Tuesday, April 7, 2009

RAPE ON A PLATE


My eye caught a news story yesterday that informed me that the British supermarket Sainsbury’s were renaming the fish known as “Pollack” because customers have reported that asking for it by name was embarrassing.

It will now be renamed “Colin” which is apparently French for a similar fish but sounds like a Gay wine bar owner to me, but then, what do I know.

Apparently to the English ear, "Pollack" sounds unfortunately like a slang word for testicles, as well being close to two other words used as insults, one of them racist. Well it doesn’t to me but then I am tone deaf.

Of course in Spain we have a very popular fish called “Rape”, which I believe is the humble monkfish. I espied a sign outside a restaurant in Ronda, which served ‘Rape a la parrilla’, enticing British customers in with the promise of “Rape on a plate”. There didn’t seem many takers!

There is the famous Spanish coffee brand “Bonka” that should appeal to the famed British love of sexual innuendo.

However for me the favourite has to be a brand of gin. I remember a very demure lady in her 70s once telling me with delight how buses used to drive around Madrid with posters for “Focking Gin” on the sides. She was particularly pleased as she could go up to the host at a party and demand “Give me a Focking Gin” – “and make it a large one!”

My sentiments entirely.

6 comments:

Justin Roberts said...

Brilliant post! Made me laugh out loud.

Anonymous said...

On my first visit to Spain in the '60s I sent a number of postcards home from Almuñecar, where there used to be a Hotel called after its Roman name, telling my friends that I was enjoying "Rape at the Sexi". This was met with the silence it deserved!

Anonymous said...

A brilliant piece today. I laughed out loud at the "focking gin" bit...

Prospero said...

Once upon a time I collected these idiomatic pecularities. We all know Bimbo bread, but I've also seen Ass Man underwear for gents, which might sell better in the US.
And then, of course, there are the menus. 'Rape Mariners Style' is one of my favourites for Rape a la Marinera... Indeed, I have been trying to get JimenaPulse readers to send in their favourite translations, much helped these days by online translations. Any contributions?

Clare Ryman said...

Let us not forget the Sweddish toilet paper -Krapp

Anonymous said...

The Spanish Club in Tangier has Grass Omlette on the menu. Too close for comfort.