[Dragaera] Seventeen Jhegaala Spoilers *HEAVY, SEVERE, SERIOUS, MAJOR Spoilers*

[Mark Mandel]

On Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 1:24 AM, Jon Lincicum <lincicum at comcast.net> wrote:

> Chris Olson wrote:
>
>> Erzsébet of Catspirit Wood wrote:
>>
>>> Jon Lincicum wrote:
>>>
>>>> SPOILERS WITHIN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
>>>>
>>>
Not in this one.


> 15. We now know that pigs do exist on Dragaera. We've had hints before, but
>>>> this is the first time the word's ever been directly used. I had often
>>>> suspected they might not, in favor of Kethna.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I first thought you meant the reference to "pork" in the "hunter's stew,"
>>> and I think that could still have been kethna. But then I realized you
>>> probably meant "pig eatin's." I'm not sure what to think of that, as we
>>> still have no other evidence of pigs. I wonder if it could be a linguistic
>>> hold-over from pre-colonization days?
>>>
>> Well, there are two explanations for "pig eatin's", I suspect.  The first
>> is that the author had to put it in, because it amused him to do so.  (If
>> you don't know the reference, you can find it on his weblog.  It was some
>> time in 2007 prior to November, but I'm not sure precisely.  Link to 2007's
>> entries: http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/2007/ .  I'd explain, but I
>> wouldn't do it justice.)
>>
> The original source of this was actually the March 17, 2006 entry, seen
> here:
>
> http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/8654.html
>
> Oh, Chica, just look what you started!
>

When I saw that I thought of "chazzerei" or "chazzerai" (pronounced with
"ch" as in Bach, loch, or l'chaim, the last syllable stressed and rhyming
with "eye"). That's Yiddish for "garbage", literally "pig stuff", but my Dad
used it as the name of a casserole he used to make. My sister and I didn't
know Yiddish, so I guess it was his private joke. And that would be full
circle, because the oldest meaning of "garbage" in English is "The offal of
an animal used for food; esp. the entrails. Rarely, the entrails of a man."
(OED). (Offal: "The edible parts collectively which are cut off in preparing
the carcass of an animal for food. In early use applied mainly to the
entrails; later extended to include the head, tail, and internal organs such
as the heart, liver, etc.")

Mark A. Mandel, proprietor, Cracks and Shards
http://www.cracksandshards.com
a Steven Brust fan website