Re: Intergermansk - Pizza packaging text :D

Charlie wrote:

> --- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Gary Shannon <fiziwig@Y...> wrote:
> --- Tristan McLeay <conlang@T...>
> wrote:
>
> > Hmm... that's another odd one, AFAIK, all mushrooms
> > are edible, because
> > if they're not, they're not mushrooms. Something
> > seems fishy in the
> > land of fungi.
>
> >>In English there are many poisonous mushrooms, so the
> >>term "mushroom" is definitely NOT restricted to edible
> >>mushrooms.
>
> --gary
> --- End forwarded message ---
>
> American Heritage Dictionary
>
> mushroom: _Any_ [emphasis mine] of various fleshy fungi of the class
> Basidiomycetes, characteristically having an umbrella-shaped cap
> borne on a stalk; especially, any of the edible varieties.
>
> toadstool: An inedible fungus with an umbrella-shaped fruiting body,
> so distinguished from an edible mushroom.
>
> Sounds to me like "toadstool" is a subset of "mushroom."
Umbrella-shaped "cap" vs. "fruiting body"??? I don't see the difference; and
somehow I suspect "toadstool" isn't a term professional mushroom
hunters/mycologists use much.

When we were children, perhaps before we went shopping with Mother,
"toadstool" covered all mushroom(-like) things growing in the wild, of
mysterious origin, and we were strongly enjoined from eating _any_ of them,
for they were all said to be poisonous.  But having put away childish
things, I haven't used the word in years.

As for "champignon": it may be in the dictionary, but AFAICT, is only used
in French-style restaurants. Your favorite Outback or Ponderosa doesn't
offer "champignon sauce"; your favorite pizza place will give you a big fat
"Whaa???" is you ask for "champignons". Your favorite supermarket sells only
"mushrooms"--though that may include chanterelles, oyster, shiitake,
port(ao)bello, porcini, along with the ordinary white button.

Plenty of other French food expressions are used far more commonly-- hors
d'oeuvre, vichyssoise, paté, mousse, éclair, and non-food like savoir faire,
or carte blanche ("take Blanche home" :-)) )

Amusing note: the Chinese edible fungus "tree ears" is called "mouse ears"
(kuping tikus) in Indonesian.