails. He sent me this...

WORD HISTORY:
Even/Eve/Evening/Eventide-These words are all closely related, coming from the same source; of course, in this case, "even" is NOT the word meaning "level, or the same height." The origin of the words is not a certainty, but they appear to go back to Indo European "epi," which had the meanings of "by, near, at, on." This then gave Old Germanic "ebantho," which meant, "near sunset, near the end of daylight;" thus, "evening." This gave Old English "æfen," which meant, "evening." This then became "even," and it has remained in use, although in more modern times as a poetic way of saying "evening." In the late 1100s, the shortened form of "even" came into use also, "eve." Then during the 1300s, "eve" took on the meaning, "the evening before a special event or holiday;" especially in those times, often used regarding religious celebrations. The meaning later broadened to "day before a holiday or special event," the meaning it primarily still has today. "Evening" was actually already around in Old English as "æfnung." Old English also had the compound "æfentid," another way to say "evening," and which became modern "eventide." ^ Relatives of "evening" (and "eve" and "even") in the other Germanic languages: German "Abend," Low German Saxon "Avend," Dutch "avond," West Frisian "jûn, ^^ Danish "aften," Norwegian "aften/aftan," Icelandic "aftann," Swedish "afton."

^ For the history of the word "tide," here is the link to the article with its Word History:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-memories-of-germany-photos.html

^^ The West Frisian form is not as recognizable in its modern form, but it goes back to Old Frisian "evend," which became "iond," but then came to be spelled with a beginning "j," which is pronounced like English "y," as the older beginning "io" sound was similar.

Beef Stroganoff

One of my all time favorites, Beef Stroganoff (sometimes spelled Stroganov), developed in Russia in the second half of the 1800s. The "supposed" original recipe had no mushrooms. It is often served with noodles or rice, but I am a mashed potatoes guy, although I have also had it with noodles. I checked a number of serving suggestions before I wrote this, and a couple mentioned that Russians often serve their famous dish with crisp potato sticks, which are similar to shoestring (French) fries. I also found another serving suggestion which included mashed potatoes as being common in Russia. YES! As with all popular recipes, there are numerous variations for Beef Stroganoff, including the addition by some of white wine, some use Port wine, some use already prepared mustard of the Dijon type, some use a portion of tomato sauce. I even found that some use no sour cream! Now that's just over the line! I hope Vladimir Putin has their computer accounts hacked.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound of pretty lean, boneless beef, cut into strips or small chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons flour (well mixed with the stock)
3 tablespoons sour cream (regular or lower fat style is fine)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon salt (use according to the amount of salt in the beef stock)

Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and meat, then reduce the heat to medium low. Lightly brown the meat as the onions soften. Add the mustard and stir to mix. Add the beef stock (reserving about 4 tablespoons to mix with the flour). Bring to a light simmer and cook until the beef is tender. Add the salt and pepper, mix. Gradually add the flour mixed with the beef stock, stirring constantly until the broth thickens, giving the dish a couple of minutes to cook to eliminate the raw flour taste (you can vary the amount of flour/stock, according to how thick you like the sauce). Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for just another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream.   

I had my "Beef Stroganoff" with mashed red skin potatoes and sliced tomatoes with homemade honey French dressing. * I tried washing the potatoes with easy on the skin detergent, but the potatoes still had red skin. Sometimes you just can't win.

