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Something slipped passed my lips last night that I thought I would never again hear me utter. I had been quite certain that I had grown passed that stage, matured as it were, become a bona fide grown-up!
Apparently I was wrong. I hang my head in shame. Euphemistically speaking
What was this unacceptable word that escaped my mouth, you ask?
Oh, Sugar!
Can you believe it? Out of all the colorful expressions available to me, in at least 3 languages, this was the best I could come up with. How embarrassing!
“Oh, Sugar!” was the favorite saying of one of my aunts. My mother said “Oh, Fudge”.
On reflection, my early years were filled with such euphemisms. We weren’t allowed to use actual ‘swear’ words so it was a matter of how close we could get without getting in trouble. Sometimes we had no idea of what word we were trying to mimic, or, if we knew the word, we didn’t know what it meant.
‘Gosh darn it’ when parents were around became ‘Gol dang it’ when they weren’t.
Schiester and schist were acceptable, as was ‘fu’ cryin out loud’ (said fast).
Our neighbor allowed his boys to say ‘balls’ which I always thought a bit crude.
My mother was very upset when my older brother started saying ‘Judas Priest’ and I still have no idea why.
As we became teenagers, language became more creative. One friend actually used to say “Expletive deleted”! We either abbreviated our expressions (assuming adult ignorance as all teens do) or used exaggerated forms.
Thus we used ‘P’d’, ‘P’d off’, ‘P.O’d.’, ‘T.S.’, ‘F’d’, etc. as well as ‘shucky darn’, ‘Pshaw’, and ‘golly gee whiz’.
Mon mari tells me his mother said ‘Frist all Chriday’. Wha????
In Ireland everyone says ‘feck’, even the clergy, even on the telly! As if we don’t know what they really want to say….
A brief list of others that have had a short claim to fame in my vocabulary: horse puckey, futz, crud, crap, jaysus, poop (never a big favorite, but it irritated my mother no end), curses, doggone it, dad blast it, and my current favorite, thanks to the local Brits, ‘crikey’.
And sometimes words mean just what they’re supposed to. I remember my mother getting angry at my father when I was about 8 years old. We were getting in the car and my younger brother was sprawled in the back seat. My father glanced over his shoulder and said “Pick up your nuts and move so your sister can get it”. My mother started chastising my father most vigorously. Neither my father nor I had a clue as to why she was so upset, as we waited for baby brother to put his peanuts back in the bag so I could get in the car. Really, Mother!
She should have been made to eat parsley.
(It has mouth-cleansing properties.)
Right now, in my herb garden, parsley is reigning supreme. The sage is doing okay, the basil, tarragon and chives have cocked up their toes and the thyme and savory are looking sad but the parsley has never looked better.
Parsley is very high in vitamin K, and high in vitamins C and A. It contains volatile oils that have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in lab animals, particularly in the lungs (pay attention, smokers). It’s also high in antioxidants and has been shown to increase the blood’s capacity for antioxidants.
Parsley is the most popular herb in the world, and it really is more than just a pretty, green garnish.
I’m, once again, cooking with parsley for Weekend Herb Blogging, being hosted by my favorite Estonian, Pille, of Nami-Nami. Weekend Herb Blogging, founded by Kalyn, of Kalyn’s Kitchen, is now off to a great third year start. Join the fun!
Omelet with Parsley, Mushrooms and Feta
Serves 2 as a first course.
2oz (60gr) mushrooms any interesting variety
5 – 6 stems fresh parsley
1oz (30gr) feta cheese
4 eggs
2 tbs olive oil
Remove parsley leaves from stem and leave whole. Divide into 2 piles and set aside. Clean mushrooms and slice thickly. Heat 1 tbs oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and divide in 2. In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs well with a wire whisk. Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the remaining oil. Add eggs and swirl around to cover bottom of pan. When the eggs are almost set lay half of the parsley leaves on half of the omelet. Top with half of the mushrooms and half of the feta. With a spatula turn other half of omelet on top. Leave in the pan another 20 – 30 seconds to finish cooking and remove to plate. Can be put into 250F (125C) oven to keep warm while you make the other omelet…or just cover with a lid. Oh yes – repeat for second omelet. Serve, garnished with a few olives if you have them. Serves 2 as a first course.
