Trump's Witch Hunt

Double, double toil and trouble;  
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Mueller's kettle, it does seethe,
And Donald's lies, he won't believe.
He stirs the pot, to mix the brew,
and then he checks on Don Junior too. 

Eye of Newt Gingrich, and guilty are pleas,
of so many aides, who've been involved in the sleaze.
You can scream all you want, "There was no collusion,"
but the facts will soon show, how your claim's an illusion.

From the '16 election, the tables have turned,
and people will cheer, when your ass it is burned.
No witches are sought, just seeking good sense,
which will not be found, in the name of Mike Pence.
He's a fanatic and liar, so he's not the best,
you'd better watch out Pence, you're likely the next.

Crockpot Swiss-Style Fondue

Fondue is a famous melted cheese dish from Switzerland, where it is the center of social and familial gatherings, as the melted cheese is served in a large "communal" pot or dish, with each person having a fork to dip bread chunks (or other items, at times) into the melted cheese mixture. Hardcore capitalists will likely never eat fondue again, since it may represent "socialism" to them, but, "let 'em eat cake," to coin a phrase. The popularity of fondue has spread to other parts of the world, including to the United States. If you have a mini slow cooker/crock pot, that would be great for this, but an average size slow cooker is fine (6 to 8 quarts). Of course, if you own a fondue pot, you're set. The thing about slow cookers is, especially the smaller types (often 1.5 or 2 quart sizes in the U.S.), they do not always have more than one heat setting. So, you'll have to make the recipe according to the type of slow cooker you have. Whatever your options, you may still need to use a pan for the basic cooking, which will require you to be very attentive to the cooking process. The preparation "device" and the serving means are the most complicated parts of this dish. I do not own a fondue pot, nor do I own a mini slow cooker, so I used my slow cooker (6 quart), which has two settings, "high" and "low" (hm, very imaginative), and my fondues have come out very well. I'm giving my preparation method and you can determine how you want to proceed for yourself.

There are various regional recipes in Switzerland for fondue, often having to do with the types of cheese used, but in some areas they add mushrooms, while in other areas they add egg yolks. The most common cheeses used are a mixture of Emmentaler* and Gruyère.** There are also non cheese types of fondue, with melted chocolate or hot oil and meat, also having gained in popularity. "Kirschwasser" (literally German for, "cherry water") is a type of clear, unsweetened cherry brandy common in southwestern Germany and in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. It is also called by the shortened form "Kirsch." It is available in many liquor outlets in the U.S., both in imported and domestic brands. Kirschwasser is important to the taste of the fondue, so do try to use it. Regular cherry brandy is not a substitute, because it is usually sweetened. It is worth your while to buy a brand of Kirschwasser/Kirsch. Some Swiss actually dip the bread into Kirsch, before dipping it into the fondue. And hey, don't forget to sample the Kirschwasser to make sure you have a good brand, although this might take more than one sample to determine. 

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1 clove garlic, halved
1 1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup Kirsch (aka Kirschwasser)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (black pepper is fine too)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Italian or French bread (better if a day old and not totally fresh)

The Swiss typically rub the cut garlic over the pan they will use to cook the fondue, and then discard the garlic. I put the garlic into the slow cooker with the wine and the lemon juice, which I set on "high." Put the lid on. When the wine begins to bubble, remove the lid, then begin adding handfuls of cheese to the hot wine, stirring constantly, until all of the cheese is melted. Mix the Kirschwasser and the cornstarch together well. Make sure the cheese is still bubbling, as it must be hot in order for the cornstarch to help thicken it. Gradually stir in the cornstarch/Kirschwasser mix. Maintain the heat and allow the fondue to thicken somewhat, which may take a minute or two. It should be thickened and smooth like a sauce, and not runny like soup. Stir in the nutmeg and pepper. Turn the slow cooker down to "low." If you have a mini slow cooker, you can use it for serving, of course, but I simply warm some small dishes and put a ladle of fondue into the warmed dishes for serving. You will need to stir the remaining fondue to keep it from becoming too thick or lumpy (keep the heat on "low"). In Switzerland, the people actually stir the cheese in the communal pot with the bread chucks when they dip. They use long forks for dipping the bread, and of course, they use a fondue pot for serving, kept warm by a little burner or candle. 

* "Emmentaler" (German meaning, "of the Emme valley") is what Americans call "Swiss cheese" (there are many domestic brands in the U.S.), but if you would say to them, "Emmentaler," they would say, "Huh?" The name "Emmentaler," also spelled both "Emmental" and "Emmenthal," in English, never caught on in the U.S., in spite of the large number of German-speaking immigrants to the United States. The neighborhood where I grew up saw a large influx of German immigrants, including my own relatives from Hessen in Germany, from the time around the Civil War until World War One. I believe I've mentioned this here before, but meatpacking companies and sales outlets in the neighborhood were all founded by German immigrants, and the name "Swiss cheese" was NEVER used. Everyone in the neighborhood called the cheese by the German form, "Schweitzer." I was a teenager before I remember hearing the term "Swiss cheese," and then I had to ask exactly what that meant (remember, no Internet back then to look something up with a couple of clicks). One of the bars in the neighborhood was somewhat famous for selling "Schweitzer cheese sandwiches," made with a nice slice of domestic Schweitzer, onion and mustard, on rye bread. In the mid 1960s they charged twenty-five cents for the sandwich. Nowadays, you couldn't even get to smell a sandwich like that for twenty-five cents.

