Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

BBC headline - 'Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni: what you need to know'.

[Pulcinella]

The Oven instructions for M&S Classic mince pies.

Preheat oven. Remove carton and plastic tray. Do not remove from foil cases and place on baking tray. Do not reheat.

I'm ok with leaving them in their foil cases (until I want to eat one), but why can't I put them on a baking tray?
What am I supposed to do with them?

[smittims]

How about

Do not remove from foil cases, but place on baking tray.

I see Israel Sieff saying 'So? You want to be spoon-fed?'

[Serial_Apologist]

It doesn't bother me , but I see what you mean. Conversely,the 1960s trend for long hair can be seen as a reaction to the National Service haircut.

In the same way, a few years ago I noticed a lot of new cars in a sort of khaki colour. In the years after 1945 no-one would have wanted their car to look like that (except perhaps Field Marshal Motgomery) .

It's odd too that black cars made something of a comeback among the wealthier classes a few years ago, with Ford charging extra for same models in black. Back in the 50s everyone seemed to prefer the new coloured models on offer than the obiquitous black ones.

I think long hair in the 60s was part and parcel of the bid at the time to create a less macho image for men - especially when women were making a bee line for the current top pop bands. Ironically it turned into the new macho when footballers like George Best donned long hair in the 70s!

[french frank]

Unwrap contents of pack and stand in pan of boiling water.

[vinteuil]

Unwrap contents of pack and stand in pan of boiling water.

"The restaurateur Prue Leith once watched a wretched cookery-school pupil (male, of course) deconstruct the following first line of a recipe 'Separate the eggs.' For a thoughtful while he pondered the two eggs placed in front of him, before carefully moving one a few inches to his left and the other a few inches to his right."

Julian Barnes, 'The Land Without Brussels Sprouts', in 'Something to Declare'

(also recommended - Julian Barnes, 'A Pedant in the Kitchen' )

.

[Serial_Apologist]

Unwrap contents of pack and stand in pan of boiling water.

[oddoneout]

While we're on about hair, I truly hate the recent male trend back to short back 'n' sides, reminding me as it does of everything stifling about the call-up Britain in the 1950s, which I imagined we'd moved on from. Either have long hair or short all over, guys, not this militarised look!

Hmm, don't know what I stand on this - I'll need to mullet over

[oddoneout]

The Oven instructions for M&S Classic mince pies.

Preheat oven. Remove carton and plastic tray. Do not remove from foil cases and place on baking tray. Do not reheat.

I'm ok with leaving them in their foil cases (until I want to eat one), but why can't I put them on a baking tray?
What am I supposed to do with them?

So why put the oven on?

[Serial_Apologist]

Hmm, don't know what I stand on this - I'll need to mullet over

[LMcD]

Unwrap contents of pack and stand in pan of boiling water.

Wiltshire Farm Foods for masochists?