Showerthoughts

29612 readers

929 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

Rules

All posts must be showerthoughts
The entire showerthought must be in the title
Avoid politics (NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out)
Posts must be original/unique
Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

"Fry" is an ambiguous word in English (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

61 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Here are 3 examples:
Fried egg, fried rice, fried chicken

All these "fry" are different. If you were to use the "fry" in fried rice to fry an egg, you'd get scrambled egg. Fried chicken is done by submerging it in oil, which you won't do with fried egg or fried rice.

This post is made from the perspective of a Cantonese/Chinese speaker. We have different words for these different types of "fry" (煎, 炒, 炸 respectively)

(Turns out I did post it in the wrong sub and I didn't realize, and now I feel very stupid. Photon UI has once again screwed me over. Got mad for no reason.)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The English royal court became french speaking after the normands invaded, around 200 or 300 years ago. Nobles and royalty can afford lavish meals and dishes.

They can also regularly afford meat, whilst it was the peasants who tended to the animals. Thus pork (from porc) vs pig, beef (from boeuf) vs cow, poultry (from poulet) vs chicken.

It doesn't explainall of the gaps, but it's an important part of the explanation.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Around 2 or 3 hundred years ago? William the Conqueror was 1066 homie.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

You're right, thanks for the correction

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

And the well-heeled like keeping the distinction between them (French-speaking) and commoners (English-speaking).

It's interesting, because that's part of why Shakespeare was such a big deal - not only writing and performing in English for the Common Man, but was skewering the well-heeled while also expanding English.

Neat stuff.