Linguistic Miscellany Thread

[Raphael]

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

I am kind of curious about this "The German", though. Is that meant as a hypothetical, or is there an actual type of food that's called that?

[Vijay]

I mean, do people in Frankfurt call "Frankfurters" something different?

My understanding is that they do, although I'm not sure what. This says:

The people of Frankfurt regard some of the sausages sold around the world under their name - Frankfurters - as a disgrace: bland, of questionable origin and with dubious fillings, which at best bear some resemblance to "Wiener," or Viennese sausages.

EDIT:

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

I think you may be right, but

I am kind of curious about this "The German", though. Is that meant as a hypothetical

That's what I'm wondering, too.

or is there an actual type of food that's called that?

I thought it was supposed to be German food in general?

[Pabappa]

no, I think you misunderstood. even German cooking is called by its proper names here .... although oddly enough, we have our own versions even of that .... e.g. American Braunschweiger is not the same sausage that is most popular in Braunschweig, and so on.

[Raphael]

or is there an actual type of food that's called that?

I thought it was supposed to be German food in general?

I'd say in Germany, people (if they're ethnically German) usually don't really think of food as German food - more as food from this place or region or food from that place or region. The closest to a German term for German food might be "Bürgerliche Küche"; something like "bourgeois cooking", although German "bürgerlich" doesn't necessarily have the negative connotations that "bourgeois" seems to have in English or French, except among members of the hard Left.

[Vijay]

or is there an actual type of food that's called that?

I thought it was supposed to be German food in general?

I'd say in Germany, people (if they're ethnically German) usually don't really think of food as German food - more as food from this place or region or food from that place or region.

Of course, I'd guess that's how people generally viewed their own food. Indians don't really think of Indian food as "Indian food," either (although this has probably become complicated due to the Indian restaurant business. Also, there are some foods I'm not sure can be traced back to a specific region, such as gobhi Manchurian).

[Linguoboy]

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

Nobody else would claim it!

This discussion made me curious what the Dutch call Hollandaise, so I looked it up in the Dutch Wikipedia and found this glorious first sentence:

Hollandaisesaus (of Hollandse saus) is een van oorsprong Franse saus die vooral in Duitsland populair is.

("Hollandaise sauce (or Hollandic sauce) is an originally French sauce that's especially popular in Germany.")

[akam chinjir]

The first time I heard the expression "American cheese" it was in French, and I assumed it was mockery.

[Raphael]

In the part of Germany where I live - things may or may not be the same in other parts of Germany - processed cheese in wrapped slices is often sold as "Chesterkäse", which would probably be seen as very insulting by people from the actual city of Chester.

[Linguoboy]

In the part of Germany where I live - things may or may not be the same in other parts of Germany - processed cheese in wrapped slices is often sold as "Chesterkäse", which would probably be seen as very insulting by people from the actual city of Chester.

Not to mention super misleading. I mean, the taste is a little similar, but the texture could hardly be more different.

Ist dir "Schmelzkäse" ein Begriff? What does it refer to?

[Raphael]

Ist dir "Schmelzkäse" ein Begriff? What does it refer to?

It is. I'm not entirely sure what type of cheese I'd associate with it, though. First and foremost, I'd probably associate it with cheese with a butter-like texture, though - cheese that you can spread like butter (edit: but not regular cream cheese). The German Wikipedia, on the other hand, seems to use a wider definition:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmelzk% ... A4se-1.jpg

[Moose-tache]

Holy shit, how did I miss this? Earlier this year the Heisei jidai ended, and the Reiwa jidai began. I remember writing my year of birth in Showa on all my government forms, so now I'm going to really feel old. How long until "Only Heisei kids will get these memes" posts start showing up on 9gag?

[Travis B.]

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

This is correct, and Americans oftentimes look down on American cheese - it isn't real cheese, and the only thing it is really good for is on burgers, and that is only because it is optimized to melt well on burgers. (E.g. the only time I have American cheese is when I get a burger from a chain - other than that, I wouldn't even think of purchasing American cheese myself, or even having it on homemade burgers.)