** "Gruyère" is another type of firm whitish to light yellowish cheese produced in Switzerland, more so in the French-speaking areas, but like "Emmentaler," it is more of a national type of cheese, crossing the ethnic/linguistic areas of Switzerland. 

My preference: Italian bread chunks, Swiss fondue and a shot of Kirschwasser, not necessarily in that order ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Found-There are other words of this spelling in English, but this is the word meaning, "to melt (usually of metal), to cast/pour melted metal," and it is distantly related to "gush," a word of Germanic derivation with a form originally in English, but then likely influenced by its relative from Old Norse. It goes back to Indo European "gheud," which meant, "to pour, to let flow." Its Latin offspring had the altered beginning to "fundere," which meant, "to pour, to melt, to pour out melted substances." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "fondre," with the same general meanings. This was borrowed into English in the second half of the 1300s.

What's In A Name: Jane, Jeanne, Joan, Zachary

Jane-This is a feminine form of John;" and thus, it goes back to transliterated Hebrew "Yohanan," "graced by God." Greek took the name as "Ioannes" (transliterated), which was then borrowed by Latin as "Ioannes," the feminine form of which was "Johanna." This passed into Latin-based French as "Jehanne/Jehane," and then "Jeanne," which was taken by English in the Middle Ages as "Jeanne," but also in the altered English form "Jane." "Joan" was taken by English directly from the Latin form "Johanna," and for awhile in England, it was used more than "Jane," which then overtook it during the 1600s. The use of "Jane" has declined in England, other parts of Britain and in the United States in more recent times, which prompts me to ask, "Whatever happened to Baby Jane?" * Likewise with the name "Joan," but I'm not going to ask, "Whatever happened to Baby Joan." 

Zachary-The most common short forms of this name are "Zac" and "Zack." The name is from transliterated Hebrew "Zekaryah," meaning, "Yahweh remembered," which was rendered in transliterated Greek as "Zacharias," and which was taken by Latin as "Zaccharias." Seems to have been Anglicized as "Zachary" circa 1600, although it has never been highly popular until more recent times in English.  


* For an article I did on the movie of that name, here is the link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/09/whatever-happened-to-baby-jane-featured.html

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003.

WORD HISTORY:
Daunt/Daunting-This word, distantly related to "tame," an original English word from Germanic, goes back to Indo European "demeh," which had the notion, "to compel, to force;" thus also, "to break the wildness from, to get an animal accustomed to being around humans." This gave its Latin offspring "domare," which meant, "to tame, to subdue," and an infinitive form of which was "domitare," with the same meaning. This passed to Latin-based Old French as "donter/danter," which meant, "to control, to hold in check;" thus also, "to tame," but also, "to dominate, to subdue;" which gave the word a "sense of fear" as a part of the meaning. English borrowed the word in the early 1300sas "danten/daunten," with those meanings, but by circa 1500, the "sense of fear" part had come to the fore; and thus, "to instill fear, to intimidate, to bring fear, to frighten," became the main notion of the word, which brought "daunting," the adjective, meaning, "intimidating;" often heard in the expression, "daunting task;" that is, "an intimidating task, a job that inspires fear." 

Indian Red Lentil Curry

Lentils are a common food on the Indian subcontinent. Recipes vary, but this dish is generally made without meat. "Red" lentils, called "masoor dal," are typically orange, so don't ask me why they're called "red lentils," but they change color when cooked, to a somewhat "yellowish" color. Red lentils are generally available in supermarkets, Indian/Pakistani shops or Middle Eastern stores. This is an easy dish to prepare and the cooking time is not long, as soaking the lentils helps, but red lentils cook pretty quickly. I chose to serve my lentils in a bowl, but I just as easily could have used a plate. 

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils
1 vegetable broth (more, if the mixture gets too dry as it cooks)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 or 2 chili peppers (red or green), finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1  14 to 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon butter 
good pinch of sugar

Soak the lentils for 25 to 30 minutes in cold water. Drain the lentils. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, when heated, add the onion and the ginger. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and the chili pepper. Stir and cook for another minute, then stir in the turmeric, cumin and ground coriander. Add the red lentils, stir to mix well. Add the vegetable broth and stir. Cook until the lentils are to the desired softness your prefer. Stir in the tomatoes, curry powder, ground cloves, salt and sugar, mix well and heat for a further minute or two. Add the butter and stir it in as it melts. Serve with rice. 

WORD HISTORY:
Lentil/Lens-The origin of this word is unknown, although forms appear in parts of the Indo European languages (Germanic, Slavic, Greek, Latin), but several sources note that it may have been borrowed into Indo European from a language of the eastern Mediterranean area of which little is known. Its known history goes to Latin "lens," which was the name of the plant that produced lentils, as well as the name for the seed/pea/bean of that plant, which is a legume. The beans/peas/seeds of legumes are often also called a "pulse," a term not all that common in American English and seemingly unrelated to "pulse," meaning "heartbeat," as the same spelling is coincidental. Latin "lens" produced the diminutive form "lenticula," which passed into Latin-based Old French as "lentille," and this was borrowed by English in the 1200s. The shape of lentils gave the original Latin word, "lens," the secondary meaning of "glass that alters light rays, glass/glasses used to improve eyesight," and this was borrowed by English in the second half of the 1600s (Latin was often used in scientific and medical terminology). The meaning further came to include the curved part of the eye by circa 1700. German has "Linse" which has both meanings, "lentil" and "lens," with the second meaning coming from Latin, but where German got the original word, which goes back to before 800 AD, is unknown, although the spelling leads me to believe it was borrowed from Latin.

