Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[David Nicholson]

Well, we all do have days like this David, but it all could have been avoided if you had refrained from making weetabix mush in the first place. That's enough to give anyone a scunner at the day. I have mine (Weetbix here) slit down the middles, and spread with butter (marg at a pinch) and marmite. Much more appetizing.

Well, when you don't have the teeth................... I thought it was all Vegemite in your part of the world, or is that just in Oz?

[David Nicholson]

What an interesting discussion on weetabix. I start the day with two and some bran sprinked on them(I thought this was for rabbits but have been assured it is good for me), although I would prefer a full fat fry up. I am not allowed that for three reasons,firstly my health,secondly Gordons attack on my pension in his attempts to get me to join the fuel poverty group means I cannot afford it  and the third I have forgotten.

Anyway I float mine in milk until they turn into a slushy soup and eat it with a spoon.This will be good practice for the future for when I have lost my teeth and can suck it up a straw.

 I am writing this because yet again it is pouring with rain and gardening is impossible.

Tony, don't you find that these days there seems to be far more media interest in the natural bodily functions that follow food, rather than concentration on the preparation of food in the first place. Natural bodily functions........... there I go again, further visions of Government policies!

[SueG]

My technique is similar to Maggi's.  I eat them one at a time in a bowl, immediately after pouring the milk on them.  Hate them soggy.....

Not so sure about the word 'scunner' though, my brother (poor thing) lives in Scunthorpe and would not take kindly to it I reckon.  What does it mean in 'Scottish' then?

As someone looking in the this discussion on weetabix, it does raise the question - if they are such trouble to eat crispy or you don't like them soggy - why eat them at all?  Just beause the cereal companies have spent millions trying to tell you they are good breakfast food doesn't mean you have to believe them. Always remember the story that there is more nutrition in the box than the contents! (btw - it's not true, just an urban myth)

Chris - the Nac Mac Feegles use scunner to mean 'an unpleasant person', at least according to the glossary in the book . . . . is that the current use in Scotland?

Sue

Sue

[Brian Ellis]

Had never even thought of splitting them but now you've put the idea in my head, I'll have to try that.... and the marmite thing

I'm surprised you hadn't thought of Nutella chocolate spread Maggie

[David Shaw]

I would use the word 'scunnered' to mean very surprised/shocked/gobsmacked/'well, who'd have thought it' etc.

[Maggi Young]

Had never even thought of splitting them but now you've put the idea in my head, I'll have to try that.... and the marmite thing

I'm surprised you hadn't thought of Nutella chocolate spread Maggie

Surprisingly, Brian, I find that just too sweet !

[Maggi Young]

Scunner is one of those great Scots words with many meanings... none of them good!
It can be a verb, noun or adjective, in its various forms.....it can have degrees os seriousness.... denoting mild or quite strong feelings.....let's have some examples....

"he's a richt scunner"   can mean anything from  "that chap has an irritating manner"  or "he makes an nuisance of himself " to "I'd like to kill him", depending on the vehemence it is uttered.

"that's an awfa scunner" = "how bothersome/tedious/irritating" "what a waste of time"

"Ah cudna be scunnered" = "I found myself unable to raise any enthusiam for the task"

"'at's an afa scunnerin' job"  = " that is indeed a troublesome and uneviable task"



I could go on ( nothing new there, then) but these few examples, will, I trust, serve to enlighten yousomewhat on the richness of the Scots tongue. 
To bring us back to David's finely written description of his "bad day", it is undoubtedly true that it was truely a scunner.

[Maggi Young]

I would use the word 'scunnered' to mean very surprised/shocked/gobsmacked/'well, who'd have thought it' etc.

David... that's not  right... you want "dumfoonert" for your meaning! ( from dumbfounded, of course)

[Susan Band]

I am fair scunnered at this rain.   Non-stop now since the middle of the night.
Susan

[Maggi Young]

It's not like that here, Susan.... every half hour it eases for six minutes.... just long enough for us to think it is improving, before tipping it down again.....constant pouring would be a bit better in that hopes are not raised then!



David, given your take on the word, what would you  have thought was meant when someone called you a flamin' scunner 

[mark smyth]

Since the huge down pour on June 20th that broke the 10 week drought I think we've had rain almost every day. On the plus side it has been over 20c most days. Right now it's 25c

[ChrisB]

Wonder if someone visiting from Scotland, saw the steel works and made a comment that gave rise to the name of the town then?  There are very few old buildings in the town, other than the few in the villages that were merged into the town proper, so it is a relatively new place I guess.  Never thought about it before now....

[Maggi Young]

Still raining here in Aberdeen so I thought I would grasp the opportunity to test out Lesley's tip for Weetabix , split down the middle, srpread with butter and Marmite ...... dear me, things must be dire...... anyway, this is what it looks like...


I thinkI may have been a bit heavy-handed with the Marmite... I often am, so I'll remove a  bit of that before tasting....
here goes.........


wellllllll.......it is certainly different.    I'm no sure that I would leap out of my chair some day, thinking that just what I fancied for a snack was marmite on buttered weetabix but, on the other hand... if I were craving a slice of toast with mamite and there was no bread left, then, I might just do it again .

Thanks for the suggestion, Lesley but  I wouldn't count on making too much money from sales of your cookbook on this example though!

[Maggi Young]

Chritine, a wikipedia entry says this about derivation of Scunthorpe: "The town appears in the Domesday Book (1086) as Escumetorp, which is Old Norse for "Skuma's homestead", a site which is believed to be in the town centre close to where the present-day Market Hill is located."

No idea how correct that might be, but , hey, it beats a Scottish connection!!

[Tony Willis]

Whatever its origins Scunthorpe is a strange place. I had to visit a convent there once and was lost. I stopped at a bus stop and asked a couple of locals for directions  but could not understand a word of the reply. I rang the nuns and asked them to send me a guiding angel which they did.

Thought I would type this during our latest storm. It is hot and humid  and just awful. The problem with this hot weather is that it encourages the locals in Chorley to strip of and exhibit their bodies. Not a good idea,they clearly do not eat weetabix unless it is a full fat variety disguised as a large meat pie to be stuffed in as they walk down the street.