Orange Julius

This frothy and creamy drink tastes a good deal like a "creamsicle." It was developed in the 1920s and refined within a few years to be a creamier and less acidic drink. I use some heavy cream in my version, but you can replace the cream with more milk. 

 

Ingredients (5 to 8 servings, depending upon glass size):

 

12 ounce can frozen orange juice

1 can water

12 ounce can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar, not firmly packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ice cubes for serving

 

Put all the ingredients, except the ice cubes, into a blender and blend until everything is well mixed and frothy. Add ice cubes to individual serving glasses and pour the Orange Julius over the ice. If serving later, you can pour the blended liquid into a pitcher and refrigerate, but don't add ice cubes, as they will melt and water down the drinks, but stir briskly before serving to give the mixture its characteristic frothiness and then add a couple of ice cubes to individual servings, if desired.  

 

 

 

 I used a bigger glass for this one ...

WORD HISTORY:

Twitch (Tweak)-These words are related to words like "two," "twin" and "twain," all of which have to do in some way with the number and idea of "two," and they are all from Germanic. The origin of the forms "twitch" and "tweak" is Indo European "dwoh/dwah/duwo," which meant "two," which gave West Germanic (seemingly NOT Old Germanic^) "twikkjon(an)," meaning "to fasten (onto), to clamp (onto)," seemingly originally, "grab or fasten onto with 2 fingers or with 2 pointed objects"), with words in the West Germanic dialects/languages derived from this form meaning "to pluck, to pull, to pick, to grab, to divide something in half (that is, into two parts), to catch or take hold of, to pinch." The Old English verb form was "twiccian" meaning "to pluck, to pick, to take hold of," and this then became "twicchen," meaning "to pluck, to pull," "totwicchen," meaning "to pull apart, to pull into pieces," and "twikken" meaning "to pluck, to pull, to tug." "Twicchen/totwicchen" became "twitch" with the meaning "a quick, usually involuntary, muscle spasm (like a pulling or tugging feeling)," and the verb form meaning "for a muscle to produce such a quick pulling, tugging feeling." "Twikken" produced "tweak" circa 1600, meaning "to pinch or tug on with a fast twisting motion (usually in reference to the nose or cheek)." Some relatives in the other West Germanic languages: German has the verb "zwicken" ("to pinch"), noun "Zwicke" ("a pinch, a tweak"), Low German had? has? verb "twicken/twikken" ("to pinch, to squeeze"), Dutch has "twikken" ((to pinch, to squeeze"). I could not find a form in Frisian. 

 

^ There doesn't seem to have been forms in North or East Germanic from this specific verb. English is West Germanic. Understand, there were other, related, forms in Old Germanic that derived from the Indo European form.   

Mimosa Cocktail

This cocktail uses sparkling wine, likely the best known of which are French Champagne, Italian Prosecco and Asti Spumante, Spanish Cava and German/Austrian Sekt. I tend to use Asti Spumante, but once you select your sparkling wine, all you need is orange juice, and you can use the ready-made type in a carton, mix up some frozen or get yourself some oranges and make totally fresh OJ. It's best to have both the wine and the orange juice chilled when making this drink, which is often served in champagne glasses, but you won't be shot at sunrise if you use other types of glasses, except sunglasses. haha The drink name, "Mimosa," comes from a type of yellow flower known by that name in common usage, but which confusingly is also used for another unrelated flower. The yellow flowers and the drink's yellow color is the common point.    

 

Ingredients (per cocktail):

 

1 part sparkling wine (I use Asti Spumante) 

1 part orange juice

 

Chill both the sparkling wine and orange juice; thus, you don't need ice cubes, which likely would cut into the "sparkling" part of the wine. Add the sparkling wine to the glass(es) first (tilt the glass when adding the wine, so as not to cause too much foaming. Then  

DO NOT STIR, as that will dissipate some of the "fizz." 

WORD HISTORY:

Broad (noun)-From the adjective ^ (thus, of Germanic derivation) in the mid 1600s in the Norfolk region of eastern England, meaning "a river that expands to a shallow lake in flat land," but by the mid 1700s the word itself had broadened into use for the "wide part of things." The early part of the 1900s saw the word used to mean "woman," but exactly why this meaning developed is uncertain, although it could have been a shortening of "abroadwife," a word from the days of slavery, which meant "a married slave woman who worked on one plantation, while her husband worked on a different plantation." This also carried a further meaning of "an immoral woman;" thus also, "a prostitute." "Women with wide hips" may have also been part of the continued development of the word, but "broad" used for "woman" has always had a negative, derogatory sense to it. German has the related "Breite," "Low German has "Breedd," West Frisian has "breed," Dutch has "breedte," Danish has "bredde," Icelandic has "breidd," Norwegian has "bredde" and Swedish has "bredd," all of which mean "width, breadth," but none of these carries the meaning, to my knowledge, of "woman," in any slang form.       

 

^ For the history of the adjective "broad," here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/05/chicken-la-king.html

Haitian Cornflour Drink, Porridge or Pudding: Akasan

Akasan is a thickened drink made with cornflour, which is NOT to be confused with cornstarch, which is also called cornflour in some cultures, nor is it quite the same as the cornmeal typically used in the U.S. to make cornbread or mush or to make polenta in Italian cuisine. If you don't have cornflour, it should be easily found in supermarkets in the flour and meal section, or it might be in the Latino section, and you won't need to take out a loan to buy it, as it is reasonably priced. It also comes in various size bags, like 4 1/2 pounds down to 1 1/2 pounds, and it is sold under at least a couple of  brand names. It will naturally also be easily found in Latino grocery stores. Rather than a drink, some call Akasan a porridge, and I've also seen it referred to as a pudding (keep reading). Akasan is a common drink in Haiti, while often served somewhat chilled, it can also be enjoyed warm. Just to be clear too, you use canned EVAPORATED milk, NOT canned sweetened condensed milk. This was the first time I ever made this, and it is easy to make, although you need to whisk it a lot to prevent lumps. One of the reasons human beings put various types of flour or meal into liquids is to help thicken them. Understand, because this is made with cornflour, if you give it more than a little chill, it will firm up a good deal, and you will find out why those who call it a pudding use that term. In that case, you can eat it with a spoon, which is just fine, or you can try adding some milk to thin it out, but it will likely be lumpy. After I looked at many recipes for akasan, I decided to use the smallest amount of cornflour, which will also help to keep it from getting too thick. You can, of course, use a little more cornflour (like 2/3 cup, instead of 1/2 cup) and then eat the thickened dish as a porridge while it is still warm. I suggest making just enough to enjoy relatively fast. As I mentioned, this was the first time I made this, so I'm learning too. 