What's In A Name: Alexander, Alice

Alexander-This male name, also found as a family name, is from transliterated Greek "Alexandros," which means, "defender of men" (perhaps in the more general sense, "mankind?"). Its shortened forms are "Alex" and "Alec." It is a fairly common name in English, as well as in many European countries. The most famous person with the name is "Alexander the Great," the king of the ancient Greek kingdom, Macedon (Macedonia), although there have been other rulers, as well as popes, with the name, all of which undoubtedly helped to spread the name and to reinforce its usage. The most common female form is "Alexandra."

Alice-This female name goes back to the name "Adalheidis," a Germanic name meaning, "of the nobility," or, "noble one." English once had the adjective, "æþele" (þ=th), which meant, "noble;" that is, "of the nobility"), as well as a variety of words from the same source, all having to do with "nobility, the nobility." The borrowing of "noble," of Latin derivation and borrowed from Latin-based French, overtook the original English form, which was closely related to the "Adal" part of the Germanic name. Old French absorbed a form of "Adalheidis" from Frankish, a Germanic dialect/language, which gave French "Alelaide," then eventually ,"Alais/Aaliz." English took the name from French, seemingly initially as "Alys." One of Queen Victoria's daughter's was named Alice, and she married the Grand Duke of Hessen. She was the mother of "Alix of Hessen," with "Alix" being the best German rendering of her mother's name. She became the Russian Empress, as she married Tsar Nicholas II, and she was given the name by which she is best known, "Alexandra." Overall, "Alice" has been a fairly common name in English for a number of centuries, and who hasn't heard of "Alice in Wonderland?" 

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003.

WORD HISTORY:
Via-This word, distantly related to "way," an original English word from Germanic, goes back to Indo European "wegh," which had the notion of "movement;" thus also, "transport/carry." This gave Latin "via," meaning, "road, pathway," although there "may" have been an intermediary Latin word from which "via" was taken???  The noun also spawned the use of the word for, "by way of, from," which is the more typical meaning in English. It was borrowed into English in the latter part of the 1700s from Latin. 

Unilever Warns Facebook & Google

In recent days international corporate giant "Unilever," the maker of such products as "Hellman's Mayonnaise," "Dove Soap" and "Lipton Tea," and, from what I understand, the second largest advertiser in the world, has issued a stern warning to tech powerhouses "Google" and "Facebook," that Unilever will pull advertising from these companies, if the tech leaders don't deal with what Unilever termed platforms that are "little better than a swamp." Unilever wants the tech companies to help clean up "fake news," work to protect children and to stop groups from using social media that seek to heighten divisions in society and to "promote hate." DAMN! Donald Trump, watch out! I'm not sure why "Twitter" was left out of the companies, unless Unilever doesn't advertise there? Overall, I'm for it, but the problem is, the devil is in the details. We'll have to see how any of this develops, as, on the surface, some may feel this should be pretty easily done, but in the world of the Internet, where someone can be in Antarctica, but can make themselves appear to be in Des Moines, Iowa, and where the tech companies have had such tremendous leeway to make money, it's going to COST money to police these websites, and my guess is, LOTS of money. If other companies follow Unilever's lead, the tech companies will essentially be left with no choice, but to act.         

It's been my own opinion for quite some time, that Internet companies should not have been given such tremendous leeway to start with, and both major political parties have their fingerprints on this mess, sort of, "the Wild West of the Web." All of the tech companies, not just Facebook and Google, follow their users around the Internet and keep track of which sites users go to and what items and information they search for. Of course, they ONLY want their users to have a great experience, part of which seems to include the sale of  information they have on all of us to advertisers, who can then target us with ads tied to our website visits and searches. So, the tech companies make money from YOUR information, but you get "a great experience on the Web," whatever the hell that means.

WORD HISTORY:
Tame-This word goes back to Indo European "demeh," which had the notion, "to compel, to force;" thus also, "to break the wildness from, to get an animal accustomed to being around humans." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "tamaz," with the same meaning as the latter Indo European meaning;" thus, "to tame." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "tam," an adjective, meaning, "tame(d)." This then became "tame," initially with the ending "e" pronounced "eh/ah." Old English had the verb "temian," ("to tame, to make mild, to subdue"), but the modern verb "seems" to have come from the adjective. The other Germanic languages have (adjective forms): German "zahm," Low German Saxon "tamm," West Frisian "tam" (no longer used??), Dutch "tam," Danish "tam," Icelandic "tam" (this is the root, but apparently there are various endings; that is, inflections, on the root depending upon usage), Norwegian "tam," Swedish "tam."

Jamaican Curry Shrimp

Spain controlled Jamaica, which they called "Santiago," from the time of Columbus until the island was invaded and conquered by the English in the late 1600s. The island remained an English/British colony until the early 1960s, although Queen Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of Jamaica to this day.

South Asian Indian cuisine has had an influence on Jamaican cooking going back into the 1800s, as Indians began to arrive as indentured servants. Goat curry has become a part of Jamaican life, although other curries, such as shrimp curry, are not uncommon. "Scotch bonnet" chili peppers are closely associated with Jamaica. These peppers tend toward being VERY hot, but I haven't seen them in supermarkets or produce markets here in Cleveland for quite some time, as habanero peppers have taken over that part of the super hot chili pepper market. "Authentic" Jamaican food would have Scotch bonnet peppers, but you can use habanero pepper. Chili peppers can vary tremendously in heat, so it's best to "sample" a chili, before you use it in a recipe. I've had chilies of various types be far hotter than than their reputation, but I've also had "hot" chilies that were so mild, as to barely register on the heat meter, and that includes habaneros. So saying "use 1 serrano," or "1/2 of a habanero" can be deceiving. When trying a chili pepper, if you take a small (I mean, head of a pin size) piece from up near to where the pepper connected to the plant stem, you'll get a better representation as to how hot the pepper is. For this recipe, I used 1/2 of a habanero pepper and it provided quite a kick, but it didn't overwhelm the dish. If you don't like heat, substitute just a pinch of ground cayenne pepper. If you like crazy heat, use a whole habanero, but remember what I wrote above, about how chilies can vary in heat.

