Monday, April 27, 2009

Word of the Day: Tailpiece

In Young Frankenstein, the ever-so-brilliant Teri Garr announces firmly that the monster must have “an enormous Schwanstuker.” I’d always assumed it was a made up word that just sounded faintly German, but house boy and cunning linguist (such a small leap from Young Frankenstein to Austin Powers) Horatio Aldebrtus reports that according to Wikipedia it is “a malapropism from German Schwanz, "tail", and Stück, "piece." Now Horatrio keeps running around yelling “I gocher Tailpiece right here, baby.” Oh, these young people today.


Also, R Man is still sick, but better and taking his medicine very regularly, even though it also makes him sick. Friday is the last day of the meds and we’re both looking forward to it. He insisted on going to work today, mostly because he’s bored from being stuck at home, but promised to go home at noon. The only good thing is that he’s restricted to eating bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (BRAT!) all of which I love and which just shows I have the tastes of an elderly invalid. Mmm. Applesauce.

8 comments:

  1. I always assumed it meant the other piece the one in the front. “Oh sweet mystery of life at last I found you...”

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Horatio's implication is that it is a piece for your tail, but that's just a guess.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, dear - I feel so guilty. Somehwere packed away in my Wordly Goods that I have not seen for the past decade is The Barbara Pym Cookbook, which I feel sure would have just the right recipes for this kind of situation - bland but encouraging, if you now what I mean...

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's too good of you dear, we'll just have to struggle on without it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And I know you make your own applesauce!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hush, darling. I've got a bad enough Martha Stewart rep as it is.

    ReplyDelete
  7. THAT is a movie that deserves classic status. How fabulous it was :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. homemade applesauce!?
    Gosh, next thing you know you'll be telling us you make your own toast too.

    show off!

    ReplyDelete

In Which We Do Not Age Gracefully

  There are days when waking up takes all the energy I have.  I lie there, nothing more than a lump in bed, and try to bargain with my bladd...