 

When the drink was invented is unknown, and where its name comes from is also something of a mystery, although the "san" part is thought to be from the French-based creole language of Haiti and means "one hundred." Haitian creole is heavily based upon French, but with many influences from African languages, native Amerindian dialects, Spanish and Portuguese, and it seems to have developed into its modern recognizable form around 1700.

 

 

Ingredients (3 or 4 large, or 4 to 6 smaller servings):

 

1/2 cup cornflour (the flour type, not the larger grain type)

2 1/2 cups water

3 star anise

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (depending upon your preference for cinnamon)

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 to 6 tablespoons sugar, depending upon desired sweetness 

Use a heavy bottom pan, and bring 1 1/2 cups of the water, star anise, cinnamon, and salt to a boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup water with the cornflour to make a kind of batter. Slowly begin adding the cornflour mixture to the boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent lumps or to break up any lumps that form. Reduce the heat to low or very low and continue whisking as the mixture cooks for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let the cornflour stick. If it begins to stick, remove it from the heat immediately and keep stirring, then put it back on the heat (adjust the heat to the lowest setting). Take out the 3 star anise and add the evaporated milk, vanilla extract and sugar, stirring well to mix everything together and then remove from the heat. You can serve this right away while warm, or you can put it into the refrigerator for an hour or so to just chill it a bit before serving (see above about chilling).

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cent-This word is closely related to "centurion" and to "percent," both borrowed by English from Latin (see further below about "percent"), and to "century," a Latin word, "probably" borrowed from that language, but with French influence or reinforcement, although perhaps the other way around, and to "decade," a word borrowed from French, which had it from Latin, which had it from Greek, and it is distantly related to both "hundred" and to "ten," words from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "dekm," which meant "ten," and its altered form "kmtom," which meant "hundred." This gave Latin "centum," with the same meaning, and this was rendered in Latin-based Old French as "cent." English seems to have first used "cent" in the mid 1500s^ from the expression "per centum" ("by the hundred"), but with the form "cent," presumably from the French form, which gave English "per cent," then combined into "percent," which led the meaning to "a one hundredth part of something." The 1780s saw "cent" by itself proposed for a monetary unit in the United States to represent "one hundredth of a dollar."

 

^ I say "seems" because many sources on "cent" have different times the word entered English, with some mentioning the 1300s (with the meaning "hundred," but it certainly had little, if any, chance of replacing the native English word "hundred") and others later, including the example I used above. Some say the earlier form was from Latin, others say it was from French, and with a number of Latin-based words borrowed into English, at times it is tough to tell the exact source, as the French forms are similar or even the same. I'm getting along in years, and I don't know how much time I still have, but I'm not going to spend it in consternation over whether English borrowed "cent" in the 1300s, the 1400s or the 1500s. I chose the 1500 example, because that is apparently when the word took on the meaning still with us today.       

Peppermint Patty Cocktail: Hot or Cold

This is a great chocolatey and minty cocktail, either hot or cold. You can certainly make these without alcohol for children, or for adults who don't drink alcohol, by using some peppermint essence in chocolate milk. You can adjust the amount of ingredients depending upon the size of the glass you use.

 

Ingredients for about a 6 ounce drink:

 

4 ounces milk

1 or 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 ounce peppermint schnapps 

1 ounce creme de cacao

whipped cream for topping

peppermint patty, chopped

 

For hot: heat the milk, but do not boil. Pour into a cup or mug, add the chocolate syrup and stir well to mix it in, then add the peppermint schnapps and creme de cacao and stir to mix; top with whipped cream and pieces of peppermint patty.  For cold: use good cold milk, add the chocolate syrup, peppermint schnapps, creme de cacao and a few ice cubes; stir well; top with whipped cream and chopped peppermint patty.

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Dull-This word is related to "dust," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "fume," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French. It goes back to Indo European "dheu/dhew," which meant "vapor, smoke, dust." This seemingly produced the variant "dhewel," which meant "dim, cloudy, hazy." This gave Old Germanic "dulaz," meaning, "foolish, dulled in the mind, confused, mad/crazy." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "dol" meaning "foolish," which then became "dul," and "dull." The idea of "foolish" led to "not sharp in the mind;" thus, in reference to objects, "blunt, without sharpness," and later to "not exciting, boring." (Note: In Old English "dol" was also used as a noun meaning "foolishness, stupidity.") The verb form seems to date from circa 1200 and was tied to many of the adjectival meanings; thus eventually settling on: "to lessen the sharpness of something of physical objects and of the senses or mind of living things, to lessen the brightness of something, to dim or obscure in some manner, to reduce activity." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "toll," meaning "crazy, mad," but also in every day speech "great, fantastic," as in : "Es ist eine tolle Party" ("It's a great party"),^ Low German at least had "dul," but I'm uncertain about a truly modern form, North Frisian has "dull/doll," but I didn't find a modern West Frisian form, Dutch has "dol" (mad, crazy, wild), Icelandic has "dulinn" (disguised, concealed), Swedish once had "dul/dol."

 

^ German "toll" meaning "great, super," is an example of how generally negative words can sometimes be used for positive emphasis, as in, "Dinner was awfully good," doesn't mean the dinner was bad, it means it was VERY good.  

North German Hot & Cold Anglian Mug: Angler Muck (Heiß und Kalt )

This drink is from the northern section of the Schleswig part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, from an area called "Angeln," near the border with Denmark, with the Baltic Sea lying off its east coast. The "general area" had been the home of the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that sailed off to Britain centuries ago, settled there, and helped to found England, the name of which, as well as the name of the language that developed there from various Germanic dialects, are derived from the Angles. 

There are two versions of "Angler Muck," one that is served hot (German: heiß/heiss), which is good for winter, and one that is served cold (German: kalt), which makes it good for summer. "Korn," a very popular north German grain alcohol or brandy is the alcohol most often used for the cold drink, but you can substitute vodka and I don't think they'll punch you in the "mug" (see Word History below).There is actually a special ceramic mug in Germany for the hot drink (see photo below for an example), which is often kept warm on a small warmer called a "Stövchen," a word taken from Low German into standard German and also a close relative of English "stove," and literally translated as "little stove." They are typically heated with a candle.

