Cookbook talk:Sweetmeat
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
In which dialect of English and according to which dictionary does "sweetmeat" mean testicles? The only meanings in Chambers 20thC, Oxford Paperback and those listed on OneLook are to the effect of a sugary confection (though it's a rather old-fashioned term), plus this entry in OPTED:
- (n.) A boat shell (Crepidula fornicata) of the American coast.
- (n.) Fruit preserved with sugar, as peaches, pears, melons, nuts, orange peel, etc.; -- usually in the plural; a confect; a confection.
- (n.) The paint used in making patent leather.
-- Smjg 10:40, 17 Jun 2005 (UTC)
- "Other beef foods include the tongue, which is used, sliced, for sandwiches; tripe from the stomach; the thymus glands of calves known as sweetbread; the tender testicles of the bull, often called as beef balls or sweetmeat; the brain, used in the fried brain sandwich; the liver, used in liver and onions; and so on." from here. Kellen T 17:04, 7 September 2005 (UTC)
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- That's actually a Google spam page violating copyright by stealing from wikibooks. The term "sweetmeat" does indeed mean testicles though, no joke. If old British usage matters, all food is meat... even a tomato. (see also: mincemeat) This won't do I think; it would mean that vegans only eat meat! If you ask an american if organ meats are meat, you'll probably get a funny look and a vague answer like "uh... kind of... maybe... but not really". I'd say yes for the heart and gizzard, but no for everything else. I think it's safest to just leave this vague. AlbertCahalan 01:49, 8 September 2005 (UTC)
I rv'd changes since I believe the intention was that it was _organ_ meat (i.e. not muscle tissue, normally considered "meat"). The change was done by an ip-account and was unexplained. Also see w:Meat's note about americans not considering "organ meat" to be meat. Perhaps this is a US-centric bias that should be dealt with, but that should explain my change. Kellen T 17:04, 7 September 2005 (UTC)
I can see I'll not be referencing any wiki cookbooks. As user smjg correctly points out, sweetmeat is a sweet confection such as a preserve or pastry. Until multiple references to sweetmeat as testicles are found, I suggest the entry say that. If you find it mandatory to continue the testicle reference, it should be noted "a few sources" refer to sweet . . ." after the common useage as sweet treats. Fromz 16 July 2006, 0502 EDT