And that’s it! How simple!
Be sure to visit Nami-Nami on Monday when Pille will have a round-up of all the herb-y delights!
Holy Buckets! Time to get busy!
Please, please add your favorite euphemisms in the comments… I know I’ve only scratched the surface.
Maybe we can find something colorful enough that some people-who-shall-remain-unidentified could expand their vocabulary beyond f***. Then, they’d only be saying it every 4th word (instead of every other). Not that I’m offended…just bored…
“Holy Toledo” Katie, what a great post!!!
Brings back soooo many memories! I do not know what Holy Toledo has to do with the time of day, but it was my dad’s favorite around us kids!
Parsley is one of the best herbs, I will agree. Mine is doing fine also as I used it in my dish last evening! Actually, I use it in almost all of my dishes one way or another. Hubby of mine is a big omlet guy, so I will have to rustle this one up for him!
Cheers!
The folks from east Canada famously say, “Lord Tundern’ Jesus”, I say “Holy F-ing S__t Batman”!
As for your omelet…those damn European eggs give such a lovely yellow colour!
Deb, that one I’ve heard – but not used…maybe I heard it on batman hahaha. I’m starting to really get into parsley this year – and a good thing, as I have a huge bed of it!
Peter, that’s a new one! Must one say that with a Swedish accent? We do get yellow eggs, here!
I’ve never figured out “Judas Priest” either.
My husband will say “rackin’ frackin'” like a cartoon character, but not if he’s really mad. Then it’s blue smoke.
You crack me up! Thank you for those good laughs…I especially like the one about the nuts. I find myself saying the same “kind-of-swear-word” that my father says – Fffffffooey! I know, they are all geeky, aren’t they?
Beautiful, and I’m sure, very tasty omelet.
A mushroom and feta omelet sounds pretty good. I would think that dill would also do well in this dish.
I enjoy your posts so much Katie, thanks! I even feel a bit envious, they are so nice…
I’m sooo flattered to be your favourite Estonian, dear Katie:) Thanks for a great WHB entry – the omelet looks beautiful, so invitingly yellow!
You are just so good Katie. I mean that your writing is so entertaining!
Balderdash has always been one of my favorites.
Omelet feels about right at the moment.
Thats a funny story about the peanuts.haha
How about “frickin”?
Great post! I love “Frist all Chriday”!!! I remember when I said that somebody was “pissed off” when I was junior-high-school age, my father was SO offended. On the other hand, my mother swore like a sailor. These things are so funny.
I love parsley, and mine is still doing well too. I never knew it could look so beautiful till I saw your close-up photo, though!
Trace, I really have no clue about that one!
Jeni, they are…and why we continue to do it I haven’t a clue…
Kevin, dill would be good – it’s long gone from my garden, though.
Thank you Ilva, that is so kind!
Pille, we do have yellow yolks here, thanks.
Tanna, Balderdash! I’ve never actually said that one but it comes off the tongue nicely…
Maryann, I’ve been hearing ‘frickin’ lately..am probably saying it, too. My mother was so embarrassed!
Your parsley looks beautiful! Mine is still hanging in, though the basil has succumbed to frost.
Some of my parsleys are going to flower at this time of the year and some of the curly ones are keeping short, so I have to use them at the moment. I love growing parsley. My chives are just springing up off the ground, my sage is flowering, my mints are going really green and shiny, oregano are shaping up taller than before, my echinachea is still showing up their leaves from sleeping in Winter. I just love watching plants and vegetables in Spring. And about the language, gosh I need to learn a lot of those hehehehe… As a Muslim, we are not taught to swear but we use Masya Allah to bring the expression up and of course it is not a swear word. My husband’s family doesn’t really use swear words other than ‘stupid thing’. I learn the f word when watching Ramsay’s f kitchen heheheh…
I never tire of omelettes or frittatas; for me, they are comfort food. Mushrooms, parsley, and feta sounds like a deliciously savory combo that I’ll have to try. I just made a mushroom, pepper, and basil one the other night. I told you I love ’em.