* This is the link to my article with the homemade honey French dressing: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/08/homemade-honey-french-dressing.html

WORD HISTORY:
Pound-English has three different words "pound," but this is the noun for the "measurement of weight." The word goes back to Indo European "pen" (which had a variant, or was the variant form of, "spen"), which had the notion "to stretch, to draw out." This gave Latin "pondus," which meant, "weight," and the derived, "pondo," meaning, "by weight." This was borrowed into Old Germanic as "punda," with the meaning, "weight," but also with the developing sense of "a specific measurement of weight." This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "pund," with the meanings, "measurement of weight, measurement of money, a pint in liquid." The spelling changed to "pound" several centuries later. Its relatives include: German "Pfund," Low German Saxon "Pund," Dutch "pond," Swedish "pund," Icelandic "pund," Danish "pund." Frisian once had "pund/pond." I did not find a form in Norwegian, although Old Norse had "pund," but it may not have been retained by the dialects that developed into Norwegian. Note: The Danes ruled Norway for a few centuries, with DANISH being the official language, although Norwegian dialects remained among many people. So exactly why the Old Norse and Danish "pund" did not become part of Norwegian, I have no idea.

The Producers: Gene Wilder & Zero Mostel

I first saw this movie on television, perhaps on NBC's "Saturday Night at the Movies," or another of the weeknight movies by one of the networks.* This had to be in the 1970s, as the film had its theatrical debut in late 1967, with its main release to theaters in the spring of 1968. I do recall I was a little bored with some of the first part of the movie, but that changed as I watched further. "The Producers" was the baby of Mel Brooks, and he won the Academy Award for the screenplay. Brooks also directed the movie. At that time, Brooks, in collaboration with writer-director Buck Henry, was well known for the successful television comedy spy spoof, "Get Smart," which often featured lead actor/comedian Don Adams talking into his shoe phone, which was thought to be kind of crazy in those times. Nowadays.... well, never mind!

The general idea behind the picture is a scheme by a once successful Broadway producer, Max Bialystock (played by Zero Mostel) and his accountant, Leo Bloom (played by Gene Wilder), to make a bundle of money by overselling shares in a Broadway production; a production they will make sure fails, leaving them lots of money, because they believe no one will check the books of a failed production. Boy do they oversell! There is only 100% of anything, but they sell 25,000%!!!

In order to guarantee failure, they choose a script by a former nutty Nazi soldier (played by Kenneth Mars), who still wears his helmet around everywhere. His play is called "Springtime for Hitler," a script which glorifies the "misunderstood" Führer and war. Obviously, the idea of such a show was ahead of its time, because it might be a hit with a part of the American population today. But in those days, Americans overwhelmingly opposed fascism, in spite of any flaws we had, which were numerous, but at least we were trying to make things right. Ah, anyway...

The two money hungry schemers choose a director who has had nothing but a string of failures. Then they try to further guarantee failure by choosing a 1960s "flower power" hippie, nicknamed, "LSD" (played by Dick Shawn), as their man to play Hitler. When the show opens, the house is packed, and Max and Leo watch as the audience is appalled by the Nazi Party-like rally being performed on stage, complete with goose stepping dancers, who fall in line to form a twirling swastika. Then there's the music, with lyrics, "we're marching to a faster pace, look out, here comes the master race ... Don't be stupid, be a smarty, come and join the Nazi Party." The two decide to go celebrate with some drinks, and to avoid being mauled by the audience as they stomp out of the show at intermission.

As the shocked and angry audience begins to leave early, out comes the hippie-like Hitler, spouting groovy terms like "cool baby," and, "far out." The audience returns to their seats, barely able to control their hysterical laughter. At intermission, some of the now delighted audience goes to the bar where Max and Leo are celebrating. The two conspirators are stunned to hear how these members of the audience cannot say enough good things about "Springtime for Hitler," and saying how it will run on Broadway for years. These people can't wait to get back to see the second half of the show. Max and Leo are shaken, with Leo wanting to turn himself in to get a lighter sentence. (Remember, no matter how successful the show is, the two can never pay off all the investors.)

During the remainder of the show, the scriptwriter, the Nazi nutcase named Franz, is so upset with the show, he tries to halt it by going backstage to drop the curtain. He then goes out to tell the audience how the show is misrepresenting Hitler, and that his Führer never said things like "baby." The audience assumes this is all part of the show and continues to laugh hysterically, even when Franz is conked on the head by someone behind the curtain.