 

Ingredients for the cold Angler Muck:

 

1 part vodka or clear grain alcohol/brandy

1 part lemonade

1 part club soda/sparkling water

ice cubes

 

Make the lemonade to your own recipe and sweetness/tartness preference. The club soda/unflavored sparkling water gives the lemonade some evfer.... ah, efverves... ah, bubbles. 

 

The recipe for the hot version of Angler Muck is: heat together 1 pint of rum and 1 pint of water (do not boil). As the liquid heats, add 4 tablespoons sugar and 6 to 8 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (your own taste preference). Stir to mix and dissolve the sugar. Serve hot.

 

 Cold Angler Muck ...

 

Mug for the hot Angler Muck; the Angler Muck Pott ...

About this photo, see: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mucktopf.jpg#file

 

WORD HISTORY:

Mug-The origin of this word is unknown, but it shows up in English in the mid 1500s as the word for "a bowl, cup or earthenware jug with a handle." Germanic relatives of English had forms of the word, and it's very likely that the word came to English either through Low German, which has "muck," as well as "mukke" and "mugge" (Note: Low German is not a standard language, but rather a series of dialects, so often there is more than one spelling for a word, or even a different word all together. Low German often has been referred to as a dialect of German, but many linguists have come to assign Low German its own designation as a separate language. It is "similar" to its close cousins Dutch, Frisian and English, but it also bears many similarities to its cousin (standard) German and to German dialects, but with several differences.) It is also possible that "mug" came to English via Danish or Norwegian "mugge" (one of the Low German forms, "mugge," is perhaps just a coincidence, or it could have been picked up from Danish, which is nearby, or even from Norwegian, which isn't that far away; then again, it might have been the reverse). By the way, Swedish has "mugg" and Dutch has "mok" (West Frisian "mok?" If so, from Dutch?). Old English had "muga," which meant "haystack, heaped up corn (grain)," but whether this is related to "mug" is unclear. Mugs of old often were made into designs of faces, and this seems to be the source of "mug" being used as a slang word for "face." This idea then was applied to photos in the second half of the 1800s, when photography became popular; thus, "mugshot," for a "person's facial photo in police records." Since a person's face is "who we are," likely this lies behind the notion of "mug" being used for a person, usually a man, and often a person of bad repute (likely from the added idea of being known to police), and the further idea of "mug" for usually a man, but further "a stupid man," seemingly from thieves jargon for a "man stupid enough to get caught and thus have a record with law enforcement." The verb form "mug" is from circa 1825 and its use in fist fighting, boxing, for "hit someone in the mug (face)," and this expanded in meaning by the mid 1800s to "a physical attack on a person with the intent to rob them."    

Rosemary Sloe Gin Fizz

About 50 years ago sloe gin was a common liqueur in American bars and restaurants. Back then a "sloe gin fizz" was known all over the U.S., even though not everyone made it the same way, as I recall, with some adding club soda to the sloe gin, while others added either Sprite or ginger ale. Nowadays it's still around, but when I went to the liquor store to buy a bottle recently, I had to explain to the clerk what I meant, because I didn't immediately see it on the shelves. She finally got the drift, but she too had a hard time locating it; so, you might say the whole thing was a "sloe" process. Obviously sloe gin is not as well known today. By the way, "sloe" is pronounced like "slow." Sloe gin typically has an alcohol content of 25% to 30%. For a little more, see the "Word History," below.     

I'm not much for shaken and strained drinks, so I use a tall glass with some ice cubes. Of course, you can always adjust the amounts to suit your own taste.

Ingredients (per drink): 

 

1 1/2 to 2 ounces sloe gin

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 ounces rosemary syrup*

club soda (fresh, with lots of fizzzzzzz)

ice cubes

rosemary for garnish

 

In a tall glass (10 to 12 ounce), add the sloe gin, lemon juice, rosemary syrup, then stir well. Add some ice cubes, but don't fill the glass with ice. Add the club soda to nearly fill, then carefully stir a little to mix (if the soda is really fizzy, the drink may bubble up or even run over, so be careful). Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. (You: Hey, what's that stem with the green needles?  Me: That's rosemary.  You: What's that little stem with needles next to it?  Me: That's "rosemary's baby." YIKES!)    

* Real easy to make, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/herbal-syrup-rosemary.html

 

WORD HISTORY:

Sloe-This word is distantly related to "livid," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English via French. "Sloe" goes back to Indo European "sleihuo," which had the notion "blue, bluish, dark blue/purple." This gave Old Germanic "slaihon/slaihwon," which meant "sloe, the dark blue fruit/berry of  the blackthorn bush/small tree." (Note: Blackthorn bushes are related to hawthorns and plum trees, among many others.) The Germanic form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "slah" (long a), with the same meaning, and this then became "sla," then "slo," before the modern form. The sloe berry is a tart, mouth-drying fruit that is common to parts of Europe, especially to England. The English began adding alcohol, one of those being gin, and sweetener to the berries and this became "sloe gin." Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Schlehe," Low German once had "sle," Dutch has "slee," but now more commonly used in the compound "sleedoorn," literally "sloethorn," as the hedge-like bush has many thorns, Danish has "slåen," Norwegian has "slåpe," but now used in the compound "slåpetorn" (sloethorn), Swedish has "slån," more common in the compound "slånbär" (sloe berry), Icelandic "sló" (?).    

Black Russian/White Russian Cocktails

The "Black Russian Cocktail" did not originate in Russia, nor was it invented by a Russian; rather, it was invented in Brussels, Belgium by a Belgian bartender, Gustave Tops. He (supposedly) made the drink to honor the American ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta, a womens' rights activist appointed to the job by President Harry Truman. The "Russian" part of the name is simply because it contains vodka, which has long been associated with Russia. The "Black" part is from the coffee liqueur. * While it seems Donald Trump doesn't drink alcohol ... Hold it!... With his behavior now, can you imagine if he had some booze too? Anyhow, if Trump drank cocktails, I'm sure he'd say something like, "I like any drink that has the name 'Russian' in it, but you're not going to get me to drink a 'Black Russian;' I prefer a 'White Russian,' and don't forget, I'm the least racist guy you've ever known." I've read some possible origins of the "White Russian," but it's really unclear to me when and where the cocktail came about, although like the "Black Russian," the "Russian" part  seems to be in reference to the vodka component of the drink. The name "White Russian" is simply because of the cream used, rather than any reference to what used to be called "White Russia" until more modern times, when much of that area became "Belarus."** Anyway, forget about the history and enjoy these drinks.  