[Linguoboy]

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

This is correct, and Americans oftentimes look down on American cheese - it isn't real cheese, and the only thing it is really good for is on burgers, and that is only because it is optimized to melt well on burgers.

Eh, now that I’m all bougie-ass, I use real cheese like gruyère for grilled cheese sandwiches, but ain’t nothing wrong with the ones made with American cheese I was raised on and I’m not too good to eat those when I’m staying with family.

I also love tuna melts, and there ain’t a whole lotta daylight between Kraft singles and the “Swiss” or “white Cheddar” I get on those.

[Travis B.]

My impression is that US-Americans call a specific type of cheese "American cheese", so...

This is correct, and Americans oftentimes look down on American cheese - it isn't real cheese, and the only thing it is really good for is on burgers, and that is only because it is optimized to melt well on burgers.

Eh, now that I’m all bougie-ass, I use real cheese like gruyère for grilled cheese sandwiches, but ain’t nothing wrong with the ones made with American cheese I was raised on and I’m not too good to eat those when I’m staying with family.

I also love tuna melts, and there ain’t a whole lotta daylight between Kraft singles and the “Swiss” or “white Cheddar” I get on those.

It is probably just that my family does not use American cheese, even though they do not use fancy cheeses like gruyère either, has gotten me to just not think of ever buying American cheese - I haven't grown up with it, so there is no kind of nostalgia factor for me.

[Vijay]

I insist on eating my sandwiches cold.

[zompist]

The find folks at cheese.com, whoever they are, have this to say:

American cheese is processed cheese made from a blend of milk, milk fats and solids, with other fats and whey protein concentrate. At first, it was made from a mixture of cheeses, more often than not Colby and Cheddar. Since blended cheeses are no longer used, it cannot be legally called “cheese” and has to be labelled as “processed cheese”, “cheese product“, etc. Sometimes, instead of the word cheese, it is called "American slices" or "American singles".

You can't go wrong with something the American government doesn't let you call "cheese"!

I can eat cheese all day, but American cheese... er, American cheese food straight from the plastic is kind of nasty. It's fine melted on a burger.

[Moose-tache]

Another strategy is to just not call it cheese at all, but a proprietary brand name, like Velveeta. Surprisingly, both Velveeta and other forms of "American cheese" are over a century old. Usually disgusting foods that were invented during a time of hardship get some grudging respect (Spam, carrot cake, etc.), but processed cheese is placed firmly in the Larder of National Shame alongside casseroles with marshmallows on top and Vienna sausages.

[akam chinjir]

Another strategy is to just not call it cheese at all, but a proprietary brand name, like Velveeta. Surprisingly, both Velveeta and other forms of "American cheese" are over a century old. Usually disgusting foods that were invented during a time of hardship get some grudging respect (Spam, carrot cake, etc.), but processed cheese is placed firmly in the Larder of National Shame alongside casseroles with marshmallows on top and Vienna sausages.

A couple American Thanksgivings ago I made sage marshmallows and roasted them onto sweet potatoes. The marshmallows on their own were delightful...

[Nortaneous]

I thought it was supposed to be German food in general?

I'd say in Germany, people (if they're ethnically German) usually don't really think of food as German food - more as food from this place or region or food from that place or region.

Of course, I'd guess that's how people generally viewed their own food. Indians don't really think of Indian food as "Indian food," either (although this has probably become complicated due to the Indian restaurant business. Also, there are some foods I'm not sure can be traced back to a specific region, such as gobhi Manchurian).

America has an idea of American food, but we generally don't know which foods are regional until we move away and can't get them anymore, unless they've been heavily marketed as a regional thing (crabs and Old Bay in Maryland, lobsters in coastal New England...)

[TomHChappell]

Except that apparently, vertreten by itself means 'to represent' or 'to substitute'.

Yes, that, too.

So how do you say “misrepresent”?

———

While we’re at it, how do you say “misunderestimate”?