drinking term question

victor steinbok aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
Tue Sep 6 18:55:08 UTC 2011


Russians don't distinguish--in language--between foods that are eaten before
and after consumption of alcohol. Thus anything eaten as a precursor (e.g.,
herring) to, say, a vodka shot, or as a chaser after one (e.g., a pickle or
a slice of apple), or as an accompaniment to beer (e.g., dried fish, beef
jerky) usually goes by the same name as the term for appetizers or non-soup
first courses ([zakuska]), although there is a term for eating something as
a side accompaniment, e.g., rock sugar with tea or dried fish with beer ([v
prikusku]).

English distinguishes something that follows a drink--chaser--from other
combinations. A chaser can be food or another drink (e.g., a beer chaser).
Is there a distinct term for items that are eaten BEFORE drinking, i.e.,
items for which a vodka shot may serve as a chaser?

VS-)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list