Ingredients:

2 parts vodka
1 part Kahlua
(optional) maraschino cherry for garnish
ice

Pour the vodka and Kahlua into a short glass (Old Fashioned glass type), stir and fill with ice.
For a "White Russian," do the same, but float some cream on top; although some people stir in the cream. 

* The basic information is from "Liquor.com," and an article from September 8, 2010, with contributions from Gary Regan.

** Many English speakers called it "White Russia," although some called it by its transliterated Russian form "Byelorussia." 

White Russian

Black Russian

WORD HISTORY:
Float-This word and its relatives could take pages to explain, but it is related to "fly" and to "flow," both words from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "pleu" (extended form "pleud"), which meant, "to flow, to run (of water/fluids), to stream." This gave Old Germanic "flotanan," which meant, "to float, to swim," which seemingly had a variant or dialectal form "flutanan/fleutanan."^ This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) the verb "flotian" meaning, "to float." This later became "floten/flotten," with the same meaning, but also added the secondary meaning, "to drift in the air," from the notion of "swimming/floating in water." There were a couple of nouns in Old English derived from the same Germanic source: "flot," meaning, "the sea;" "flota," meaning, "ship" (a vessel that 'floats' on the sea), but also "a group of ships" (fleet^^). These then became the noun "float" (1100 to 1200?) originally meaning, "the act of floating in water" (a meaning since taken over by the derived "floating"); thus also, "swimming," then also, "group of ships (a fleet, later a meaning taken over by "fleet"), then in the early 1300s also, "device used on a fishing line for buoyancy" (a meaning still very much in use); then in the second half of the 1500s, "a raft, barge, flat bottomed boat," which seems to have provided the later meaning, "decorated vessel/vehicle used in a parade" (circa 1890); and "scoop of ice cream in soda pop" (circa 1915 to 1920). There are many relatives of "float" in the other Germanic languages,^^^ for instance, Dutch "vlieten" (run/flow), vlot/vlotten (verb, "to float"), vlotten (noun, "a float"), vlot (noun, "raft, float"), Icelandic "flot" (noun, "act of floating/flotation"), Swedish "flyta" (verb, "to flow/run, float"), Danish "flyde" (verb, "to flow, to float, to swim"), Norwegian "flytende" (adjective, "flowing, fluid"); for German and Low German examples, see 'note ^' below.      

^ The variant/dialectal Old Germanic form "flutanan/fleutanan" gave Old English the verb "fleotan," which also meant "to float, to swim, to stream or flow." The basic Old Germanic word had other slight variations, and this makes it very hard to separate out some of the direct ancestors of the words that developed in the Germanic languages; for example in English, "fleet" ("group of ships," German has "Flotte," Low German has "Flott," and there are forms in other Germanic languages), "flow" (German has "fließen"), "flee" (German has "fliehen"), although they are all closely related.    

^^ "Fleet," "a group of ships," is also closely related to "float," as is the adjective "fleet," meaning, "swift, fast moving," both forms are from Germanic.

^^^ Forms in Latin-based languages are borrowed from Germanic.       

Tequila Drink: Bahia Breeze Cocktail

This cocktail is easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 ounces golden tequila
4 ounces pineapple juice
2 ounces cranberry juice
ice
lime garnish

Fill a tall glass about two-thirds of the way with ice. Add the golden tequila, pineapple juice and cranberry juice. Garnish with lime.

WORD HISTORY:
Halm-This word, also spelled "haulm," is distantly related through Indo European to "calamari." It goes back to Indo European "kolehmos," which meant "reed;" thus also, "grain shaft, stem, stalk."  This gave Old Germanic "halma," with the same meanings.^ This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "healm," meaning, "stalk of a plant, straw." This then became "halm." At some point, the word also took on the meaning "part of a horse collar or harness," but why is unclear. German has "Halm," meaning, "stem/stalk of a plant, straw," but which is also often used as a shortened form of "Trinkhalm;" that is, "drinking straw"), Low German "Halm," meaning, "plant stem or stalk," Dutch "halm," meaning "plant stalk or stem," Icelandic "hálmur," meaning, "straw," Danish, Norwegian and Swedish "halm," all meaning, "straw." English also has the term "culm" for "the hollow stalk of a flowering cereal plant," but this is a term pretty much confined to botanists. It is from Latin "culmus," meaning, "plant stalk," which Latin borrowed from Greek and which has the same Indo European ancestor as English "halm/haulm."  

^ The Germanic pronunciation emphasized the "h" sound, while Greek, which also had a form of the word, emphasized the "k."

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

As to the history of this cocktail, I found only a reference to it being invented in the 1970s.

Curaçao, pronounced as if, "cure-ah-sow" (the last rhyming with "how"), is an orange flavored liqueur made from the peel of a type of bitter orange grown on the island of that same name. The island lies in the very southern part of the Caribbean, not far off the coast of Venezuela. Curaçao, the island, has a long history with the Netherlands; and indeed, it is a component country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The name "Curaçao" apparently goes back to a form of the word from the native inhabitants of the island. "Curaçao" (the island) was then taken over by the Spanish, but often used by Portuguese ships as a stopping place from the first half of the 1500s, and "apparently" it was the Portuguese who adapted the word to the Portuguese spelling. The Dutch came to the island during the 1600s and they have been there ever since.   

Now, you won't be condemned to death, if you don't have blue curaçao, but it is this specific drink that gives the cocktail its color and name; however, you can use triple sec. Blue curaçao "should" be available at your local liquor store, or supermarket, and it's not terribly expensive, although I'm sure there are more expensive brand names. I get mine from a neighborhood beverage store and it's only $7 a bottle. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces blue curaçao
2 to 4 ounces lemonade (store bought or homemade*)
1 slice orange, halved 
ice 

A tall glass is best for this cocktail. Fill the glass two-thirds of the way with ice. Add the vodka, then the blue curaçao, then top off with lemonade. Put a half slice of orange into the cocktail and fix the other half slice of orange to the rim of the glass.