Ghee those are some yellow eggs..oh sugar we never get that here!
That is so funny, but you need to hush your mouth before you get it washed out for saying those nasty mouth words.
(don’t you know I’ve heard that before!)
I had a boss once who, when something made her want to swear, always said, “_Dirty_Words!” with great gusto – and it really sounded _dirty_!
Personally I love “rats” — no, this is not referring to cooking!
I used to be lukewarm on parsley, probably because I had seen too much of the curly variety decorating restaurant plates in the USA. But now I love the stuff — the flat variety. My cleaning lady often leaves me a bunch and when she does, it goes into absolutely EVERYTHING!
Mine would have to be Dag Nabbit! Not sure where it came from or from who… Shucky dern is another one. Thanks for the info on Parsley. I think I might want to try and grow more this year.
Holy Moley, that was a great post! I don’t know where in tarnation you learned to make such a bodacious omelet Missy!
I like some of the french euphemisms I’ve learned…and use, like mercredi or mince instead of m$§de or flûte instead of f***
“For Cat’s Sake!” That’s the one that amuses me most. I’m a big fan of 1940’s gritty film noir where the characters are double-crossers pumping each other full of lead, but their dialogue is out of the choir to please the Hollywood censors.
A beautifully rich and colorful omelet, Katie – and that’s the unvarnished truth!
From the Simpsons: “son of a diddly!”
Food looks good, as always and feta is always a good thing. I used to use lots of cilantro in my omelettes with a generous amount of hot sauce (good way to wake up!), but lately I’ve been happier with creamier scrambled eggs (butter, sour cream) with chives. Looks like its time to try another style this weekend…
Lydia, my parsley seems to be pretty tough this year, too, thankfully!
Arfi, spring is wonderful in the herb garden, isn’t it? Real ‘swearing’ isn’t half as much fun as the fake hahaha!
Susan, me too – omelets, poached eggs, scrambled…any form!
Golly gee willikers, Sue, that’s a shame!
Sandi, the eternal ‘bar of soap’ threat – heard it often!
Zoomie, said with gusto – yeah, that’d work!
Betty, rats is kind of with ‘curses’ for me, I do use them both. I’m just getting into parsley myself, probably because it did the best of all in our strange summer.
Pat, I’ve heard that but don’t remember where it comes from, drat!
Sher, I knew there were lots I missed…
Meredith, I know those words…they just don’t come out when I burn my fingers… ‘course the neighbors don’t speak English so I’m okay!
A new one Susan, I need to watch more old films… Thanks!
Mike, I have the anit-cilantro gene… and I apparently need to watch more Simpson’s!
When I think of non-swearing swearing I always think of Perry White the editor of the Daily Planet thundering, “Great Caeser’s Ghost.” (Extra points for recognizing Perry White and the Daily Planet.)
I have an uncle who shouts, “Godfrey Daniel” under trying circumstances and a friend who always says, “God bless AMERICA!” in the same way that I might express surprise or amazement by saying “Holy Crap!”
Me, I’m not imaginative enough for anything but they old standbys. But as my Grandfather– a man known for his swearing — is said to have said after unleashing a string of expletives, “when you’ve said that, you’ve said it all.”
Julie, I think I’d like your grandfather… Of course I recognize Perry White and the Daily Planet… “S”
Your parsley is gorgeous. I haven’t looked in the garden for a few weeks (and I must get it cleaned out soon) but I’m pretty sure my parsley is all dead. Love the sound of parsley in an omelette with feta!
Kalyn, I have to get down to the potager and clean, too. It’s so far away and there’s no food left so it tends to get ignored. Sad part of fall!