I didn’t mention that mackerel is also an insult in French, as Orwell was called this a lot in down and out in London in Paris, basically translating into pimp. Which makes it even stranger, considering the book, but I guess that’s what he was called. https://www.wordreference.com/fren/maquereau
Also, I don't think Lent is big here (but then again, I grew up in a atheist-agnostic household so what would I know about such things?). But I remember school cafeteria had fish every Friday, which is linked to religion. I wonder if they still do it.
Yeah - I'm off about Lent by at least a month. Considering that you can't go more than a block or to without stumbling over something conspicuously religious, the place hardly seems that into it.
25+ years in NY and I gave up on trying to keep track of English fish names. It was one of those things that always eluded me. But since I love all fish, I gave up and would order whatever random fish was on the menu, sparing me unduly work and confusion ;)
My meat and fish vocabulary in English was extremely limited when I moved to France at the age of 30. Then there is that pesky question of British English vs. American English. I now actually find the English terms foreign!
On another note, I think most customs have lost their link to Catholicism here, but I do notice that a lot of restaurants still put out a Friday daily fish special.
I didn’t mention that mackerel is also an insult in French, as Orwell was called this a lot in down and out in London in Paris, basically translating into pimp. Which makes it even stranger, considering the book, but I guess that’s what he was called. https://www.wordreference.com/fren/maquereau
Also, I don't think Lent is big here (but then again, I grew up in a atheist-agnostic household so what would I know about such things?). But I remember school cafeteria had fish every Friday, which is linked to religion. I wonder if they still do it.
Yeah - I'm off about Lent by at least a month. Considering that you can't go more than a block or to without stumbling over something conspicuously religious, the place hardly seems that into it.
25+ years in NY and I gave up on trying to keep track of English fish names. It was one of those things that always eluded me. But since I love all fish, I gave up and would order whatever random fish was on the menu, sparing me unduly work and confusion ;)
My meat and fish vocabulary in English was extremely limited when I moved to France at the age of 30. Then there is that pesky question of British English vs. American English. I now actually find the English terms foreign!
On another note, I think most customs have lost their link to Catholicism here, but I do notice that a lot of restaurants still put out a Friday daily fish special.