* For lemonade: bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add 2/3 cup sugar and the peel of 1 lemon; stir to make sure the sugar dissolves completely. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it sit for about 20 minutes to cool a little, then add 1 cup crushed ice. In a pitcher, add 3/4 cup lemon juice

WORD HISTORY:
Today-This compound is simply the combination of "to"^ and "day,"^^ but its true written form as one word is only from a little over a century ago, as it was long written as two words or, later, in hyphenated form. English once also had "heodæg" as a synonymous form, which meant, "this day, (of/on) this day." The close relative of "heodæg" is German "heute" (meaning, "today"), both of which are from the same Old Germanic form of two words, "hiu dagu," meaning, "this day," and which became "hiu tagu" in the high dialects. The Old High German form was "hiutu," which later became "hiute." The Old Germanic form "hiu" became the basis for modern English "he." 

^ For the history of the word "to" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/04/wiener-schnitzel-fried-veal-cutlet.html


^^ For the history of the word "day" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/04/german-meatballs-in-caper-sauce.html 

Dirty Martini

The history of the Martini is uncertain, although it seems to date to the mid 1800s and the days of the "California Gold Rush." Some "claims" to the beginning of the famous cocktail have connections to the city of Martinez, California, in the San Francisco area, with one claim being that the drink was invented in Martinez, and another claim being that it was invented in San Francisco for a man on his way to nearby Martinez. Of course, the name supposedly was taken from the city and eventually morphed into "Martini." Another theory has the drink named for the brand name of one of its component parts, "Martini & Rossi" Vermouth, which had the name shortened to simply "Martini" for the drink. Olives were a common garnish for a martini and later some of the brine was added to the drink, which made it a bit murky; thus, "the Dirty Martini." Some say this version of the martini started in New York City.    

When I went to buy some olives, I decided to go to a place that stuffs their own olives, of which they have quite a number of varieties. I asked the clerk about every variety and after a lengthy explanation by her, I took a a small of number of the pimento stuffed olives. She seemed a little miffed that after all of her explanations, I hadn't bought much, and when I commented how it's so interesting that her shop stuffs their own olives, she handed me a pitted olive and said, "Here... take this olive and stuff it!" I answered, "But you haven't given me anything to stuff it with," which drew her reply of, "You don't get it." By damn, I didn't get it and I still don't!

I'm not a big fan of gin, so I often use vodka for such drinks. I'm also not much for strained drains, so I prefer to have them on the rocks; that is, the drink is served over ice cubes in a glass. 


Ingredients (per drink):

3 ounces of gin (or vodka)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce olive brine
2 stuffed olives
 
You can put the gin, vermouth and olive brine into a mixing cup, stir, strain into a glass and garnish with a couple of olives in the glass or on a pick. Or you can put the gin, vermouth, olive brine and olives into a glass with ice cubes, stir and serve. 

WORD HISTORY:
Vermouth/Wormwood-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, although it is assumed to be a compound, with the first part being related to "worm," or perhaps to "warm." The word "vermouth" is really just a form of the word "wormwood," the common English name for an herbal plant used in certain medicines and in the production of the alcoholic beverage "absinthe." The word "absinthe" is from the scientific botanical name of the wormwood plant. The word "wormwood" goes back to West Germanic, but again, what the West Germanic form was is unknown. Old English had dialectal forms "wermod" and "wormod," which then became "wermode," before the modern form "wormwood." Old High German had "wermuota" (meaning, "wormwood"), which then became "wermuot" and finally modern "Wermut." French borrowed the word from German as "vermout," and then "vermouth," which was used for a type of white wine flavored with wormwood herb. English borrowed the word "vermouth" from French in the early 1800s, with the same meaning. As I mentioned above, the first part of the word has long been associated by many with "worm," and the connection seems to be that the wormwood herb was used to treat people with worms (I would assume that was a common problem centuries ago). On the other hand, some have associated the first part with "warm," with the connection being the "warmth" brought on by consuming wormwood; and indeed, it was also used to induce sweating. Other West Germanic relatives: Low German "Wörm," Dutch "vermout" (seemingly borrowed from either French or English), and as already mentioned, German "Wermut."

Mudslide Cocktail

No question about it, this drink has a good many calories, but you can save some calories by cutting down on the ice cream and replacing it with crushed ice, but it naturally won't be as creamy. This cocktail was supposedly invented in the Cayman Islands in the 1950s.

Ingredients (about 6 servings):

3 ounces vodka
3 ounces coffee flavored liqueur
3 ounces Irish cream liqueur
48 ounce carton of vanilla ice cream (or 14 to 16 ounce carton and 4 large scoops crushed ice)
4 tablespoons chocolate syrup (+ more for serving)
grated or shaved chocolate for serving
whipped cream for serving

Add everything except the grated/shaved chocolate and whipped cream to a blender. Blend until the ice cream is well mixed with the other ingredients. Pour into glasses, top each with whipped cream, drizzle some chocolate syrup over the whipped cream and then sprinkle on some grated or shaved chocolate. Another way to make this, is to use chocolate ice cream, and then skip adding the chocolate syrup to the blender, but you will still need some chocolate syrup for each serving, used as above.   

WORD HISTORY: 
Mud-This word is distantly related to "moss," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "meu," which had the notion, "moist, damp, musty," and its extended form "meut," which added the meaning, "dirty, impure;" thus also, "decaying." This gave Old Germanic "mud(d)," meaning, "soft, moist earth," which then gave Low German "modder," meaning, "mud," which then became "mudde." This was borrowed by English circa 1400. It seems odd that no form of the word "mud" has been identified in Old English, although Old English "fenn," which became modern "fen," meant "mud," besides "wet land, marshy land," the meaning that has continued into modern times. Perhaps "fenn" overtook an unrecorded form of the word "mud," only later to have English borrow a form from its close cousin Low German? Anyway, relatives of "mud" in the other Germanic languages: German has "Moder," meaning, "wet and muddy land, moldiness," but this was taken from Low German (in about 1400?), but German also has "Modder," which means "mud," but it too was taken from the Low German form (apparently in the 1800s), as well as the adjective  "modderig," which means "muddy," and another adjective, "modrig" (long "o"), which means, "moist," but also, "to smell spoiled or decayed." Low German has "Mudd," meaning "mud." Low German does not have a standard form, as it is a collection of dialects, and thus it also has "Modder," also meaning, "mud," Dutch has "modder," meaning, "mud, sludge," Swedish has "modd," meaning, "slushy snow," West Frisian has "modder," meaning "mud," Danish "mudder," meaning, "mud."       

