Shrimp(s) and prawns

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:48 PM -0400 3/10/09, Bill Palmer wrote:
>On the east coast of the US they are all "shrimp", regardless of size.  As
>far as I know, the word "prawn" is unknown.

Well, it's known now, but it's still foreign in some sense.  A while
back it was *really* unknown, even to proto-foodies.  I remember
distinctly visiting London at age 18 after many years of delighted
consumption of seafood in New York and environs and being amazed that
they called shrimp prawns.  They were big shrimp, as shrimp go.

LH

>
>In California, and maybe the rest of the west coast, small, salad-size
>shrimp are "shrimp", larger varieties, such as might go on the barbie or
>into a cocktail are "prawns. Altho during my years there I never heard of a
>"prawn cocktail"
>
>Bill Palmer
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 8:11 PM
>Subject: Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail
>>header -----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>Subject:      Re: Shrimp(s) and prawns
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>At 3/10/2009 08:05 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>>>I seem to remember a time when the plural of "shrimp" was *shrimp*,
>>>like unto "sheep, sheep." But maybe it was just a BE thing. Or maybe
>>>the problem is with my memory. I won't bet money on this.
>>
>>When you meet them at the dinner table, they're shrimp.*  But when
>>you meet them on the school playground, they're shrimps.
>>
>>Joel
>>
>>* If shrimp are fish, then the plural is "shrimp".  Unless you're
>>mixing shrimp and prawns, when they become two kinds of fishes.
>>
>>:-)
>>
>>Joel
>>
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>
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