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons curry powder)
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon thick ketchup
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup vegetable broth
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2  scotch bonnet (or habanero chili pepper), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons water

In a skillet or a sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, the garlic, the red bell pepper and the chili pepper. Saute until vegetables soften, stirring often to prevent any burning. Add the thyme, the ketchup and the curry powder. Stir well and cook for about two minutes. Add the broth and stir well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then stir in the coconut milk, reduce heat to low. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook until tender. Stir in the salt. As the mixture bubbles lightly, gradually stir in the corn starch and water mixture and cook until the liquid thickens up. Serve with rice, some Bob Marley music and a video of Usain Bolt running a race.   

Served with white rice...

WORD HISTORY: 

God-The ultimate Indo European origin of this word for a deity has been seen by some as uncertain, but it seems likely to go back to Indo European "gheweh," which had the idea of, "to call, to call upon." This gave Old Germanic "gutha," meaning, "one called upon;" that is, "a divine entity, a deity." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "god," meaning, "deity," then, with the acceptance of Christianity in England, the transfer of the meaning to the Christian notion of "the Supreme Being;" thus, "God," with a capital "g" to elevate the word and show reverence, but also used with a small "g" for non Christian deities, a practice used by some other Germanic languages. The other Germanic languages have: German "Gott," Low German Saxon "Gott,"^ West Frisian "God/god," Dutch "god," Danish "Gud/gud," Icelandic "Goð/goð" (ð=th), Norwegian and Swedish "Gud/gud."  

^ German and Low German capitalize all nouns; thus the capital "G."  

What's In A Name: Conrad, Elizabeth

Conrad-Also spelled "Konrad," this name is a compound, with the "con" part meaning, "bold, brave," but also had the meaning, "wise, knowledgeable." It is Germanic and a relative of the verb "can" and of the adjective "keen." The "rad" part, also from Germanic, means "advice, counsel." So the name means like, "wise counsel." It was a popular name in the German lands, as there were German emperors, kings and other nobles with the name, as well as a Christian saint from the Lake Constance area in Germany. While it did have limited use in England long ago, its use increased in the 1800s, "perhaps" due to the strong familial ties of the British royal family and nobility to the German nobility.    

Elizabeth-Also spelled "Elisabeth," both of which are also most often used in German. A VERY common name in many countries and languages, with shortened forms like "Elly" and "Elli," and with MANY spelling variations in other languages, a few of which are: "Isabel/Isabela," in Spanish, Portuguese; Isabelle (French); Elisheva (Hebrew); Yelizaveta (Russian); Elisavet (Greek), but there are many more. The name goes back to transliterated Hebrew "Elisheva," the meaning of which seems to be hard to define, but which has to do with "God" and "oath." Greek took the name as transliterated Greek "Elisabet." As the New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek, the name spread into various languages, as I noted above, including to a Christian saint from Hungary, as "Erzsébet," in Hungarian. Its use in England, and in English, increased tremendously because of Queen Elizabeth I, the Queen of England from 1558 until 1603. The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, begun in 1952, has certainly enhanced the name, as it remains a highly popular name in English.   

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. 

WORD HISTORY:
Awl-This word "seems" to go back to an Indo European form "ohla/ela," meaning, "piercing tool." This gave Old Germanic "ahlo," with the same meaning; thus also, "awl." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "æl" and "eal" (dialectal variants?). This then became "alle" (likely pronounced like "ahl-leh"), before the modern version. Relatives in the Germanic languages: German has "Ahle," Low German Saxon "had" "al," but no longer uses it, Dutch has "aal," West Frisian "els" (?). Old Norse had "alr," but it seems to have died out in its descendants (an ending "r" was common in Old Norse words). 

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Twenty-Four

The election of 1994 proved to be an earthquake for Democrats, as Republicans won enough seats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to take control of both houses. Democrats had controlled both houses of Congress since the 1950s! Newt Gingrich of former Confederate state, Georgia, became Speaker of the House.

The results in the former Confederate states where there were changes in party representation: U.S. Senate: In Tennessee Republicans took both seats from the hold of Democrats (one actually was a special election to fill a vacancy brought about by the retirement of the incumbent Democrat). That was the only change in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives: in Florida, Republicans gained 2 seats, making the delegation 15 Republicans and 8 Democrats; in Georgia, Republicans gained 3 seats, making the delegation 7 Republicans and 4 Democrats; in Mississippi, Republicans gained 1 seat, making that delegation 4 Democrats and 1 Republican; in North Carolina, Republicans gained 4 seats, making that delegation 8 Republicans and 4 Democrats; in South Carolina, Republicans gained 1 seat, making that delegation 4 Republicans and 2 Democrats; in Tennessee, Republicans gained 2 seats, making that delegation 5 Republicans and 4 Democrats; in Texas, Republicans gained 2 seats, making that delegation 19 Democrats and 11 Republicans; in Virginia, Republicans gained 1 seat, making that delegation 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans. There were no changes in the delegations of other former Confederate states. In races for governors, Republicans took over the governors' mansions in Alabama, Tennessee and Texas, with the other states seeing no change in the party holding the governorship.

