Heya,

Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
name?

Regards,
Matt

On 6 Feb 2005 15:51:52 -0800, wrote:

>Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
>name?

Totally irrelevant, but are you talking about the rubber scrapers, or the
pancake flippers?

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

In article . com>,
wrote:

> Heya,
>
> Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
> name?

From dictionary.com:

Latin, flat piece of wood, splint, diminutive of spatha, broadsword.

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal

> how exactly did the spatula get it's
>name?

Looks like a Latin dimuative to me. Probably meant something like "miniature
shovel."

Neil

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 17:54:23 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>On 6 Feb 2005 15:51:52 -0800, wrote:
>
>>Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
>>name?
>
>Totally irrelevant, but are you talking about the rubber scrapers, or the
>pancake flippers?
>

My sister's MIL used mistakenly to refer to this kitchen item as a
"spatch-OLA." We refer to it that way most of time, too, at family
gatherings. It doesn't take much to crack us up when we all get
together to cook.

Still, your question makes perfect sense to me. One The Hub and I are
cooking together and one asks the other to hand a spatula from the
drawer, the other is likely to say, "You mean the pancake flipper or
the other thingee?"

Boron

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 19:41:40 -0500, Boron Elgar >
wrote:

>On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 17:54:23 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>Totally irrelevant, but are you talking about the rubber scrapers, or the
>>pancake flippers?
>
>Still, your question makes perfect sense to me. One The Hub and I are
>cooking together and one asks the other to hand a spatula from the
>drawer, the other is likely to say, "You mean the pancake flipper or
>the other thingee?"

We go through the exact same thing here. The only thing they have in
common is that they both have handles.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

WardNA wrote:
> > how exactly did the spatula get it's
> >name?
>
> Looks like a Latin dimuative to me. Probably meant something like
"miniature
> shovel."

Close.

"Oxford"

-ORIGIN late 18th cent.: via Latin from Greek spathe 'broad blade'.
---

On 6-Feb-2005, Priscilla Ballou > wrote:

> In article . com>,
> wrote:
>
> > Heya,
> >
> > Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
> > name?
>
> From dictionary.com:
>
> Latin, flat piece of wood, splint, diminutive of spatha, broadsword.
>
> Priscilla

And from Merriam-Webster, "Etymology: Late Latin, spoon, spatula"
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?spatula


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In article >,
Boron Elgar > wrote:

> My sister's MIL used mistakenly to refer to this kitchen item as a
> "spatch-OLA." We refer to it that way most of time, too, at family
> gatherings. It doesn't take much to crack us up when we all get
> together to cook.
>
> Still, your question makes perfect sense to me. One The Hub and I are
> cooking together and one asks the other to hand a spatula from the
> drawer, the other is likely to say, "You mean the pancake flipper or
> the other thingee?"

In my family when I was growing up, neither a "pancake turner" (aka
"hamburger turner") nor a "rubber licker" was a "spatula." Those wide
flat knives without a cutting edge were called spatulas.

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 03:01:48 GMT, Priscilla Ballou >
wrote:

>In my family when I was growing up, neither a "pancake turner" (aka
>"hamburger turner") nor a "rubber licker" was a "spatula." Those wide
>flat knives without a cutting edge were called spatulas.

Damn! Come to think of it, I call all three of those spatulas. Pretty
soon, everything will be called spatulas, and no one will know what anyone
else is talking about, It'll be culinary anarchy.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Sheldon wrote:
> WardNA wrote:
> > > how exactly did the spatula get it's
> > >name?
> >
> > Looks like a Latin dimuative to me. Probably meant something like
> "miniature
> > shovel."
>
> Close.
>
> "Oxford"
>
> -ORIGIN late 18th cent.: via Latin from Greek spathe 'broad blade'.
> ---

Hmm, how did I miss that... wouldn't a "broad blade" be a speculum?
hehe

Priscilla Ballou > wrote in news:vze23t8n-
:

> In article >,
> Boron Elgar > wrote:
>
>> My sister's MIL used mistakenly to refer to this kitchen item as a
>> "spatch-OLA." We refer to it that way most of time, too, at family
>> gatherings. It doesn't take much to crack us up when we all get
>> together to cook.
>>
>> Still, your question makes perfect sense to me. One The Hub and I are
>> cooking together and one asks the other to hand a spatula from the
>> drawer, the other is likely to say, "You mean the pancake flipper or
>> the other thingee?"
>
> In my family when I was growing up, neither a "pancake turner" (aka
> "hamburger turner") nor a "rubber licker" was a "spatula." Those wide
> flat knives without a cutting edge were called spatulas.
>
> Priscilla
>

The wide flat knife was a palette knife in our house when I was growing
up, and that's still how I refer to them. The "rubber licker" was a
spatula, but the thingy for turning stuff wasn't. I don't know if it was
ever really called anything, maybe an egg lifter or turner. I've seen
them referred to in cookbooks etc. as an egg slice or fish slice.

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

>Heya,
>
>Kind of an odd question -- but how exactly did the spatula get it's
>name?
>
>Regards,
>Matt
>
I don't know, but I knew a pharmacist who told me about when he first opened
his lab kit with his pharmacy partner in pharmacy school. They called that
thing a sp-TU-la.

In article >,
Damsel in dis Dress > wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 03:01:48 GMT, Priscilla Ballou >
> wrote:
>
> >In my family when I was growing up, neither a "pancake turner" (aka
> >"hamburger turner") nor a "rubber licker" was a "spatula." Those wide
> >flat knives without a cutting edge were called spatulas.
>
> Damn! Come to think of it, I call all three of those spatulas. Pretty
> soon, everything will be called spatulas, and no one will know what anyone
> else is talking about, It'll be culinary anarchy.
>
> ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I sense the makings of a Monty Pythonesque skit here...

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal