[Sca-cooks] SCA names for foodie types

[Huette von Ahrens]

--- "Harris Mark.S-rsve60"
<Mark.s.Harris at freescale.com> wrote:
<
> 
> That was one of the points I was trying to
> make. Let me try rewording it.
> 1) I don't think it means 'saves bacon', as in
> 'saves the bacon'. I think it means 'has
> bacon/fat to spare'

You have totally overlooked several meanings of
the word "spare".  Here is what Encarta 
dictionary says about "spare":

spare
verb  (past spared, past participle spared,
present participle spar·ing, 3rd person present
singular spares)
1. transitive verb refrain from harming somebody:
to refrain from killing, punishing, or harming
somebody

2. transitive verb treat somebody leniently: to
treat leniently or refrain from treating somebody
harshly

3. transitive verb save somebody from doing
something: to save or relieve somebody from the
effort or trouble of doing something

4. transitive verb withhold something: to 
withhold or avoid something

5. transitive verb use something frugally: to use
or dispense something frugally

6. transitive verb afford something: to give up 
or be able to contribute something from one’s
resources, especially without inconvenience
I can’t spare any time to exercise.

7. transitive verb refrain from using something:
to refrain from using something

8. intransitive verb be frugal: to be frugal and
thrifty ( archaic )

adjective 
1. kept in reserve: kept in reserve for emergency
use

2. superfluous: more than what is needed

3. lean: with a muscular physique and no excess
fat

4. scanty: lacking in quantity or extent

noun  (plural spares)
1. something extra: something extra that is kept
in reserve

2. knocking down pins in two tries: in bowling, 
an instance of knocking down all the pins in two
attempts

3. bowling score: a score made in bowling by 
using two rolls to knock down all ten pins

[Old English sparian . Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that also produced
German sparen “to save.”]

Now that we have that out of the way, I think
that "sparbakoun" would have verb meaning 8 : to
use frugally.  Therefore, using bacon frugally.
Or I can see adjective meaning 3: lean, as
in lean bacon.  Sort of an oxymoron. I could
also see verb meaning 4 "withhold or avoid
something". Meaning 7 "refrain from using
something."  One could call an orthodox Jew
"Sparbakoun" as he/she would avoid or refrain 
from using pork products. Considering the age of
the name, I doubt that it really means "having
bacon to spare".

> 2) What I think what it means may be considered
> rude today, but in period it probably wasn't.
> Look at the 'models' in the period portraits
> compared to the ones today.
> 3) Even if it is a good, period name, do you
> want to use it today?

Sure, because I don't think that your meaning
is correct.

Huette Sparbakoun would mean that I was frugal
in using fat [as in Jack Spratt could eat no fat]
or that I was a stout person, not necessarily
fat or that I was Jewish.

Huette


=====
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they 
shall never cease to be amused.


	
		
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