Hamburger

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7407
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Hamburger

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:38 pm

• hamburger •


Pronunciation: hæm-bêr-gêr • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Ground beef. 2. A round patty of ground beef, usually though not necessarily served between two slices of bread or in a bun with condiments (mustard, ketchup, pickles or relish, tomatoes, and lettuce are among the favorites).

Notes: Today's Good Word long ago fell victim to folk etymology, a misanalysis of a borrowed word that makes it more recognizable. Even though it originates as the German derivation meaning something from the city of Hamburg (Hamburg-er), English speakers immediately (mis)perceived the word ham in it and began replacing that word with so many others that burger finally became a word on its own.

In Play: I only wish I had a nickel for every hamburger that will be cooked and consumed in the US this Fourth of July. The all-American hamburger is by far the favorite food for celebrating US Independence Day, despite its origin (see the Word History).

Word History: In the 13th and 14th centuries Turkic tribes known as Tatars roamed across the plains of what today is Russia. They were known for chopping meat (probably because it was tough horsemeat), mixing it with spices (to hide any spoilage), and eating it raw (on horseback). This idea gravitated to the German town of Hamburg, which became famous for its beefsteak Tatar, ground beef served with onions and spices without the benefit of a flame. When this 'Hamburg steak' reached the US, it was generally served cooked. The expression 'Hamburger steak' first appeared in the January 5, 1889 edition of the Walla Walla (Washington) Union. The steak was soon dropped, but it wasn't until the 1930s that the word cheeseburger appeared, and by 1939 hamburger had been shortened to burger. At that point, a flood of compounds with this new word began to appear: fishburger, turkeyburger, baconburger, and so on and on and on. (Today's hot Good Word comes to us courtesy of Dr. Goodword, himself a Pennsylvanian Lewisburger of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8013
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Hamburger

Postby Slava » Sat Jul 08, 2023 1:19 pm

In spite of the admittedly tiny sample size of one family I picnic with, I'm going to wonder, do many people out there still actually make their own hamburgers? Or does pretty much everyone now buy preformed patties from the grocery store?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

Debbymoge
Lexiterian
Posts: 303
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:15 pm

Re: Hamburger

Postby Debbymoge » Sun Jul 09, 2023 11:30 am

I do my own. Frozen, as most of the prepackaged ones are, and thin, mean no way to have them nearly "tatar" on the inside which is the only way I like them.

Keeping count?
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Semrush [Bot] and 20 guests