As I read this week's topic I could not help but think of the book that my 90 year old mother just published, Tom Piperson's Pig. The title refers to the nursery rhyme:

Tom, Tom, the piper's son
Stole a pig and away he run.

While we often think of this 'pig' as a live animal, literary evidence indicates it was most likely a gingerbread cookie. Her book focuses on recipes for which the name says nothing about what the food is or even what course it might fill. It contains many examples of "Who's What": Dutchman's Breeches, Janssen's Temptation, and Tilton's Glory are among them.

Learned something here. Thanks, and Welcome.

Welcome, Anne. Normally, promotions and advertisements are frowned on here, but as far as I am concerned this is an exception. It is language-related, and...it sounds intriguing as all get-out! Published at 89?? Go Mom!

Edit: I thought Dutchman's Breeches was a flower.

>Dutchman's Breeches, Janssen's Temptation, and Tilton's Glory

those all sound like flowers!
-joe (Bob's yeruncle) friday

Dutchman's Breeches are also a kind of doughnut. Janssen's Temptation is a dish of potatoes and anchovies - and has a definitely interesting story behind it. Tilton's Glory is another potato dish, this one with onions.

Dutchmans Breeches is my neighbour's plant, creeping through our wired fence. Our name for them is Broken Hearts. ( drama! )
I think we only have the pink ones.
>>Link

But.. a kind of doughnut sounds nice. Your recipes sound glorious anyway. Hmmm...Janssen's temptation. (Swedish?) You know who they were? Janssen and Tilton? Can't think of any Who's What recipe I know of.

\

I have that plant in my yard in various places.
I received it from my grandmother back in the 1950's.
We call it "Bleeding Heart", and so it is known in
various nurseries where one buys plants.

That's pretty serious too. But as they hang on since the 50's
it doesn't seem to bother them much.

Serious, true.
My grandmother had an immense yard, full of flowers, and I've
inherited the love. Serious.

So, Prof Anne. Quick question. Did you ever get an answer? Who is What?

Who is What?

And don't say "second base"!

Bud Abbott and Louie Costello
Have entertained many a fellow.
Their "second base" skit -
A classic base hit -
Makes me shake like a bowl full of Jello.

Your example sentence for Hobson's Choice is completely wrong, as pointed out by other forum writers. It's like you read your own writing but can't get unstuck from the stereotypical answer that "we all know is true." That type of bad thinking is what leads most people to using the expression in error, as you did. Your sentence was simply about two unappealing choices that a person in jail has to choose from. That's life, sorry about that. A Hobson's Choice is no choice at all, except the alternative not to choose in the first place.

Hmm. Wouldn't it be "bad thinking" to call "no choice at all" a choice in the first place? By definition, it is not a choice. Just thinking out loud.

Your example sentence for Hobson's Choice is completely wrong, as pointed out by other forum writers.

Your assumption that Mr Garg actually reads these posts is wrong. If you'd taken the time to familiarize yourself with the forum, you'd've realized that. As it is, I am sure yours is a drive-by posting. Thank you.

I like that: "a drive-by posting."

I like that

Not mine, alas. I think faldo's the coiner.

[Editted to correct typos.]

Tip o' the hat to him, then.

Somehow I think I got it from wordorigins.org, but one never know, do one.

I tried googling '"drive-by posting" faldage' and got two(2) hits: here and straightdope.com - the latter only because faldage had posted something else there, the usage was by 'Zagadka'.

anyways, "drive-by posting" gets 22,550 gh and seems to be in fairly common usage on other boards.

Once again, my reputation exceeds me.

Maybe I did coin it while in my mind outstanding in my field. "On the Internet tubes everything is allowed and all of it is false."

outstanding in my field With the cows?

With the cows?

Nope, just weeds.