Mojito Cocktail

This drink was invented in Cuba, although exactly where and when in Cuba is disputed, but "possibly" as long ago as the second half of the 1500s. A couple of these and I was speaking Spanish to my neighbors, who are Spanish and English speakers from Puerto Rico. The problem is, I don't speak Spanish, and what's worse, they seemed to understand me! Hm, if I drink Stoli vodka, maybe I'll be able to speak Russian so I can tell Vladimir Putin, "You're a no good pile of horse dung."  

Ingredients:

2 ounces white rum
juice of 4 lime wedges
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, to your preferred taste
10 mint leaves
club soda to fill
ice

I used a tall glass, but you can certainly use a smaller glass and adjust the amount of the ingredients. If you prefer not to have the ice cubes in the glass, you can use a shaker and strain the cocktail into a glass. Rinse and dry the lime before cutting into wedges. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedges and then mix in the sugar. Rub the mint leaves a bit in your hand to help them release their essence and add them to the lime/sugar mixture. Add the rum, stir briefly and add the ice then fill the remaining glass space with club soda. Mix in the squeezed lime wedges. You can garnish with lime and/or a sprig of mint. 

WORD HISTORY:
Poncho-This word for a "type of cloak that slips over the head" goes back to Araucanian^ "pontho," which meant, "cloth/cloak made of wool." This was borrowed by Spanish as "poncho," which was then borrowed by English in the early 1700s. By the mid 1800s, American English added the meaning, "waterproof garment slipped over the head." 

^  "Araucanian" is an Amerindian language family of South America, primarily in Chile.  

Mango Margarita with Tajin

One of the most famous cocktails in the world, the "Margarita," has an unclear history. According to the online site of the Smithsonian Institution, the time and place of the invention of the Margarita is not really known, but with one possible inventor in the late 1930s being from the Mexican city of Tijuana, located just over the Mexico-US border, south of California. Margarita's are made with tequila, a type of alcohol distilled from the blue agave plant, which is native to parts of Mexico, as well as to parts of the US southwest and Central and South America. Over time, variations to Margaritas have developed, and this one with mango is great. In this recipe, I've also used "agave nectar" to sweeten the drink. This nectar is now pretty common in supermarkets and certainly in Latino shops, so it's easy to find, but you can certainly substitute the "similar tasting" honey for the nectar. Some people put the Mango Margarita mixture into the freezer, where it takes on a "slushy" texture, but it won't completely freeze due to the alcohol. You can also just blend the mixture with ice cubes to give a similar effect, as I've done here. This is sooooooo good!    

Ingredients (per drink):

2 ounces tequila
1 ounce triple sec
1/2 cup mango pieces
juice of half a lime
2 to 3 tablespoons agave nectar (depending upon the sweetness of the mango) 
tajin seasoning for the rim of the glass*
1 to 1 1/4 cup ice

Use a piece of lime and run it over the top and outside rim of the glass. Put some tajin seasoning onto a small plate and then dip the rim of the glass into the seasoning. Tilt the glass and move the outside rim of the glass around in the tajin to coat it. Put all of the remaining ingredients into a blender, but start with 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (or honey). Blend for about 30 seconds, then taste the mixture and add the amount of agave nectar to match your preferred taste, before you blend some more. Don't be afraid to blend for another few seconds, then taste, and add more nectar, if needed, and blend again. There's no law saying you can only blend this once or twice; the "Mango Margarita Police" won't get you. Add some ice to the glass, pour in the mango margarita and a small sprig of mint is good for a garnish. I grow my own peppermint, so I use it. LOVE IT! I've got to go, a car shaped like a mango just pulled up and it's got "MMP" on the side. DAMN! "MMP" means "Mango Margarita Police!" 

* "Tajin" is a dry Mexican seasoning of lime, salt and ground chilies. It has a spicy, tart flavor, but it is not overly "hot." It is available in many supermarkets, Latino markets or spice shops. 

WORD HISTORY:
Mallow (Marshmallow)-The origin of this word for a particular genus of plant is not completely known, although it "may" be from a Middle Eastern source. Ancient Greek had transliterated "maláche" and Latin had "malva," but they seem to have borrowed the word separately^ and the Greeks and the Romans  picked up a number of words from the general area of the Middle East. The Latin word was borrowed into many European languages, including English, long ago, as Old English had "mealwe," as a name for these plants. This then evolved into modern "mallow." "Marshmallows" are so called, because the sap of the mallow plant was originally used to make these sweet, puffy confections, and the plants usually grow in and around marshes, and this was a common name for the plant in English, which prevailed among the English people, rather than the developing scientific term from Latin "malva."     

^ Latin borrowed a number of words from Greek, but "malva" does not appear to be one of them.   

Piña Colada

Back in the late 1970s, singer and songwriter Rupert Holmes released a song with the lyrics, "If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain..." Well, the name of the song upon its original release had nothing to do with "piña coladas," because its was called, "Escape." We in the public knew the song because of its reference to piña coladas, and so the record company and Holmes amended the song title to, "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)." The song and the drink were VERY popular!

The "Piña Colada," which literally means, "strained pineapple" (see Word History, below) was invented in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. As with many a popular invention, there is not total agreement as to this drink's naming, or more precisely, when the drink was given its enduring name. This is a very tough drink to make, as it will require you to be able to pour liquid, add ice cubes and then.... to push a button on a blender to make the blender operate, and then... to push another button to make the blender stop. There are college degrees issued for being able to do these difficult maneuvers, but unfortunately, I flunked out. I kept pushing the wrong buttons and it took me most of a semester to find out the buttons that operate the lights in the room are not the buttons that operate the blender. They have to make things complicated. Damn! And I wondered why the lights kept going off and on. 

Ingredients (per drink):

2 ounces light (white) rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
2 ounces coconut cream
pineapple chunks
maraschino cherries
1 cup ice cubes

Put the rum, the pineapple juice, the coconut cream and the ice cubes into a blender. Blend until smooth. Garnish with pineapple chunks or slices and a maraschino cherry or two. You can adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your own taste. Hey! The lights just went out. Well, habits are hard to break. Cheers!
 
I've seen all kinds of glasses used over the years for Piña Coladas (short, tall, squat, narrow), so use what you have or what you think makes a nice presentation, if you are serving guests.