With the two conspirators at odds over what to do, Franz comes after them with a gun. After firing and missing Max and Leo, Franz can't even commit suicide, like his Führer, because the gun is out of bullets. Max and Leo talk Franz into working with them to blow up the theater to halt future performances. Franz is willing to do anything to stop the ridicule of Hitler and the distortion of his Führer-praising script. The three are injured by the blast and then arrested. At the trial, Max tells the court how the two have learned their lesson, and that they will never do any such thing again. The scene shifts to the prison and Max and Leo have a new prison show they are funding by overselling shares in it, with one of the investors being the warden himself! 

* For those too young to know this, in those times there were only three commercial networks: ABC, CBS, NBC. There was also, by 1970, PBS, which came about from a number of previous educational television stations joining (becoming members). There were no cable stations, and in those times "cable" was a system of a relatively few providers, which offered television service in generally smaller markets, where programming from all of the 3 networks and educational television (later PBS), plus some independent stations, was not easily available otherwise.

Photo is from the 2013 blu-ray/dvd combo release by Shout! Factory 

WORD HISTORY:
Zero-This word, related to "cipher," has an uncertain origin, although that origin "might" actually be Indo European. It goes back to Arabic (transliterated) "safara," which meant, "empty;" thus, "nothing." It is "possible" the Arabic word was borrowed from Indo-Aryan, "perhaps" Sanskrit.^ Anyway, the Arabic word then gave Arabic (transliterated) "sifr," meaning, "nothing." This was borrowed by Latin as "zephirim," which meant the mathematical "zero, " and which then became "zerum," with the same meaning. This became "zero" in Italian, which was borrowed into French as "zéro." English borrowed the word in the early 1600s from either French or Italian, with likely reinforcement from one for the other.

^ Indo-Aryan is a sub branch of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo European languages. These languages, therefore, are related to English, but much further down the family tree. The modern Indo-Aryan languages are chiefly spoken in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Favorite Actors/Actresses

UPDATED slightly: August 16, 2019 and updated very slightly on May 21, 2022

It's always an interesting question when someone asks about our favorite actors and actresses. I can't  answer with only one or two, because I like a good many performers. I can't always say why I like them, I just do, and most are now gone. As a child I saw many of the then older stars on television, although their heydays had passed, but their movies from 20 or 30 years prior made it to television in the 1950s and 1960s. They were very popular and well respected, something that undoubtedly made a big impression on a kid. This list does NOT mean I didn't/don't like others. Some performers I liked in particular roles, like George C. Scott in "Patton," Ben Kingsley in "Gandhi," Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind," Charles Laughton in "Witness for the Prosecution" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Marlene Dietrich in "Witness for the Prosecution," Luise Rainer in "The Good Earth." Women were not customarily given top billing years ago, and I likely was influenced by such. I always liked Luther Adler, Diahann Carroll, Irene Ryan (who didn't like Granny on "The Beverly Hillbillies" on CBS in the 1960s?), Lloyd Nolan (he co-starred with Diahann Carroll in the television series, "Julia" on NBC in the late 1960s, but he was well known before that for movie roles), Don Adams and Barbara Feldon (both starred in "Get Smart," on NBC and its final year on CBS), Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer (both from CBS's "Gilligan's Island, although Backus was well known before that for movies and television, including his voice of "Mr. Magoo"), Steven Hill as Adam Schiff on "Law & Order." Television was a big influence, because you saw many performers generally on a weekly basis, as they starred in various series. I'm sure minutes after I post this, I will think of many others, so you never know, I may do an update at some point. Remember too, I'm not just naming big stars, many of whom are missing from my lists, but performers I really liked. So here are my lists (ahh, for now):

Laurence Olivier, Paul Muni, Rod Steiger, Claude Rains, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Raymond Massey (undoubtedly influenced because he played Dr. Gillespie in the "Dr. Kildare" television series in early to mid 1960s on NBC), Gary Cooper, Ward Bond, Sidney Poitier, Edward G. Robinson, Charlie Ruggles, Lee J. Cobb (likely because of his role on The Virginian, a television series of 90 minute episodes from the 1960s, where he played Judge Garth), Chill Wills, Redd Foxx, Walter Huston, George Raft, Sam Jaffe, Victor McLaughlin, Luther Adler, James Earl Jones.

Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland, Shirley Booth (I think, at least partially, because she reminded me of my grandmother), Barbara Stanwyck, Ingrid Bergman, June Allyson, Beulah Bondi, Ethel Waters (although she was more of a singer), Claudette Colbert, Lucille Ball, Jean Arthur, Maureen O'Sullivan, Susan Hayward, Jane Seymour, Esther Rolle, Bea Arthur, Helen Hayes, Thelma Ritter, Edna May Oliver.  

WORD HISTORY:
Favor (British: Favour)-This word, distantly related to both "day" and "fever," goes back to Indo European "dhegh," which meant "burn, hot." This gave Latin "favere," ^ which meant, "to feel warmth toward, to have warm feelings for;" thus, "to feel kindly toward someone or something." This then gave Latin "favorem," the nominative form of which, "favor," meant, "kindness, good will." This was passed onto Old French, a Latin-based language, as "favor," with much the same underlying meaning, including further, "partiality" ("I'm partial to vanilla ice cream"/"I favor vanilla ice cream"). This was borrowed by English, as "favour," in the 1300s, but it is unclear to me whether English first used the noun form ("a kind act, a kindness, a good deed") or the verb form ("to see someone or something in a good way, to feel partial toward," and "to do a favor [the noun] for someone").  

^ The Germanic languages continued with the "d" sound from Indo European "dhegh;" thus, "day," a Germanic word, but the Italic branch of Indo European developed the "f" sound; thus, "fever," a Latin derived word borrowed by many of the Germanic languages; obviously, including English (German has "Fieber"). Another Latin word with Indo European "dhegh" as its source, is "foment" (to cause hot feelings," but its ancestor also meant "heat."

A Friend in West Virginia, Part Fourteen

My Clarksburg friend's nasty behavior toward others, at times, seems to suggest that he doesn't see the potential consequences of treating others so badly. There can be consequences for being so nasty. Many people do NOT just quietly allow themselves to be verbally (maybe physically?) mistreated, without striking back. As the song says, "You get what you give."

WORD HISTORY: 
Click-This word, in both noun and verb form, with the noun meaning, "a short, clear (crisp) sound coming as the result of some touching or striking action, often nowadays used in reference to a computer mouse." The actual origin of this word is likely imitative; that is, somewhere along the line in a Germanic language, there was an attempt to imitate the sound, followed by the attempt to transfer the sound to writing. The Germanic languages have used a "k" sound (often, but not always  represented in English by a "c") to form words that have to do with sound; for example, "clap," "knock," "clack." Forms of "click" are common in the Germanic languages, but from what I can find, English only began using the word in the mid 1500s. Did English borrow it from one of its relatives, Low German, Dutch, German? The thing is, those languages too have a spotty history for the word, which, as far as I can find, also only dates to the 1500s. Anyway, the other Germanic languages have: German and Low German "klicken," Dutch "klikken," Danish "klik," Norwegian "klikk," ^ Swedish "klicka." I could not find forms in Frisian or Icelandic. 

^ Norwegian also has the very similar "klekke," meaning "to hatch." Is this related to "click," from the sound of a bird breaking the shell of its egg?

