On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:27:50 +0200, Victor Sack wrote:

> Steve Pope > wrote:
>
>> Victor Sack > wrote:
>>
>>>"Bulk sausage" is utter nonsense and a totally unnecessary one, too.
>>
>> I disagree. It's just terminology, no more or less valid
>> than other terminology.
>
> It is not about a validity of anything; it is about "bulk sausage" being
> semantic nonsense. The term is perfectly well understandable by anyone,
> but is semantically ridiculous.
>
>>>The "term" was probably first used by someone with a limited knowledge
>>>of both English and cooking (and it was surely the very same harmful
>>>drudge who started to use "hamburger" in a similar sense). "Sausage" is
>>>defined by its casings. The minced meat that goes into the casings or
>>>is used for many other related or unrelated products and dishes is
>>>correctly called "forcemeat" throughout the English-speaking world,
>>>America including.
>>
>> "Forcemeat" is a pretty uncommon term among Americans.
>
> It appears to be about as common or uncomon as everywhere else. When
> people are not very knowledgeable about cooking and its terminology,
> they tend to resort to semantic crutches, of which "bulk sausage" is an
> example. The same is, of course, also true of any other area of human
> knowledge.
>
>> This does not mean they are full of nonsense. (And there's
>> so many other ways to demonstrate that, so why bother with
>> this one..)
>
> Do I detect a typical defensiveness engendered by a perceived slight to
> America or Americans? Yes, I do. Yet, the only "slight" would appear
> to reside in the incidental fact that the ridiculous term "bulk sausage"
> appears to be in use in America only.
>
> Victor

....and everyone in america seems to know what it means. i fail to see the
problem, or 'semantic nonsense' involved.

your pal,
blake