WORD HISTORY:
Colander-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, and part of even its later history is a little shaky. It goes back to the Latin noun "colum," a type of "woven wicker basket or fishing net used for fishing." This brought about the additional meaning, "sieve," and produced the verb "colare," "to strain or to put liquid through a sieve." This produced Latin "colatorium." This passed into Latin-based languages of the western Mediterranean in various forms, but while English borrowed a number of words from Latin-based French, this does not seem to be one of them. It was borrowed by English in the 1300s, "perhaps" from Spanish or Catalan "colador," but with an "n" inserted because of either misunderstanding or easier pronunciation in those times? It had several spellings in English originally, all with an "n" ("coloner," "cullender," for example).       

Cuban Bul: Refreshing Beer Cocktail

This is a popular refreshing Cuban beer cocktail. It is super easy to make.

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

2  12 ounce bottles or cans of light colored beer, like a lager or pilsner
2  12 ounce cans of ginger ale
juice of 3 limes
1/4 cup sugar
ice cubes
pitcher & glasses
lime slices for garnish

Empty the beer and ginger ale into a pitcher. Add the lime juice and sugar and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Fill some glasses with ice cubes and pour in the drink mixture. Garnish with a slice of lime.

WORD HISTORY:
Cinch-This word goes back to Indo European "kenk," which had the notion, "to encircle, to put a ring around something with the intent to bind." This gave Latin "cingere," which meant, "to encircle," which produced the Latin noun, "cingulum," meaning, "belt, girdle, sword belt." This gave Latin-based Spanish "cincha," meaning, "belt, girdle," used in Mexican Spanish for a "a saddle strap or belt for horses." This was borrowed by American English in the 1850s with that meaning. A verb form developed from the noun in the 1860s and meaning, "to fit with a belt or girdle, to tighten with a belt to make secure." By circa 1890, the idea of "securing" produced the verb meaning, "to make certain," and "a certainly, something easily accomplished," for another noun meaning.   

Mexican Rice Drink: Horchata

"Horchata," pronounced as if, "ore-chahtah," with the "ch" pronounced liked the "ch" of Charles, was taken to Spain by the Moors of northern Africa,* and the drink became well established in the Valencia region, where it eventually spread throughout much of Spain. The Moors and the Spaniards used "tiger nuts" ** to make the drink, a tradition that has continued to this day. Spanish colonizers took the drink along to Spain's vast colonial realm where it also caught on in various places. Instead of tiger nuts, people in the Spanish colonies brought about the use of a number of substitute ingredients for the preparation of Horchata, including in Mexico, where rice, sometimes mixed with almonds, became the common substitute, and it has remained so right up to the present.  

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar (I found 2/3 cup to be too sweet, but you may prefer the sweeter taste)
5 cups cold water
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
(optional) little pinch of ground cinnamon to garnish each serving

Put rice, cold water and cinnamon sticks into a blender. Blend for about 1 minute, until the cinnamon sticks are broken up, but this will be strained, so don't worry about getting this totally ground up. Cover and set the mixture in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. Get a pitcher and a fine sieve. Strain the mixture into the pitcher. Dispose of the strained solids. Add the milk, the vanilla and the sugar, stir well to dissolve the sugar. Serve in glasses filled with ice cubes. If you'd like, you can dust the top of each serving with a little ground cinnamon, and then you can play James Taylor's, "Mexico" .... "Ohhhhh, Mexico...It sounds so simple, I just got to go..."

* The Moors were a Berber people of northern and western Africa who formed the vast bulk of Muslim invaders of the Iberian Peninsula beginning in the 700s.

** "Tiger nuts" are not really nuts at all, but rather they are small round parts of the root system of a plant called "yellow nutsedge." 

WORD HISTORY:
Cull-This is the verb, as the noun is not in common usage. It is related to "collect," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English. "Cull" goes back to Indo European "leg," which had the notion "to gather, to collect, to pick;" thus also, "select, choose." This gave Latin "lego," which meant "select, appoint," which produced the verb "legere," meaning, "to gather, to collect." It was given a prefix from Indo European "kom," which meant, "near, by, with," and which took on various forms in Latin, including, "col," which meant, "together with." The two parts gave Latin, "colligere," which meant, "to gather together, to collect together." This passed into Old French as "cuiller/cuiler," with the meaning, "to gather, to collect, to select." This was borrowed by English in the mid 1300s as "cuilen," which then became "cullen," meaning, "to choose something from a large number to gather into a select group." The meaning "to select a number of animals for killing to avoid overpopulation" seems to have developed in the first half of the 1900s. 

Michelada Cocktail: A Toast To Mexico!

A "Michelada Cocktail" is from our southern neighbor, Mexico. Since before becoming president of the United States, Donald Trump had shown more than a little disrespect for Mexico and its people. Of course, Trump shows disrespect for many people, except Nazis and Vladimir Putin. So, if you decide to visit the White House, put on a Nazi armband; nothing fancy, any old Nazi armband will do, and you're sure to be given a warm welcome, which may even include a "heil" or two.

There are variations to this beer-based cocktail, including the use of tomato juice or Clamato.*


Ingredients (per 10 to 12 ounce drink):

light colored beer like Corona or Modelo
juice of 1/2 lime
lime wedge to rub around glass rim and outer edge
some chili powder mixed with some salt (or Mexican Tajin seasoning**) 
1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
cucumber slice
lime slice
ice cubes

Mix a teaspoon of salt with about 2 tablespoons of chili powder on a small plate (or use Tajin seasoning). Use a large chilled glass or beer mug and take a wedge of lime and rub it over the rim and outer edge of the glass. Dip the lime juice moistened glass rim into the seasoning, making sure to then tilt the glass and roll it in the chili powder mix so that the outer edge of the glass also gets a coating of the seasoning. To the glass add the lime juice, the hot sauce, the pinch of cayenne pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, a few ice cubes and then fill the glass with beer. Give it a stir and add a slice of cucumber and a slice of lime to the side of the glass for garnishes.   

* "Clamato" is a brand of drink, which is a mixture of tomato juice, clam juice/broth and some seasonings. It is produced by Motts, a Keurig Dr. Pepper company.    

** "Tajin" is a dry Mexican seasoning of lime, salt and ground chilies. It has a spicy, tart flavor, but it is not overly "hot." It is available in many supermarkets, Latino markets or spice shops.  

