Music

P Is For Parsnips, Most Peculiar

/ Ally Bean / 44 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-21 at 10.56.48 AM “Fine words butter no parsnips.”

This is an old English proverb that means empty words or flattery achieve nothing.  The idea being that buttering food makes it taste better, but it’s still the same food.

I first remember hearing this proverb on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Olivia d’Abo as Nicole Wallace played an accomplished grifter who was always one step ahead of Vincent D’Onofrio as Detective Robert Goren aka Bobby.  She tormented Bobby, the brainiac, like a cat with a mouse, and at one point while he was trying to find a way to put her in jail, she said the above saying.

The saying stuck with me, and is my only “real life” experience with this saying.

• • •

{ SOMETHING TO DO FOR FUN }

If you’re a fan of vegetables and of Walt Disney World, you may remember that during the 1980s & 1990s there was The Kitchen Kabaret show at The Land Pavilion in Epcot.

The show was a hoot, complete silliness– with a memorable theme song.  Click HERE to listen to the “Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, Fruit”  song.  Click HERE to see some photos of the show.

• • •

M Is For Mush, Mighty Interesting

/ Ally Bean / 33 Comments
Screen Shot 2016-03-21 at 10.55.02 AMTurned to mush

… is an American slang phrase that means your heart &/or your mind are no longer sensible or clear.  Someone or something has evoked tender feelings within you so that you’ve become nostalgic, sentimental, or sad.

• • •

I’ve no story to tell you about mush, so instead here’s a random list of information about the word “mush.”  Study & learn, my gentle readers.  This information will be on the test.  😉

Mush: Breakfast Recipe, Fried OR Breakfast Recipe, Porridge

Mush: History Of A Regional Company Known For It

Mush: British Slang Term [in a phrase]

Mush: Romany Slang [word alone]

Mush: Word As Used In Alaska In Iditarod

• • •

{ SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO FOR FUN }

Only one word in the lyrics, care to guess what it is?

• • •

L Is For Lime, Like It Or Not

/ Ally Bean / 30 Comments
Screen Shot 2016-03-21 at 10.54.41 AMTake life with a Grain of salt, a Slice of lime, and a shot of tequila

… is good advice that I’ve never taken literally because I don’t like to drink shots of tequila.

If I might be allowed to combine these ingredients with some simple syrup into a margarita on the rocks, then I’m right there with you chilling out about life, being cool about things.

Which is what I take this slang saying to mean.

~ ~ • ~ ~

OF COURSE if we happen to make it two margaritas, then I’m singing a song about a lime.

~ ~ • ~ ~

AND IF by chance we make it three margaritas?  I’m wearing a sombrero because like Hobbes says: “What fun is it being ‘cool’ if you can’t wear a sombrero!”

~ ~ • ~ ~

J Is For Jelly, So Jazzy

/ Ally Bean / 38 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-21 at 10.53.39 AM“It must be jelly ’cause jam don’t shake like that.”

These are the lyrics from an old song.  I didn’t know the source of this saying, but that’s what I discovered.  And what a cool discovery it is.

I’m familiar with this saying because Zen-Den says it every so often.  It’s part of his repertoire of sayings intended to describe + amuse anyone who might be listening.

Which is what I think you, my gentle readers, should do now.

Listen and watch Ray McKinley & The New Glenn Miller Orchestra perform a swinging jazzy rendition of this song, and learn about the saying… in context.

It’s fascinating, as you will hear.

• • •

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCkJ3Uviv-I

“And lay it on me…”

• • •