Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies

by Martha Barnette

In Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies, Martha Barnette dishes up the answers to questions about the words we put into our mouths every day. In amusing detail, she uncovers the engaging stories behind the names of foods, and how those names reflect our intimate, affectionate relationship with food and drink. "Consider this book a feast of words," Barnette writes, "a deipnosophist's delight, a linguistic banquet." Indeed, this book is an exploration of the nature of language. Itself, and the uniquely human activity of adapting and adopting names for the things around us. Religion has played a significant role in the names of foods. The twisted biscuit known in English as a pretzel and in German as a Brezel is thought to have been designed by monks as symbols of arms folded in prayer. Many other foods, such as turkey and Jordan almonds, got their names through geographical mix-ups, while others, including lemon sole, rosemary, and refried. Beans, arose from misunderstandings and mistranslation