Pre-Lapsarian Yakers

The Word Collector — part 27

This is the latest in a series about new words and phrases, specimens collected during expeditions into the deepest, darkest literary and media wilderness, and displayed for your entertainment, elucidation, and enlightenment in equal measure. These are new to me, but of course you may know some or all of them already, in which case you are welcome to marvel at my ignorance.

This collection comes from words and phrases gathered during my annual pilgrimage to St. Ives in Cornwall (UK), a place of simultaneously jaw-dropping beauty, hordes of tourists, and chronic traffic issues, so is flavoured in places of holiday experiences, and time with the extended family.

megrim — in the context I saw this word on a menu, it is a type of fish, though being vegetarian it was noted out of interest rather than something to tuck into. Specifically megrim, megrim sole, whiff, or Cornish sole, is a species of left-eyed flatfish, or so it says in Wikipedia. Quite why it is referred to as “left-eyed” is a mystery to me, so perhaps a Medium reader can enlighten me. Do fish have a dominant eye, just as people can be right or left-handed?! The fish, should you wish to catch one, is found in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

However, on looking up the word, I see that it can also be used as a noun, meaning depression; low spirits; a whim or fancy, or an old-fashioned term for migraine. So probably best not to get this mixed up with a fish!

Pierogi — these are a type of Polish dumplings referred to on the BBC series “Master Chef”, and can be made using the recipe below should you be so inclined; though for me recipes are a bit of wishful thinking — an attempt say to make a pizza is just as likely to turn out like an inedible savoury cakelike object.

Not to be confused with the similar sounding and written word perigee, a noun that I looked up by mistake, which is the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is nearest to the earth. So perigee is the opposite of apogee, a bonus word, and two for the price of one.

toque — a toque is a type of hat that was popular in Europe from the 13th to the 16th century, and is now used by cooks and judges. The word toque also means a knit cap in Canada, where to cause confusion, it is often spelt tuque or touque. It was referred to in “Perfect Wives, Ideal Homes”, which Mrs. Pearce is reading, and I will not comment on the title, as I am already in the doghouse.

pre-lapsarian — this adjective is used to describe the time before the “Fall of Man”, meaning innocent and unspoilt; though personally, I am highly skeptical we ever had that status in the first place, perhaps an example of seeing the past through rose-tinted spectacles.

“….the pathology that underlay consumer society….” — This rather excellent phrase was used in J.G. Ballard's autobiography “Miracles of Life” — he was a great writer of dystopian fiction and commentator on the state of modern society, and the phrase sums up his view of the modern world rather well.

“…vent of hell….”- this phrase was used by J.G.Ballard, when describing some of his description of war around Shanghai, and seems a good description of war in general.

“…frisking myself of memories…..” — when J.G. Ballard comes out with metaphors like this example, you can understand his reputation as one of our greatest writers. He used the expression when describing the process of writing his autobiography, which makes a great read. It is fascinating in particular to learn of his formative years growing up in Shanghai, where he was interned for two years during the Japanese invasion of World War Two. He drew on this experience for his most famous work “Empire of the Sun” later a film of the same name -

“….indignation, of which the journal had an unlimited supply….” — Again another turn of phrase by J.G. Ballard which struck me as the perfect description of some of the right-wing press in the UK which is regularly stoking the culture wars by getting riled up by some or other example of perceived wokery.

“The United States, now fast becoming a theocratic state run by right-wing political fanatics and religious moralisers…” — this phrase was used by J.G. Ballard, writing in 2008 in the same book, and seems very prophetic given the state of politics in the U.S.

“….memory is the greatest gallery in the world….” J.G. Ballard referred to plucking ideas from his memory as a source of inspiration, and given his eventful life, never being short of material. I found this metaphor of memory as a gallery to be rather wonderful, though wish that my own memory was more retentive.

“….lunched but not launched….” J.G. Ballard used this description of some of his books which were discussed as possible films over many long liquid lunches, but never progressed to a cinematographic conclusion.

INDY — acronym meaning “I’m not dead yet” which appeared in “Monty Python and the Holy Gail”, and was part of a question on a BBC “University Challenge” show.

ACE — this is an acronym meaning Adverse Childhood Experience. With a wife who is a health visitor, and daughter who is a physiotherapist, they are rather prone to dropping medical acronyms into everyday conversation, and then expressing astonishment at my ignorance.

