antedating scampi (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:49 AM -0500 12/15/10, victor steinbok wrote:
>
>
>http://goo.gl/POPGs
>Journal of the Society of Arts, Volume 25. 1877
>Fiume and Her New Port. By George L. Faber. p. 1034/1
>  > The "scampo," a delicious kind of crawfish, is caught here, which
>has the reputation of not being met with elsewhere, excepting in
>Norway. It resembles the prawn in taste; it varies from 4 in. to 8
>in. in length, sometimes growing even larger; and it is found
>chiefly in those parts of the sea where fresh water springs abound.

Nice to see it showing up in the singular too.  Any early hits for "spaghetto"?

>  >
>>  From a letter dated February 1, 1819:
>>  "Within this last fortnight I have been rather indisposed with a
>>  rebellion of stomach, which would retain nothing, (liver, I suppose) and
>>  an inability, or fantasy, not to be able to eat of any thing with relish
>>  but a kind of Adriatic fish called 'scampi,' which happens to be the
>>  most indigestible of marine viands."
>>
>>  Thomas Moore, ed., The Works of Lord Byron: With his Letters and
>  > Journals, and his Life, Volume 4, 1947, p. 141. Google Books:
>
Byron's problem was eating his scampi with relish; just a bit of
lemon juice would have been wiser.  ;-)


LH

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