SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #2630

[Jim Revells]

> ... And as the day follows night, as year follows year, so the great gods of 
> old become the hearth spirits amongst the new.  As traditions are replaced 
> by traditions, so dies, reduced and forgotten, the feast(o)crat and so lives 
> the Steward.

Um. Why do people want to use a term for a non-cooking position (Steward)
for the person in charge of cooking (not just ordering/setting out) the
feast?

As per OED:

" 1. a. An official who controls the domestic affairs of a
household, supervising the service of his master's table, directing
the domestics, and regulating household expenditure; a
major-domo. Obs. exc. Hist.
 
  c1000 Gloss. in Wr.-Wlcker 223/7 Discoforus, discifer, uel stiweard.
c1000 LFRIC Gloss. ibid. 129/13 Economus, stiward. c1290 St. Eustace
144 in S.E. Leg. 397 is knites ote woner gret at a such heiward Of so
quinte seruise was as he were eny stuard. 1393 LANGL. P. Pl. C. XVI. 40
Reson stod and stihlede as for stywarde of halle. 14.. Bk. Curtasye 535 in
Babees Bk., At countyng stuarde schalle ben. c1470 HENRY Wallace IV. 383
Hys stwart Kerlye brocht thaim in fusioun Gude thing eneuch quhat was in
to the toun. 1590 SPENSER F.Q. I. x. 37 The first of them,..Of all the
house had charge and gouernement, As Guardian and Steward of the rest.
1601 SHAKES. Twel. N. II. v. 169 If not, let me see thee a steward still,
the fellow of seruants.
1623 WEBSTER Duchess Malfi Dram. Pers., Antonio Bologna, steward of the
household to the Duchess. 1651 J. WHITE Rich Cabinet (1677) 171 A
Steward comeing to buy fruit for his Lady, bought all the apples they had
at 7 a peny."

The closest is this, but it is still quite clear that the Steward isn't
doing the cooking:

" c. A servant of a college who is charged with the duty of
catering. Also, the head servant of a club or similar institution,
who has control of the other servants.
 
  1518 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) III. 473, iiij li shalbe
delyeurd yerly to the stuward of the said Collegge. 1717 E. MILLER Acc.
Univ. Camb. 106 The 7th Statute concerning the Steward..appoints him to go
with the Cook to the Shambles, to see the Victuals bought; and to demand
from the Fellows, &c. all Monies due for Commons, and sizeings at the end
of every Moneth, &c."

"b. In certain City companies: One of two or more officers, who
are charged with the arrangements for the annual dinner. Cf. sense
10.
 
  1614 in W. M. Williams Ann. Founders' Co. (1867) 90 That..Master
Wardens, Assistants, and Livery should pay to the Stewards for the
providing
of dynner on the day of the Master's Feast the some of Two Shillings
each."

" 10. A person appointed to supervise the arrangements or
maintain order at a race meeting, exhibition, dinner, ball, concert,
public gathering, etc.
 
  1703 Lond. Gaz. No. 3949/4 The Horses to be shewn at the George in
Amsbury.., and to be entred by the Steward. 1709 BP. ATTERBURY Serm.
Sons of Clergy Ded., To the Worshipful Mr. John Tenison [and others]
Stewards for the Late Feast of the Sons of the Clergy. "



Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
"And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again."