FC is for Fortune Cookie
September 25, 2006
It is better to have beans and bacon in peace
than cakes and ale in fear.
What?
This makes no sense. First of all, I resent the implication that cakes and ale are superior to beans and bacon; this is clearly anti-Southern prejudice at work.
Second, “beans and bacon” does not equal, part for part, “cakes and ale.” Bacon is not something to drink! (Or could it be …? Perhaps this deserves more research.)
Finally, cakes do not go with ale. Sweets in general do not go with ale, except if you are in Britain, where they buy both beer and chocolate from the bar, which is an abomination.
6 Comments
leave one →
fighting fire with unlit matches 
I picture folks hunkered down during an air-raid and the only rations in the bunker are Ding Dongs and warm cans of PBR. “Oh how I yearn for pork and beans!”
I picture folks hunkered down during an air-raid and the only rations in the bunker are Ding Dongs and warm cans of PBR. “Oh how I yearn for pork and beans!”
Dude, I disagree. Chocolate and alcohol bar availability is amazing. I heard they also deep-fry their candy bars. Is that a rip-off of Southern culture?
Dude, I disagree. Chocolate and alcohol bar availability is amazing. I heard they also deep-fry their candy bars. Is that a rip-off of Southern culture?
We could debate this forever, I guess, but my understanding of the ‘cakes and ale’ phrase has, since living in England, been that ‘cakes’ must have been something savory and substantial. This was most certainly the case in Shakespeare’s time if not Maughm’s. If they were sweet they would have been called puddings. See attached link, which references an old Oxford legend about ‘cakes and ale’ and says their modern day equivalent would be ‘hamburgers and soda.’
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=389277
We could debate this forever, I guess, but my understanding of the ‘cakes and ale’ phrase has, since living in England, been that ‘cakes’ must have been something savory and substantial. This was most certainly the case in Shakespeare’s time if not Maughm’s. If they were sweet they would have been called puddings. See attached link, which references an old Oxford legend about ‘cakes and ale’ and says their modern day equivalent would be ‘hamburgers and soda.’
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=389277