9 Nov
2011
9 Nov
'11
8:17 p.m.
Three days ago we learned that the good ladies of the Monday Club (who own
the building where we dance) don't like the word "Whiskey" in our
English/American dance weekend (High Tea & Whiskey), so we're changing the
name to
wait for it
High Tea & Sasparilla
M
E
10 Nov
10 Nov
6:10 a.m.
New subject: High Tea
Do you really want it to be "high tea"? "High tea" is basically
supper; the 'high' either means 'late' (as in "it's high time we
had
some supper") or refers to eating it at the high table, rather than
having afternoon tea at low tables. It's a rather unpleasant
Americanism to think that "high" in this context means high-class;
i.e., fancy. I realize "Afternoon Tea & Sarsaparilla" doesn't have
much of a ring to it, but maybe "Cream Tea & Sarsaparilla"?
On Nov 9, 2011, at 3:17 PM, Martha Edwards wrote:
Three days ago we learned that the good ladies of the
Monday Club
(who own
the building where we dance) don't like the word "Whiskey" in our
English/American dance weekend (High Tea & Whiskey), so we're
changing the
name to
wait for it
High Tea & Sasparilla
M
E
10:32 a.m.
New subject: High Tea
Read wrote:
Do you really want it to be "high tea"?
"High tea" is basically
supper; the 'high' either means 'late' (as in "it's high time we
had
some supper") or refers to eating it at the high table, rather than
having afternoon tea at low tables. It's a rather unpleasant
Americanism to think that "high" in this context means high-class;
i.e., fancy. I realize "Afternoon Tea & Sarsaparilla" doesn't have
much of a ring to it, but maybe "Cream Tea & Sarsaparilla"?
As I understand it, the idea is to sound British and American. "High Tea" gets
the idea of British across, regardless of solecisms.
I suppose they could do "Crumpets and Red-Eye Gravy" but it doesn't convey
'class' as well.
--Alan
--
===============================================================================
Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
===============================================================================
8:33 p.m.
New subject: High Tea
Exactly, Alan. The name should imply to the dancers who would like to come
that "It's British. It's American."
An American would find it rather fancy to have "tea and finger sandwiches
at 4:00 in the afternoon. I suppose many of us would wish we could have a
nap at that hour instead, but cucumber sandwiches and ladyfingers would be
fun. Too bad for us that now we learn from Read that "high" refers to the
height of the table instead of the class of the participants. Perhaps we
could serve it on bar tables, which are higher even than dinner tables,
though possibly lower, even, in class...
On another front - I find I must yield on the spelling of "Sarsaparilla",
the wikipedia article to the contrary notwithstanding. So - my apologies to
my fellow grammar police - but modern makers of the stuff seem to prefer
"Sarsaparilla" to "Sasparilla", and we found the perfect beverage for
the
weekend - it's Snake River Sarsaparilla. The first caller of our St Louis
contra group, Peter Lippincott, wrote a lovely tune and dance called "Snake
River Reel." The dance isn't danced much any more because there's no
partner swing in it - which Roger Diggle fixed with his "Snake Oil Reel",
but it would be perfect to honor Peter by importing some Jackson Hole Soda
Company Snake River Sarsaparilla for the event.
Hmmm... wonder if I still have my Dance Hall Girl costume from the Western
skit we did once for a dance at my high school...
M
E
On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 4:32 AM, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
Read wrote:
Do you really want it to be "high tea"? "High tea" is basically
--
As you set out for Ithaka, pray that your journey be long, full of
adventure, full of discovery...
May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, with what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time.
~Constantine Cavafy, "Ithaka" 1911
supper; the 'high' either means
'late' (as in "it's high time we had
some supper") or refers to eating it at the high table, rather than
having afternoon tea at low tables. It's a rather unpleasant
Americanism to think that "high" in this context means high-class;
i.e., fancy. I realize "Afternoon Tea & Sarsaparilla" doesn't have
much of a ring to it, but maybe "Cream Tea & Sarsaparilla"?
As I understand it, the idea is to sound British and American. "High Tea"
gets
the idea of British across, regardless of solecisms.
I suppose they could do "Crumpets and Red-Eye Gravy" but it doesn't
convey
'class' as well.
--Alan
--
==============================**==============================**
===================
Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone:
650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA
94025
==============================**==============================**
===================
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11:19 p.m.
New subject: [ECD] High Tea
Yes, I get that. But "high tea" used this way is an Americanism. I
realize the audience is American, and that no one is going to be
confused by it, but it ends up actually being two American concepts.
Expect caviling.
On Nov 10, 2011, at 3:33 PM, Martha Edwards wrote:
Exactly, Alan. The name should imply to the dancers
who would like
to come
that "It's British. It's American."
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4 comments
3 participants
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Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing -
Martha Edwards -
Read Weaver