One additional note, Senator Richard Shelby, of former Confederate state Alabama, switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican right after the Republican election victory in November 1994, thus increasing the Republican majority in the Senate. 

WORD HISTORY:
Swerve-This word goes back to Indo European "swerbh," with the notion of "twists and turns used for wiping, brushing or sweeping something off." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "swerbanan," with essentially the same meaning. This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "sweorfan," meaning, "to wipe, to rub, to scour, to file down." This then became "swerven," before the modern form. The modern meaning of "go off course, move to the side or move from side to side" seems to have come from the idea of the "wiping motion, twists and turns," of the original meaning. As you can see below, other Germanic relatives mean, "wander, roam," which has the notion of "not staying on course," and it's certainly possible that English had this additional meaning long ago too, but that it was not set down in writing. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German had "swerben," but no longer; Low German Saxon has "swarven" (wander, roam, brush off), West Frisian has "swerve" (wander, roam, stray); Dutch has "zwerven" (roam, wander, stray); Icelandic "sverfa" (file down); Swedish "svarva" (to turn).

What's In A Name: Amy, Jason

Amy (also spelled Ami and Amie)-This came to English from French "Amee" (also "Aimee??"), which came from a participle form of the verb "amer" (to love), from Latin "amare" (to love). So, the meaning of Amy is, "beloved." It is a fairly common female name in Ireland, England, Wales and the United States. 

Jason (also as, Jayson)-This name comes from transliterated Greek "iason," from the word "iasthai," which meant, "to heal," a form of which was "iatros," meaning, "physician." Popular from Greek mythology and Jason of Thessaly (one of the regions of Greece), the leader of the Argonauts (a group of heroic sailors of the ship "Argo"). Because there is a "Jason" mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible, which was written in Greek, this may have provided a second source for the name, as the Hebrew name "Yehoshua" (Joshua) was also rendered as "Jason" in Greek. "Jason/Jayson" remains a very popular male name in English, especially so in the U.S. Now, if we could get a Jason to lead a space mission, we'd have, "Jason and the Astronauts."

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, (1) "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. (2) "A Greek-English Lexicon," by Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, Roderick McKenzie, and Eric Arthur Barber, published by Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1940.

WORD HISTORY:
Ballad-This word, related "ball" (a dance), goes back to Indo European "gwele/gwela," with the notion of, "bubble up, rise up, overflow, throw outward or upward." This gave transliterated Greek "ballizein," with the meaning, "to jump about in dance" (literally, "to throw oneself about"). Latin borrowed the term from Greek as "ballare," also meaning, "to dance," and this passed into Old Provençal as "balar" (to dance) and this spawned "ballada," meaning, "poetic verse for a dance." This then was taken on by Old French as "ballade," meaning, "song for dancing," and English borrowed the word in the second half of the 1400s. By the 1600s the meaning had shifted to "a poem, often expressing sentimentality, set to music."  

The Way We Were, By Necessity

There have been many changes in how we buy and keep our food over the decades of my life, although there has been a gradual return by some consumers to the use of fewer preservatives in certain foods. I thought I'd jot down a few things to let younger folks read how things were, and to perhaps give their parents and grandparents a chance to say, "Yep, that's what we did back then." It's nice to look back, at times, to things from the past, as long as we remember to return to the present and look to the future.

Back when I was a kid, bread went stale within a day or two, and it would get moldy, even faster in warm weather. Not much air conditioning back then, as not only were the air conditioning units themselves expensive, but the amount of electricity the units used could have caused a horse to drop dead, if a horse could have read the electric bill. There were supermarkets back then, but not as many as there were a little later, and they were generally not as large as those of more modern times. There were many little "mom and pop" grocery stores in most places, and in cities, there were apt to be a couple of these stores, if not more, within a short walking distance across city neighborhoods. Most had deli cases with various lunch meats (also called "cold cuts") and cheeses, which they would slice to order for you, and some even would grind meat for you, or cut up pork for pork chops. Separate butcher shops were common back then too, and you could get fresh cut meats of just about any type, as well as sausages and smoked meats. The southern part of my neighborhood had a large Polish and (western) Ukrainian population, and one family store there made their own kielbasa, which drew in people from all over. Further, depending upon your state or local area, many bars sold basic food products like bread and milk, and also that great staple food of childhood, candy! With the money value so different back then compared to now, there was a section in each candy display case with "penny candy," as the term was. Little grocery stores and bars put your candy into little brown paper bags, and if your were lucky enough to have a dime, you could get one of these small bags pretty much filled up. My paternal grandfather once gave me a DOLLAR! I was the richest kid on the block; well, for a little while, at least. Most candy bars were like about 3 cents to 5 cents. Whether you called it soda or pop, some was a nickel a bottle, but others were 6 or 7 cents. The famous Coca-Cola bottles were 6 1/2 ounces, if I remember right, but some other brands were maybe 7 or 8 ounces. Beverage companies then increased the size of the bottles to 12 ounces, and even to 16 ounces, if my memory is right, but of course, the price was a bit more. There was a penny deposit on the bottles, as they were returnable glass bottles, although again, some companies later began using non-returnable bottles. We kids would go through the neighborhood looking for discarded bottles to take in so we could get candy from the pennies we got back for returning those bottles. Maybe some of you remember, but I don't recall soda/pop in cans (12 ounces) until somewhat later, especially so in the 1970s, when their use became common.

