Categories: silly-things, cooking-and-recipes
Date: 30 December 2008 13:40:16
I went into Selfridges Foodhall today, on a Quest.
Totally disorientated, and slightly panicky, I accosted a youth in Selfridges uniform, working on the premise that if he worked there, he might know useful things, like where to find stuff.
"Can you tell me where the mace is, please?"
Please note that I was using "mace" in the sense of
mace n. An aromatic spice made from the dried, waxy, scarlet or yellowish covering that partly encloses the kernel of the nutmeg.[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin macis, alteration of Latin macir, fragrant ailanthus resin, from Greek makir.]
However, judging from the panicked look on his face, I think he thought I was using it in the sense of
Mace Trademark. a nonlethal spray containing purified tear gas and chemical solvents that temporarily incapacitate a person mainly by causing eye and skin irritations: used esp. as a means of subduing rioters.
Erm, no. It's a food hall. Why would I be looking for tear gas in a food hall, you silly boy? I know it was a bit crowded in there, but that's why we have elbows.
So I went to Waitrose, who have staff that do indeed know things, and do not start looking around for security guards when you walk in and ask perfectly innocent cuisine-related questions, and walked out with exactly what I was after, and most of the ingredients for dessert as well, as a bonus.