There, the bread "plate" was quite large and was like a modern
> serving platter -- enough for several people, but too hard to eat,
just a
> disposable plate. It (and the food on it) was called a "mess",
hence the modern
> term "mess hall".


the bread plate was called a trencher, thus "trencherman" for a real
chowhound.

joe
petersburg (one of the few things i remember from the tower of london)
alaska