Besides bread being sold in stores, bakery trucks came through the neighborhoods selling various kinds of bread, pies, cakes and other baked goods (ah, I guess that's why they called them bakery trucks). Customers could order special baked goods when they were produced and the driver might tell people, "Thursday, they're making apricot sweet rolls. Do you want to place an order?" They naturally could only fit so many items on a truck, so he took orders for these specialty items. Often the deliveryman would ring a bell to let people know he was in their neighborhood.

Milk was not always homogenized back then, so it separated and you had to shake the bottle before using it. Milk also spoiled within a few days, so just like with bread, trucks traveled through neighborhoods and rural areas to deliver milk and dairy products. Other trucks had produce, and the driver would yell out the various fruits and vegetables he had on sale on that day. If I remember right, there was a truck with fish, and because of religious beliefs, many people ate fish on Fridays in those times, a practice which even carried over to other folks who just got used to eating fish on Fridays, even though they didn't hold those religious beliefs. The practice was so prevalent, neighborhood bars did a banner business on Fridays by having a fish fry. And, just as you may have seen in movies about the "Old West," bars still had spittoons all around the barrooms, as tobacco chewing was still a common practice. Bars also had "back rooms" with tables where ladies and families could sit, as it wasn't considered "proper" by many people for women or children to sit in the main barroom in those days. Bars even had side or rear entrances so that ladies wouldn't have to be seen entering through the front door, which usually was on a main street, as this would likely lead to neighborhood gossip among some people, and perhaps even a condemnation to Hell by some self righteous religious zealots.      

Ice cream and popsicle trucks were around back then, a business which continues to this day. Some trucks only sold frozen products like popsicles, ice cream sandwiches or fudge bars, but others sold ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes and banana splits, with the ice cream dispensed right in front of the customers from machines inside the trucks. Of course, you could also go to a pharmacy, often simply referred to in the U.S. as, "drug stores," to get some ice cream, as they had "soda fountains" in those days. Oh, and they too had candy display cases with penny candy and candy bars. We had a food truck, actually more of a van or RV from more recent times, run by "Harold," a man in our neighborhood. I can't remember everything, but I believe he sold many early morning items like: doughnuts, pastries, coffee, tea and hot chocolate, and he may well have sold sandwiches and lunch items too, I just can't remember. Of course, this part of the food business has really expanded in more recent times, as trucks selling all sorts of fresh, refrigerated or frozen products are big business nowadays, with many specialty foods now being sold, including pizza, a food item that was growing in popularity when I was a kid, but at that time, pizza shops hadn't sprung up on many street corners, as yet, but they were around, just not in anywhere near the numbers we have today; and off hand, I don't recall any national pizza chains at that time; at least, not in my area. Certainly pizza's popularity stemmed from soldiers who had served in World War Two in Italy, which gave Italian-Americans a good way to go into business, especially in cities with Italian neighborhoods, particularly in the eastern half of the U.S. But it didn't take long for the popular, delicious and easily eaten food to spread all over the country.

As the years passed, more and more supermarkets were opened all over, putting a bit of a crimp in some family owned grocery stores and butcher shops. Preservatives were added to many foods, air conditioning and refrigeration became more widely used, and the need for things such as milk and bread delivery declined to the point where most were just unnecessary, although some hung on for awhile, and some might still be in existence in places? Improved roads and highways made rural deliveries largely unnecessary too, and I'm not sure the last time I heard, "Peaches, onions, cabbage on sale today," yelled out by a driver on a produce truck. Changes happen, often they creep up on us, and we eventually accept them, however grudgingly, but it sure can be nice to think back on the way we were, but then we need to move on. 

WORD HISTORY:
Spit-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this form is closely related to "spew" and goes back to Indo European "spyu," which meant "to spit, to discharge fluid from the mouth," but its exact history is a bit cloudy. The Indo European form gave its Old Germanic offspring "spitjanan," ^ seemingly a parallel development with the ancestor of "spew," as it had the same meaning, but it was not as commonly used. This either gave Old English, or the West Germanic dialects that later came to form Old English (Anglo-Saxon), but while still on the Continent, both "spæten"and "spittan," dialectal differences, although as noted under the original Old Germanic form, these forms were also not as common in usage as the ancestor of "spew." The Old English forms then melded to become "speten/spitten," before the modern form. The noun came from the verb circa 1300. Danish and Norwegian have "spytte" (to spit, Danish noun "spyt" and Norwegian noun "spytt"), Swedish has "spotta" (perhaps a dialectal "spetta?" and the noun "spott"), Icelandic has "spýta" (both verb and noun form).

^ It's possible that this was rather a form developed in the North Germanic branch of Old Germanic, or perhaps a survivor from Old Germanic in the North Germanic branch. It is unclear, but forms are only found in modern North Germanic, with the exception of English, which is West Germanic. The West Germanic dialects of what are today northern Germany and the Netherlands, as well as southwestern Denmark, had much contact with North Germanic speakers, which remained true, even after many of these West Germanic speakers migrated to Briton and founded England. As a guess, I would lean to a borrowing from North Germanic after the Anglo-Saxons were in Briton, which might account for the more sporadic use of the word compared to the ancestor of "spew," which was the common word among the West Germanic dialects/languages for "to spit." If "spit" had been borrowed while Ango-Saxon was still on the Continent, it begs the question, "Where are forms in Low German and/or Frisian," as they likely would have borrowed it too, but I found no forms of such, not even from centuries ago. Low German and Frisian are both the closest relatives of English, and they were especially close (linguistically and geographically) when the Anglo-Saxons were still on the Continent.    

