Unusual names for cutlery

[Wilson Gray]

Yes. I remember hearing it as  "Wiss Vovista" and wondering what that
was. Even I was so young at the time that neither "wistful" nor "vista"
was in my vocabulary.

-Wilson

On Jan 19, 2005, at 6:16 PM, paulzjoh wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       paulzjoh <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Unusual names for cutlery
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> Wasn't it "Wistful Vista Drive"?
>
> Wilson Gray wrote:
>
>> I haven't the foggiest, but I do recall that 1847 Rogers Bros.
>> sponsored the old radio program, "Fibber Magee(sp?) and Molly" and
>> that
>> the couple lived at 1847 Rogers Road.
>>
>> -Wilson Gray
>>
>> On Jan 19, 2005, at 2:55 PM, Jesse Sheidlower wrote:
>>
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>> -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
>>> Subject:      Unusual names for cutlery
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> --
>>> --------
>>>
>>> No, I'm not talking about runcible spoons.
>>>
>>> A friend who is working on a late-nineteenth century American
>>> cutlery catalogue has e-mailed a question about certain
>>> descriptive (?) words found with the names of each piece of
>>> cutlery.
>>>
>>> Her message is below. Note her observations that the words
>>> are generally in the same alphabetical range (two different
>>> ranges, the difference between which is unclear), and notably
>>> that many of the words are not complimentary, which would seem
>>> to argue against an adopted name for a particular kind of
>>> piece.
>>>
>>> Anyone have an idea what the purpose of these words is?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Jesse Sheidlower
>>> OED
>>>
>>> ----- begin included message -----
>>>
>>> Catalogue no. 43 of the Meriden Britannia Company, published around
>>> 1890 in Meriden, CT (the date is uncertain), shows spoons, forks, and
>>> knives from the product line known as "1847 Rogers Bros." The various
>>> patterns are illustrated, with descriptive lists of the pieces in
>>> each
>>> pattern. What fascinates and intrigues me are the words listed to the
>>> left of each item. For instance, here are some examples from the
>>> "Lotus" price list:
>>>
>>> SPOONS
>>> Extra
>>> plate, per dozen
>>>
>>> Leper                   Mustard                                 $4.75
>>> Leporine                Salt, Individual                         3.75
>>> Letterbox               Vegetable                               36.00
>>>
>>> FORKS
>>>  etc.
>>>
>>> Levigated               Pickle, Long
>>> Levitical               Fruit
>>> Lewdly                  Child's
>>> Lewdness                Fish
>>>
>>> KNIVES
>>>
>>> Lexicology              Fish
>>> Lexigraphy              Pie
>>>
>>> SHELLS
>>>
>>> Libellous               Sugar
>>>
>>> SIFTERS
>>>
>>> Magically               Sugar
>>>
>>> CHILD'S SETS
>>>
>>> Libertine               No. 192
>>>
>>> LADLES
>>>
>>> Libidinous              Cream
>>> Licentious              Medium
>>> Licorice                Soup
>>>
>>> Under the "Columbia" Pattern we find:
>>>
>>> SPOONS
>>>
>>> Daunted                 Egg
>>> Dauphin                 Ice Cream
>>> Dayspring               Orange
>>> Limewater               Ice, Perforated Bowls
>>> Deaconry                Bouillon
>>>
>>> FORKS
>>>
>>> Deafness                Dessert
>>> Deathbed                Oyster
>>> Deathless               Fruit
>>> Debauch                 Child's
>>> Limitedly               Cake
>>> Debility                Fish
>>>
>>> and so on. The insertion of various words beginning with "L" breaks
>>> up
>>> the alphabetical order, which is not in any case consistent in the
>>> catalogue. I really can't figure out what's going on -- it would make
>>> sense to me if positive words were attached to the pieces, but at
>>> least
>>> half of them are decidedly negative. No key is provided.
>>>
>>> ----- end included message -----
>>>
>>
>>
>