word of the day: patum peperium
Another British cultural item. I don’t know if this is available in America. I’ve never heard of it. Maybe it’s in the import aisle. Like Vegemite.
Miss Bianca, head of the Mouse Prisoners’ Aid Society, is conferring with a boy, leader of the mouse scouts, about a little mission. Shaun is very proud to be seen as an equal by the famous Miss Bianca, even a bit cocky about it.
context:
Miss Bianca, sensibly perceiving that the first thing necessary was to cut him down to size, at once pressed upon him a slice of toast so thickly spread with patum peperium as to bring tears to his eyes. After a couple more slices (which his pride forbade him to refuse), young Shaun sat looking much more respectful.
definition (wikipedia): Gentleman's Relish is a type of anchovy paste. It is also known as Patum Peperium (in the style of Latin). It was created in 1828 by an Englishman named John Osborn. It has a strong, very salty and slightly fishy taste, and contains anchovies (minimum 60%), butter, herbs and spices.
Challenging a boy to a test of manhood (chowing down difficult food), was a miscalculation on Miss Bianca’s part. Shaun realized he had something to prove.
Patum peperium, by the way, is Latin, and according to GoogleTranslate it means “usurpation of birth.”
source:
The Turret
by Margery Sharp
illustrations by Garth Williams
1963. Little, Brown, & Co., Boston
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