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Twenty-Three

In what became a decisive and disastrous move, President Bill Clinton commissioned the putting together of a well intended plan, headed by First Lady Hillary Clinton, to expand the country's health care coverage. When released, the large and complex plan was highly popular for about a week or two, as Republicans and insurance companies picked the plan apart and successfully scared the hell out of Americans with a barrage of negative ads. The attacks on the plan were given a great deal of coverage by the media, which only fed into the narrative of the plan's opponents that there was just no consensus about reforming such a large sector of the American economy, which caused further erosion in support. The whole matter brought intense scrutiny to Hillary Clinton. Polls showed the plan's popularity fell like a rock, and eventually it couldn't make it through Congress, even though Democrats had majorities in both the House and Senate. The whole issue gave Republicans a boost in morale and energy going into the midterm election of 1994, whereas dispirited Democrats faced the coming election with mounting concern.  

Then came the North American Free Trade Agreement, better known by its initials, NAFTA, an idea for a free trade zone among North American countries, which was first given note by Ronald Reagan in his 1980 campaign for president. The agreement was highly complex, but it essentially made a trade bloc of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by eliminating trade and investment barriers between those countries. On this issue, Clinton and all the living former presidents supported passage,* but the bill terribly divided Democrats, and it took free trade Republicans to provide the votes in Congress to pass it. It also brought Ross Perot to the fore again, as the former presidential candidate opposed the agreement. In a highly touted television debate with Vice President Al Gore, watched by millions of Americans, Perot made points, but he had difficulty explaining many things, especially where money was coming from to oppose the agreement and in refuting the charge by Gore that Perot stood to make financial gain from the defeat of the agreement. A congressional vote came in November 1993, and here is how members of the House of Representatives in former Confederate states voted, with the measure passing in the overall House vote by 234 to 200: Alabama: 2 Republicans for, 1 Republican against, 4 Democrats against; Arkansas: 2 Republicans for, 2 Democrats against; Florida: 7 Republicans for, 6 Democrats for, 6 Republicans against, 4 Democrats against; Georgia: 2 Republicans for, 4 Democrats for, 2 Republicans against, 3 Democrats against; Louisiana: 3 Republicans for, 2 Democrats for, 2 Democrats against; Mississippi: 3 Democrats for, 2 Democrats against; North Carolina: 3 Republicans for, 5 Democrats for, 1 Republican against, 3 Democrats against; South Carolina: 1 Democrat for, 3 Republicans against, 2 Democrats against; Tennessee: 3 Republicans for, 6 Democrats for; Texas: 9 Republicans for, 15 Democrats for, 6 Democrats against; Virginia: 4 Republicans for, 3 Democrats for, 4 Democrats against. In the Senate the overall vote was 61 for and 38 against, and in the former Confederate states the vote was: Alabama: 2 Democrats against; Arkansas: 2 Democrats for; Florida: 1 Republican for, 1 Democrat for; Georgia: 1 Republican for, 1 Democrat for; Louisiana: 2 Democrats for; Mississippi: 2 Republicans for; North Carolina: 2 Republicans against; South Carolina: 1 Republican against, 1 Democrat against; Tennessee: 1 Democrat for, 1 Democrat against; Texas: 2 Republicans for; Virginia: 1 Republican for, 1 Democrat for.   

A contentious social issue also heated up. President Clinton supported allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military, provided they kept their sexual orientation secret, but the military could not ask about their orientation either. Clinton's stand satisfied few, but especially on the political right, where any attempt to allow gay people to legally serve in the military was opposed. The provisions came to be known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* The living former presidents in 1993 were: Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush (Sr.).

WORD HISTORY:
Ask-This common word goes back to Indo European "ayesh," which had the notion "to search for, to seek." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "aiskojan," which meant "to ask for, demand, request," all with the notion of "seeking something by asking." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "ascian" (to ask for, inquire) and the variant "acsian" (to this day, some English speakers say "I want to aks ("ax") you something," so this basic pronunciation goes way back in English). "Ascian" then became "asken," before the modern version. The other Germanic languages have: German "heischen" (once also spelled without the "h," a word not highly common, but still in use for, "to ask for, request, demand"); West Frisan "easkje" ("demand"); Dutch "eisen" ("ask, demand"). Swedish "äska" ("demand, request") and Danish, "æske," seem to have been borrowed from Low German, which once had, "eschen," but no longer uses it. Apparently forms of the word generally endured only in West Germanic (English, German, Dutch, Frisian), as the North Germanic languages use other words to express this meaning.

Alfred the Great & the English Language

In the time of Alfred (Old English form: Ælfræd), essentially the second half of the 800s, there was no united nation of England, rather there were a number of English kingdoms. Alfred was the king of Wessex, named after the West Saxons. Without Alfred's persistence in rallying his people against the advancing Danes (Vikings), there is a good chance the English language would not have survived, and the related Germanic language of Old Norse,* the language of the Vikings, would have taken over as the language of the English lands. But Alfred DID rally the Anglo-Saxons and he and his army defeated the Danes. 

In those times, Christianity had spread throughout much of Europe, including to England, and along with the religion came Latin for church personnel and many educated people. The Viking raids and conquests in England greatly disrupted and diminished the religious instituions, and thus, Latin, in England. Once the wars had subsided, Alfred, who was a religious man, was concerned with his people's spiritual education, and he went forward with a program to have a number of religious works translated from Latin into the language of the people... ENGLISH. It "seems" Alfred not only had books translated into English from Latin, but indeed, he helped with some of the translations himself. Alfred also pushed for what became "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles," although this historical work of the history of the English people didn't actually begin until after Alfred's death. He also had laws set down in writing, thus providing written codes, in English. It is not without reason that Alfred is designated, "the Great."

