Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language

186 Forbidden Words
article is enough to suggest fine food. It doesn’t have to be the correct one –
typically masculine le is the unmarked article of ‘menuese’ (as it generally is
in French borrowings from English): Le Crabmeat Cocktail; Le Peach Melba
Sundae; Le Coupe aux Marrons Sundae; Le Salade; Le Crab Meat d’Alaska
au Sherry. Compare the use of masculine le with the feminine form petite
‘small’ that commonly appears in examples like Petite Filet Mignon – the
English word small never appears on menus. In fact small is avoided at all
costs in foodspeak, even for those products that come in more than one size –
these often start at large and then move to extra large, king-size or jumbo.
Extraordinary linguistic hybrids like Stuffed Tomato aux Herbes, Shoreham
Style; Café American; Broiled Steak Minute; Flaming Coffee Diablo, Prepared
en Vue of Guest and our favourites Clams Larry and Baked Stuffed
Lobster Larry also have that truly je ne sais quoi word order – in the tradition
of the culinary greats like Tournedos Rossini and Steak Diane, the modifiers
follow that which is being modified.
Occasionally, you encounter menus that don’t go in for this sort of decorative
language. The following is a sample of informative and orthophemistic
menu entries from a Chinese restaurant in Melbourne. Of course, the fact that
the foods listed here would not feature in many Anglo repertoires of edible
animal parts adds to the shock value of this menu.
Pig’s Blood and Skin with Carrot Platter
Soya Yin Yang Large Intestines
Crispy Skin Large Intestines
Bone Marrow with Abalone, Mushroom, Sea Cucumber and Shredded
Bamboo Shoots
Sea Cucumber, Shark’s Lips with Duck Feet in Clay Pot
Stir Fried Hakka Cabbage with Small Intestines
Stir Fried Hakka Cabbage with Large Intestines
Stir Fried Mixed Chicken Gizzards
Stewed Head and Stomach of Schnapper with Brown Sauce
Mixed Offal with Ginger
Pig’s Blood
Cannibalism
Somewhere at the back of our minds, carefully walled off from ordinary consideration
and discourse, lies the idea of cannibalism – that human beings might become
food, and eaters of each other. Violence, after all, is necessary if any organism is to
ingest another. Animals are murdered to produce meat; vegetables are torn up,
peeled, and chopped; most of what we eat is treated with fire; and chewing is
designed remorselessly to finish what killing and cooking began. People naturally
prefer that none of this should happen to them. Behind every rule of table etiquette