Mission of the American Dialect Society; St. Joseph's Bread

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 11/1/2003 1:33:35 AM Eastern Standard Time,
lists at SPANISHTRANSLATOR.ORG writes:


> The real issue,
> in my opinion, is one of discussion vs. the continual spewing forth of raw
> data.
>
> Discussion is interesting.
>
> Cheers,
> Scott
>

  So we're supposed to discuss new developments without the raw data?
  The new information is the START of the discussion!  One person, for
example, finds "jazz" in 1912.  That's the raw data--the great find.  And then, if
we want to, we discuss what that means.  That's how it works.
  We've entered perhaps the greatest age in the history of English
lexicography--and Dennis Preston wants to ban it all from the American Dialect Society?

   Zero accommodation?
   We've discussed this many times before.  Fred and Sam have written
"antedating" in the subject line.  My posts are self-explanatory.  We've told you
many times that if you're not interested in "dulce de leche" or the "Daily Candy
lexicon" or "trick or treat," you can delete it all.  It takes a few seconds.
And if DELETING is too much trouble, you can BLOCK everything with
"antedating" in the subject, and everything from me.
   But no!  That IS too much trouble!  We should go away right now!
   So, instead of posting "trick or treat," I should help humanity by
throwing myself in front of a moving train?
   Thanks, Dennis.  The disgraces never end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
ST. JOSEPH'S BREAD

   A friend e-mailed me this:

St. Joseph's Day is HUGE in Buffalo - the St. Joseph's Day tables are laid
out by restaurants to feed the poor, and the centerpiece is always St. Joseph's
bread. It's meatless but mighty fine stuff. Of course, the local politicians
always take advantage of the crowds so there's a lot of hot air, too.

There are also St. Joseph's Day cream puffs - just the best! I'll bet there
are recipes and references in Mary Ann Esposito's cookbooks - she's from
Rochester and knows a lot about Sicilian cooking - and most of Buffalo's Italian
cooking has its roots in Sicily - as is that of Rochester and Niagara Falls also.
I have several fine recipes that I really cherish. Too bad the Buffalo News
(aka the Buffalo Snooze) isn't on line - or better yet, the now defunct Courier
Express that always featured recipes from the "common folk" for ethnic
holiday dishes.


   The NYPL has a poor selection of Buffalo newspapers.  This should be easy
to check--go down the years for March 19.
   Maybe on my next Library of Congress trip.  After spending much time and
effort to research an American food tradition--and posting it here for free,
for DARE and OED and others to use without compensation or credit--I'd like more
carping from Dennis about his poor little delete finger.  Thanks a lot!