* Old Norse didn't just go away in England; rather, Viking settlements helped Old Norse to influence English, as gradually it contributed words to English, often either replacing or melding with English forms of those same words, or by providing synonyms for existing words. For example, English then had "sceo," which meant "cloud," while Old Norse had "sky," which also meant "cloud," with both words coming from the same Old Germanic source. It was a bit later before "sky" took on the meaning that is still has today. English had "sick," and it took the word "ill" from Old Norse. In other cases, rather than becoming true synonyms, the words became slightly different in meaning: the English noun "hide," but Old Norse "skin." Originally, "hide" was the general word for skin in English, but with the borrowing of the Old Norse word, hide came to be more the term for animal skin, but interestingly, we "skin" the "hide" from an animal, in verb usage.

WORD HISTORY:
Good-This common word is distantly related to "gather," It goes back to Indo European "ghedh," which had the notion of "unify, unite, join, keep together;" thus also, "to fit together, be suitable." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "godaz," meaning, "fitting;" thus, "positive feeling toward things that fit together, are suitable." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "god" (long "o"), meaning, "good." This then came to be spelled with the double "o," as the sound lessened from the long "o." The noun has the same basic history, with the meaning, "a good thing, a positive action, a counter force to evil, wealth, property, item for sale." Forms in the other Germanic languages: German has "gut" and the noun "Gut" (meaning, "estate, property, possession"), Low German Saxon has "goot" and the noun "Goot" (same meaning as German), West Frisian "goed" and noun "guod" (stuff, goods"), Dutch "goed" and noun "goed" and "goedje" (goed=property, estate; goedje=stuff), Danish "god" and noun "gods" (estate), Norwegian "god" (Norwegian uses other words for the noun meanings), Icelandic "góður" (ð=th, and Icelandic uses other words for the noun meanings), Swedish "god" (Swedish uses other words for the noun meanings).    

What's In A Name: Alfred, Victoria, Victor

Alfred-This name, written as "Ælfræd," in Old English, is a compound of "ælf," which is modern "elf," and "ræd," which meant, "adviser" or "counsel." The Germanic peoples believed elves had great powers and knowledge; thus, the idea to the name was "wise or knowledgeable advisor." The word "ræd" came from the verb which later developed into "read," but its primary meaning in those times was, "to advise," and a form of its German cousin is part of the German word "Rathaus," which does NOT mean "rat house," but rather, "town or city hall," as long ago a town's leaders (advisers) met with residents there. The name was popular in England from King Alfred the Great, who lived in the 800s. The name has lasted into modern times, although it is not highly common today.     

Victoria-This is from Latin for "victory," derived from Latin "victor," which meant, "conqueror, one who brings victory." "Victoria" was the name of the Roman goddess of victory. The name became popular in England, Britain and British possessions during the long reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 until her death in 1901. Of course, "Victor" is the male form of the name.

 I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003.

WORD HISTORY:
Hall-This word is distantly related to "cellar," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English, and to "helmet," a word of Germanic origin, with an original form in English ("helm"), but a word absorbed into Old French from the Germanic dialect/language Frankish, and then given the diminutive ending "et," and then borrowed in this diminutive form by English. "Hall" goes back to the Indo European root "kel/khel," which meant "cover." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "hallo," which meant, "covered area, covered place." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "heall," which meant, "place for dwelling, room for hearing law cases," and later also, "place for entertainment or celebration." This then became "halle," before the modern form. The meaning, "corridor or passageway inside a building," is a shortening of "hallway;" that is, "the way leading to or from a hall." The other Germanic languages have: German "Halle," Low German Saxon "Hall," Dutch "hal," Danish "hal," Norwegian "hall," Swedish "hall," Icelandic "höll" (meaning the more specific. "palace"). I could not find a form of "hall" in modern Frisian. 

Chimichurri Sauce

"Chimichurri" is a kind of uncooked sauce in Argentina, typically used as an accompaniment for grilled or roasted meat, and at times, used as a marinade for meat. There are all kinds of variations to "chimichurri," although most have to do with the amounts of the basic ingredients, but there are also some variations in the actual ingredients. For instance, not all Argentinians use chili pepper, so if you don't like heat, just leave it out, or just add a pinch of dried chili flakes. The same is true about recipe variations in Uruguay, where chimichurri is also popular, as is beef.

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons chopped onion (white or red onion, or scallion)
1 red chili pepper, seeded
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cilantro
1/2 cup parsley (Italian parsley is good for this)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the garlic, onion, chili pepper and herbs are well chopped and blended together. Best if covered and refrigerated for a couple of hours before using.

Roasted beef ribs with chimichurri sauce

WORD HISTORY:
Spit-English has two main words (each with a verb and noun form) of this spelling, but they are from different sources. This is the word meaning, "rod or stick used for roasting meat." The verb form of this word is not commonly used in modern times. The word is somewhat distantly related to "spike." It goes back to the Indo European root "spei,' which meant, "sharp end, pointed." This gave Old Germanic "spitoz," meaning, "sharp rod for skewering meat to be roasted." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "spitu," with the same meaning. This then became "spyte/spytte," before the modern form. Forms in other Germanic languages: German has "Spieß/Spiess," ^ Low German Saxon has "Spitt," Dutch "spit," Danish "spytte," Norwegian "spidd" (dialectal?), Icelandic "spýta," Swedish "spett."

^ Modern spelling forms in German has made "Spieß" the proper spelling, except in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, where "Spiess" was made proper.