Country Bread Soup (Brotsuppe)

This soup undoubtedly came about as a good way to use up stale bread, as bread would begin to dry out after just a day, and it could get moldy after just a couple of days, in times, generally, now gone by; although we are seeing more breads produced with little or no preservatives today. A second reason for the use of bread, was to make a dish that was filling; something well done by bread. German rye bread is not light and spongy, but rather heavier, and more dense. So it may take some time for the broth to be, "comin' thro' the rye." If you have a German bakery near you, or if your supermarket's bakery makes German-style rye, or sells such bread from another bakery, I recommend you give it a try, especially for this soup.

3 slices rye bread, cubed or torn into small pieces

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 heaping tablespoons chopped chives

2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley

2 heaping tablespoons marjoram leaves 

3 tablespoons cream or milk
pinch of black or white pepper (optional)

4 franks, or 6 small link sausages (already cooked), sliced

In a heavy bottomed pan, lightly toast the bread in melted butter, turning the cubes. After about two minutes, add the garlic, cook one more minute, stirring. Add the broth and marjoram, simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage slices, simmer a further 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chives, parsley and cream (also, pepper, if using), stir well. Serve. 

I used small link sausages

WORD HISTORY:
Rustic-This word, closely related to "rural," and distantly related to "room," goes back to Indo European "reu/rew/row," with the basic notion of "open space."This gave Latin "rus," with the meaning, "countryside, farmland." This, in combination with the suffix "ticus," ^ gave Latin "rusticus," meaning, "of or from the country;" thus also, "plain, simple, coarse, crude, unsophisticated" (for a person, "a peasant, a farmer," and derogatorily, "a person of little or no culture or formal education"). English borrowed the word as "rustik" in the 1400s, likely with some influence of French "rustique," from the same Latin source (French is a Latin-based language).

^ "(t)icus" goes back to Indo European "ikos," a suffix with the notion, "with characteristics of." The Latin form is related to the ending "y" on many modern English words, with the "y" contracted from, and altered in pronunciation from, "ig," an ending still intact in English cousin, German, although it comes out "similar" to English "y" by "some" German speakers.     

2017, Another Year, We Aren't Here Long

The lights flash and 2016 becomes 2017. No, we aren't here for long, and some are here for a very short time. As 2016 gasped for breath, lives were shortened by the religion of hate at a celebration of life. Oh Berlin!* So, we enter 2017 with more bloodshed. At least 39 lives shortened by the criminality of hate and done in the name of religion. Oh Istanbul!** And the new political order of American government plans its own hateful assault on the planet, on the poor, on the sick. It comes twisted and tangled with religion; religion concocted by greedy and hateful minds to sanctify their hateful actions. More religion of hate. Oh Washington, DC!

No, we aren't here for long. We go through life meeting people, with some people drifting into our lives, while others disappear. What happened to them? The people we knew as children, how many have we seen since those times? The kids we met throughout our schooling, how many of them have we seen since those days? We feel the passing of time and we witness the loss of those around us; family members, friends and those who entertained us. Fewer and fewer to comfort us or to make us laugh. Can we work together to keep ourselves alive a while longer? Or do we want the religion of hate to keep us divided until we too are no more?

* Just prior to Christmas in 2016, a truck was driven into a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany by a Tunisian man with connections to the ISIS terrorist network. A dozen people were killed and more than three times that number were injured. The truck used in the attack had been hijacked by the  Tunisian terrorist who shot and killed the driver.

** In December 2016 a car bombing and a suicide bombing in Istanbul, Turkey killed dozens and injured more than 160. The attack was planned and executed by a Kurdish independence group. Earlier in 2016, there was a ISIS related attack on the Istanbul airport killing some 45 and injuring more than 200.  

WORD HISTORY:
We-This common pronoun goes back to Indo European "we/wey," which, indeed, meant "we." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "wiz," with the same meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "we," and it has remained as such for all of these centuries. The other Germanic languages have: German "wir," Low German Saxon "wi," Dutch "wij," West Frisian "wy," Danish, Norwegian, Swedish "vi," and Icelandic "við" (essentially equivalent to "vith," and the "ð" is called an "eth," which was once also used in English).