Owen Patterson - an MP past his sell-by date?

[mercia]

Yes, but it wasn't his original phrase; he was quoting, thought I cannot for the moment remember from whom.

I remember Alan Coren saying it

though I think he said riff-raff rather than scum

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

consumers buy fruits and vegetables and meat produce flown in for all year round freshness [Waitrose does this] cheapness, taste etc .... free market we buy .... no ought about it ...if it diid not sell at the right price it would not be on the plane eh

let us recall that centrally controlled food markets lead to famine and chronic shortages without avoiding corruption ... gangsters, gangsters, everywhere and on every side ....

[amateur51]

consumers buy fruits and vegetables and meat produce flown in for all year round freshness [Waitrose does this] cheapness, taste etc .... free market we buy .... no ought about it ...if it diid not sell at the right price it would not be on the plane eh

let us recall that centrally controlled food markets lead to famine and chronic shortages without avoiding corruption ... gangsters, gangsters, everywhere and on every side ....

In a moment of 'brain-in-neutral' I popped a packet of cherry tomatoes in my basket, Canaries surely?

Nope, I was making lunch, glanced at the packet and there quite clearly was the legend 'Senegal' If we buy them, how can we complain? I won't die without tomatoes, after all

[Nick Armstrong]

a packet of cherry tomatoes in my basket, Canaries surely?

They've found songbirds in tomatoes now?

[amateur51]

They've found songbirds in tomatoes now?

Canned music?

[Anna]

On the horsemeat thread someone mentioned asparagus from Peru. Personally I wouldn't touch it, we have glorious English asparagus in season, you gorge on it - then that's it until next year. Perhaps people should know of the damage it is doing to Peru's water supply?:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/15/peru-asparagus-british-wells

[jean]

I agree about the asparagus, especially after reading that article.

But must I never eat an orange again?

[Anna]

I agree about the asparagus, especially after reading that article.
But must I never eat an orange again?

No, of course not jean. We cannot grow oranges (or pineapples, bananas or lemons) here, there has always been a historical trade in such fruits. The point is we grow wonderful asparagus, it's seasonal. Enjoy it in season, do not expect it all year round (and Peruvian asparagus really has no taste does it?) Surely, part of the joy of eating/cooking is to go with the seasons? Imagine importing sprouts all year long!
Also, quinoa - hailed as the superfood of the Incas. Now, with the increased appetite for it the poor Peruvians and Bolivians cannot afford their staple grain

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

Sorry, getting on my soapbox again!!

[Resurrection Man]

Yes, but it wasn't his original phrase; he was quoting, thought I cannot for the moment remember from whom.

And what precisely is the point of this post other than to show everyone what a clever know-all you are. Oh, dear, my mistake. Although you claim that it was 'someone else' you can't quite remember who said it.

In which case, and I repeat, what is the point of this post?

[Vile Consort]

RM, ad hominem comments are not welcome on this board. An apology is called for.

[french frank]

Well, as Stephen Fry commented on one episode of QI..."Thank God for Sainsbury's. They keep the scum out of Waitrose".

Or the rather classier Waitrose version:

"Could the owner of the white B-reg Escort Cabriolet please move it from our car park to somewhere more appropriate like Tesco, Morrisons or Aldi."

And who could take offence at that?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I love Waitrose. They have a checkout for "10 items or fewer".

[jean]

Unnecessary hypercorrection, if you think of the 10 items as making up a single quantity rather than as individual entities.

After all, who ever says the journey should take ten hours or fewer? Or expects to pay £10 or fewer for something?

[vinteuil]

Unnecessary hypercorrection, if you think of the 10 items as making up a single quantity rather than as individual entities.

After all, who ever says the journey should take ten hours or fewer? Or expects to pay £10 or fewer for something?

,,, but I think the use of the word "items" does make this very specifically a matter of countables *- whereas with "ten hours or xxx", "£10 or xxxx" we are considering an amount rather than a countable list of items. So I don't think this is hypercorrection here.

* countability being of the essence - if you have nine items you're OK - if you have eleven you're not.

[mangerton]

Unnecessary hypercorrection, if you think of the 10 items as making up a single quantity rather than as individual entities.

After all, who ever says the journey should take ten hours or fewer? Or expects to pay £10 or fewer for something?

Indeed. But then ten hours is an amount (singular) of time. £10 is an amount (singular) of money. Ten items is a number (plural) of countable and separable things or entities.

I think Waitrose is quite correct in this instance.