WORD HISTORY:
Pint-This word is closely related to "paint." It goes back to Indo European "peig/peikh," which meant "to cut, to carve," the notion of which led to, "to carve decorations into an object." This gave its Italic/Latin offspring "pingere," and the idea of "decorate or adorn" broadened further into "decorate with color;" thus came the meaning, "to paint." The participle of "pingere" was "picta" ("painted") and this produced, "pincta," which meant, "a mark painted on a container to show a particular quantity." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "pinte," meaning, "a measurement of liquid." English borrowed the word as "pinte" in the mid 1300s, but it wasn't long before the ending "e" was dropped. By the mid 1700s, the word had also come to be used for a pint of ale.  

Caesar Cocktail: Here's To Canada!

This drink could be called a "Bloody Mary," Canadian style, and indeed, like its close cousin, it is considered by some to be a hangover cure, as well as a popular drink in its own right with our friends and neighbors in Canada. And make no mistake about it, Canadians are our friends and neighbors, in spite of the nasty nutcase named Donald Trump with all of his bluster and insults. He's a disgrace!

Ingredients (per drink):

1 1/2 to 2 ounces vodka
3 to 4 ounces tomato juice
2 ounces clam juice (easily found in supermarkets)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 to 4 drops hot pepper sauce (or 1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek*)
celery salt for glass
lime
leafy stalk of celery 
ice

Spread a little celery salt on a small plate. Rub the edge of a 10 to 12 ounce glass with a piece of lime, then dip the glass into the celery salt to give a coating to the glass rim. Put some ice cubes into the glass and add the vodka, the clam juice, the Worcestershire sauce and the hot sauce (or sambal oelek). Then add the tomato juice to fill the glass; so, you may use more or less than the amount I have in the recipe. Stir well. Garnish with a leafy stalk of celery and a slice of lime. Here's to our friends, the Canadians! "May no orange haired horse's ass put our friendship asunder."

WORD HISTORY:
Ounce-This word for a "measured unit of weight" is related to a large number of words, including "inch" (a word borrowed by English from Latin), and to "one" and "an" (both original English words from its Germanic roots). "Ounce" goes back to Indo European "oinos," which meant, "one." This gave its Latin offspring "unus" ("one"), and then the derived "uncia," which meant, "one twelfth part of  something." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "once" (initially "unce?"). English borrowed the word in the early 1300s. From what I can find, English is the only Germanic language to use a form of "ounce."

Spanish White Wine Sangria

Besides the traditional Spanish red wine beverage "Sangria," along came a white wine version. Most recipes say to use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but I've used Moscato and it was great.

Ingredients:

1 bottle white wine
1 cup apple juice
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup peach, chopped
1 cup apple, chopped (I use a green colored apple, and I leave the peel on)
1 cup pear, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 or 2 leafy sprigs of mint
(optional) 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple brandy or apple schnapps
ice

In a pitcher, add the strawberries, the peach, the apple, the pear, the mint, then squeeze a little of the juice from the lemon slices on top (this will stop the apple from starting to turn brown), then add the actual lemon slices, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Let the fruit sit for about 10 minutes (the fruit will start to release juice), then add the apple juice and the wine. Stir well and refrigerate for a few hours. Add the brandy or schnapps and stir again before serving in glasses with some ice cubes in each glass.

WORD HISTORY:
Prose-This word is formed with the fairly common Latin prefix "pro," meaning "in front, before, forward," which is related, through Indo European, to English "fore" and the prefix "for-," which are original English terms from its Germanic roots. The other part of the word goes back to Indo European "wer," which meant, "bend, twist," which makes it a relative to original English word "warp," a word from the Germanic roots of English. The Indo European form gave Latin "vertere," which meant, "to turn." Its participle form "vorsus" ("turned") was combined with the prefix to produce, "provorsus," meaning, "moving straight on or ahead," perhaps from the idea of moving forward after a turn or change? This produced "prorsus," which meant, "direct, straight forward," a form of which was "prorsa," which produced the shorter form "prosa," with the same meaning. This term was paired as "prosa oratio," meaning, "direct or straightforward speech." The word "prosa" passed into Latin-based French as "prose," meaning, "speech or written language without poetry;" that is, "straightforward speech, commonplace speech or writing." This was borrowed into English in the first half of the 1300s.  

Sangria, A Refreshing Drink Of Spain & Portugal

Sangria is a Spanish and Portuguese drink of wine (originally red wine) with fruit or fruit peel, as well as sugar, added. There are variations of ingredients, including the addition of brandy or rum, or sometimes also cachaça in Portugal.* Since the wine will be flavored with other ingredients, I suggest you choose a wine of  modest price, and if you want authenticity, use a Spanish "rioja," but a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot, both easily available, would be just fine. You certainly can vary the amount of sugar to your own taste  

Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 orange, seeded, chopped with rind
1/2 peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
6 to 8 seedless red grapes, halved 
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons sugar
ice
(optional) Triple Sec or Cointreau (these are orange flavored liqueurs)*

In a pitcher, add all ingredients, except the wine and ice. Mix everything together well, and you needn't be gentle in your stirring of the fruit, as extracting a bit of juice and softening the fruit so that it emits more juice into the wine will only make for a better sangria. Cover the pitcher and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Add the wine and the ice and stir well. For those who like it with more alcohol, when serving, you can add a small amount of Triple Sec or Cointreau to each glass, then pour in the Sangria and stir. If everyone prefers more alcohol, you can just stir a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Triple Sec or Cointreau right into the sangria. 

* Cachaça is a rum-like alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane in Brazil. Brazil was once a colony of Portugal. Cachaça is the main ingredient in Brazil's well known "caipirinha cocktail." 

** Cointreau is from France and is 40% alcohol (80 proof) and Triple Sec was originally produced in France, but it is now produced by distilleries outside of France, including in the United States. The alcohol content varies, but it is usually between 30% and 40%, depending upon brand. 

WORD HISTORY:
Peach-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain, and no one theory has exactly convinced me. It goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "mêlon persikón," which meant, "Persian apple." The peach tree was brought to Persia from China, thus giving the Greeks the association of the tree and fruit with Persia. This was borrowed by Latin as "malum persicum," which later became just, "persica," which then became "pessica," meaning "peach," or "peach tree." This then became "pesca" in Latin, and passed into French, a Latin-based language, as "pesche." English borrowed the word as "peche," in the early 1400s, although there may have been some use of the word even about a century earlier.