My maternal Grandmother was quite a character. It's been 28 years since she passed, but I can still picture her rolling down her stockings on returning from a shopping trip. I can still hear her laugh: deep, unabashed, guttural, sudden. Nana was a pure delight for us kids, full of eccentric ways of doing things her way, which I'm sure was frustrating for those one generation removed, but for us grandkids, pure joy. Nana used a saying, once quite popular in the UK, "She's all furcoat and no knickers." I use it to this day, and it's been 17 years since I moved to the US. This idiom is used to denote someone putting on airs and graces, a social climber if you will. It sounds a bit mean spirited, but my grandmother was not a mean person. I took this to mean more of a self-effacing way of saying, "Pride comes before a fall." Or, don't let your aspirations wander further than your attention!
Why did I think of this today? Sometimes when I'm using social media to highlight a new product we've got at the store, I have to be economical with words. Twitter enforces 149 characters, so I link up my Twitter to my Facebook and I'm forced to be brief there also. So, when I post an update on a new product I love that happens to be sourced from Italy, I think of my Nana and her saying, and wonder if she'd remind me to put undergarments on with my (faux) fur coat when referring to, "Artisan this," and "Imported that?" I remember Nana's caution about airs and graces and laugh to myself and post anyway. You see, for me, it's not about pretension when it comes to food and ingredients. It's about finding awesome, authentic foods, and being tickled pink that I get the opportunity to share them with my (adopted) home community.
One hint of mean-spirited exclusivity is a sure fire way to get on my goat, idiomatically speaking. Come one, come all, the imported, the artisan, the grow it yourself, dirt under your fingernails veggies, come on in. You're welcome. Now where did I put those knickers?
Here's a link to a photo I posted to our Facebook Group: Beach Savvies. It is of ants enjoying yum artisan pastries and imported Italian Marmellata Extra di Mandarini on china from the British Airways First Class cabin. That's orange marmalade to the lady in the fur coat! Salute. Grub up!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4933513&id=327062746569
My maternal Grandmother was quite a character. It's been 28 years since she passed, but I can still picture her rolling down her stockings on returning from a shopping trip. I can still hear her laugh: deep, unabashed, guttural, sudden. Nana was a pure delight for us kids, full of eccentric ways of doing things her way, which I'm sure was frustrating for those one generation removed, but for us grandkids, pure joy. Nana used a saying, once quite popular in the UK, "She's all furcoat and no knickers." I use it to this day, and it's been 17 years since I moved to the US. This idiom is used to denote someone putting on airs and graces, a social climber if you will. It sounds a bit mean spirited, but my grandmother was not a mean person. I took this to mean more of a self-effacing way of saying, "Pride comes before a fall." Or, don't let your aspirations wander further than your attention!
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