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Favorite foods of the famous Dave Wilton No, he's not a famous chef or globetrotting gourmet. But when it comes to foods and drinks, Dave Wilton knows how they got their names. He is an independent researcher in historical linguistics, etymology and slang origins. He is best known as the editor of the Web site www.wordorigins.org, which he has run since 1997. He is also the author of "Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends" and of numerous articles, including A Hoagie By Any Other Name, which addresses the various names for the sandwich. Etymology doesn't pay all the bills, however, and Dave makes his living working for a chip manufacturer in Silicon Valley. His past lives include service in the U.S. Army and work as a defense contractor and arms-control negotiator, all of which contribute ideas and insights to the linguistic research. For more info: www.wordorigins.org OK, tell us all about these: French fries "They have been called that since the turn of the 20th century. The term French-fried potatoes is a bit older, appearing in an O. Henry story from 1894. They are so-called because of association with pommes frites." Hoagie "It's a Philadelphia-area term for the sandwich. It was originally called a hoggie, because the sandwich was so large, and appears in print for the first time in 1941, although it likely dates to the late-1920s in spoken use. The New York version is called a hero, and also gets its name because of its size. That is, it takes a heroic effort to finish one. In New England, it's a grinder, from the grinding of your teeth. Down south it's a poor boy, probably because it's inexpensive. There are lots of other regional names, most referring to the sandwich's shape, such as zeppelin, submarine, torpedo and rocket." Chili "From the Nahuatl, which was spoken originally by the Aztecs, it is the name for the capsicum, or red pepper. It appears in Mexican and Spanish texts in the 16th century, and in English texts in the mid-17th century." Bagel "From the Yiddish, beygel. It's a diminutive of the Middle High German boug, meaning ring or bracelet. So a bagel is a 'little ring.' In English, it appears in a translation from Sholom Aleichem in 1916, and was fully Anglicized by the 1930s." Tip "It has one of the more persistent false etymologies. The word has meant a small sum of money since the beginning of the 18th century, and in 17th century underworld slang it meant to pass on, to hand to. The idea that it is an acronym meaning 'to insure promptness' is utterly false. Acronymic word origins are virtually nonexistent prior to the 20th century. Until very recently, people just did not create words via acronyms." Fudge "From a 16th century verb to fadge, meaning to fit, to make suitable. In the late 19th century it was applied to the confection because it was easy to make, improvised with ingredients already in the kitchen." 4-WAY CINCINNATI CHILI Dave says, "No, I'm not from Cincinnati, but I learned to appreciate Cincinnati Chili at the Hard Times Cafe, in Alexandria, Va. 2 pounds ground beef 2 medium onions, chopped 5 cloves garlic, crushed 15 ounces tomato sauce 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 10 peppercorns, ground 8 whole allspice, ground 8 whole cloves, ground 1 bay leaf 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add ground beef. Stir until separated and reduce to a simmer. Stir and add other ingredients. Return to boil, then reduce to a simmer again and let cook for 2 1/2 hours. Cool and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, skim and discard fat. Reheat and serve over spaghetti. Top each serving with grated cheddar cheese, chopped onion. Top with cooked red kidney beans, if desired. Serves six.
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