Yakers — I am not naturally a dog person, having had my leg chewed a couple of times while working in London’s East End. However since my older daughter has acquired a canine companion, I am learning to overcome a mild phobia that is going to revert to wolf mode any moment. Since you ask, she is a whippet-staffie cross — chosen since pure whippets have rather spindly legs that are inclined to break. So the Staffie bulks them up a bit, though I am still wary of getting savaged by the beast.

I am also not au fait with all the doggie paraphernalia, and when she referred to giving the said pooch a “Yakers” to distract it, I was told it is made out of yak’s milk. I thought for a moment that I was subject to a wind-up, but having checked, a “Yakers” (which is a brand name), is made to an ancient Himalayan recipe, perfected over hundreds of years from the afore-mentioned yak milk.

A very small amount of lime juice and salt is added to harden the milk, which is then compressed into blocks and traditionally smoke-dried for 28 days to give the cheese chews their unique flavour. They sound about as appetising as some of my attempts at cooking, but our canine companion loves them, and they were a great distraction when the dog needed entertainment.

omic datasets — my younger daughter’s boyfriend, who is a bit of a whizz with spreadsheets, referred to using “omic datasets” at work. Having looked this up, omics is a rapidly evolving, multi-disciplinary, and emerging field that encompasses genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, though after reading this description I am none the wiser, and will stick to watching “Bargain Hunt” and trying to understand the simpler things in life.

wishbone ring — My older daughter is getting married next year, and therefore there is much talk of nuptial plans. She and her partner were hunting the jewellery shops of St. Ives for a wishbone ring, which I discovered is a type that frames the stone in a wedding or engagement ring. A wishbone ring has come to symbolise prosperity and hope, to bring long-lasting luck to the nuptials, (and penury to the parents).

caponata — I discovered this word on a menu, the source of quite a few of this collection. I wouldn’t like you to get the idea that I do nothing but dine out, it is just that we were on holiday this week and took the opportunity to blow some of my Medium millions on part of one course. So a caponata is a Sicilian dish consisting of chopped, fried aubergine and other vegetables, seasoned with olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers, in an agrodolce sauce. Numerous local variants exist concerning the ingredients, by adding carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, pine nuts, and raisins.

Agrodolce — this is a traditional Italian sauce characterized by its sweet and sour flavour coming from a combination of vinegar and sugar with the addition of wine (and sometimes, onions, fruit juice, or chocolate). The name agrodolce is a portmanteau, a combination of two words — agro, meaning sour, and dolce, meaning sweet.

The traditional version is a thin sauce that is similar to the French gastrique, although the modern version can be chunky and similar to a relish. It is believed that agrodolce has Sicilian origins with strong Arabian influences. The sauce is typically used in numerous pasta dishes or as a topping for grilled meats. It can also be served on the side as a dip, especially when paired with cheeses.

sherd — the family have heard of my rather geeky habit of collecting new words and have now taken to messaging me with any good ones they come across. So as a very pleasing change, rather than getting the usual requests for money or lifts, or updates on various life crises, daughters may now also randomly text me a new word.

This one, sherd, means a broken piece of ceramic material, especially one found on an archaeological site. The word is so similar to shard I did wonder if the words are inter-changeable, but from my usual in-depth minute’s research, I learn this is not the case.

A shard is a broken piece of china, glass, ceramic, etc., with edges that are sharp. Usually, shards are the result of shattering something such as a dish or glass. The word shard is derived from the Old English word sceard, meaning gap or incision.

A sherd is a broken piece of pottery with sharp edges, usually referring to one found in an archaeological site. In essence, the words shard and sherd are interchangeable, though the term sherd is favoured by archaeologists. Sherd is an abbreviation of the word potsherd, which has been in use since the 1300s.

Since I am easily confused the distinction between the two will soon escape me once more.

playa — I saw this word in “The Guardian” newspaper, in an article about climate change, and it means the flat-floored bottom of an undrained desert basin that becomes at times a shallow lake.

Next a couple of words that I used to know, but these days they drop out of my brain faster than they go in, so I had to look them up again to remind myself.

aegis — noun — the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organisation; also in classical art and mythology an attribute of Zeus and Athene (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield.

bathetic- this is an adjective describing the effect of producing an unintentional effect of anticlimax, from the noun bathos, and hopefully not a description of this article!

I hope you enjoyed this collection, and do share any favourites of your own in the comments.

As always, thank you for reading.

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