I am working with our Information Technology Department to develop a Web page for my department. In doing so (remember, I am computer unsavvy), I was introduced to a new term: "bread crumbs". The person explained it to me as being like Hansel and Gretel following the bread crumbs to find their home...you use them to travel around the Web page. I asked her if the phrase evolved from Hansel and Gretel, and she laughed saying, "Of course not!" But, she had no idea how it evolved. Do any of you?

[This message was edited by Kalleh on Wed May 7th, 2003 at 11:57.]

Remember, if we're looking at Hansel and Gretel, you'd be unsuccessful following a trail of breadcrumbs because in the story they were eaten by birds, although an on-line reference work appears to attribute the web use to that fairy story.

Stephen.

There's an example of bread crumbs at the top of this page: » wordcraft.infopop.cc » Questions & Answers about Words » Bread Crumbs

Clicking on the last link takes you back to the general sub-category and clicking on the first link takes you to the site's home page. It is a common navigation aid in lots of Web pages. See http://www.welie.com/patterns/crumbs.html and http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/bread_crumbs.html

I have no idea who first thought of the name, but it clearly is a reference to tales like Hansel and Gretel.

Edit: See http://info.astrian.net/jargon/terms/b/bread_crumbs.html

Tell me, what do you use in the USA when you need bread crumbs - if you don't use bread crumbs" How could you make a Scotch Egg?

Richard English

First of all, pardon my ignorance, but I have never heard of a Scotch Egg, though it sounds rather delectable!

But, secondly, we do use bread crumbs in cooking (I have found "bread crumbs" can either be one word or 2); I had never seen the phrase used with computers.

In the updated version of Hansel & Gretel (one of many literary projects I may or may not ever get to) the pair go into the woods dropping poisoned breadcrumbs. They later find their way home by following the trail of dead birds.

For the movie, I see Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts.

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Originally posted by Richard English:
How could you make a Scotch Egg?

Richard English

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Bear slaps Richard's legs.

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Originally posted by C J Strolin:
dropping _poisoned_ breadcrumbs.

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Oh, excellent! But that would have required some foresight on the part of Hansje en Grietje. (Dutch names.)

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
But, secondly, we _do_ use bread crumbs in cooking

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Firstly, a Scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg, which has been surrounded by sausagemeat and then floured and egged and crumbed and deep fried.

How else does one stuff poultry than by using breadcrumbs (OK, yes, I know about black pudding and prune stuffing for geese and a sausagemeat stuffing for a turkey).

Chef Stephen

Welcome to the bear! Got any more recipes?

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Firstly, a Scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg, which has been surrounded by sausagemeat and then floured and egged and crumbed and deep fried.

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As Vinny Gambino said in one of my favorite movies, My Cousin, Vinny, "Have you heard of the ongoing cholesterol problem in this country"?

You ought really to ensure that you have a few pints with the scotch egg, since the alcohol helps offset the effects of the cholesterol!

This is, by the way, a proven fact - although I wouldn't suggest that boozing is a complete antidote to excessive saturated fat intake!

Richard English

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Originally posted by Morgan:
Welcome to the bear! Got any more recipes?

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Loads, but they won't be appreciated here.

Stephen.

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You ought really to ensure that you have a few pints with the scotch egg, since the alcohol helps offset the effects of the cholesterol!

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Now, I like that rationalization.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
As Vinny Gambino said in one of my favorite movies, _My Cousin, Vinny_, "Have you heard of the ongoing cholesterol problem in this country"?

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"Oh, yeah. You blend!"


(And, were I to be hyperpicky, I might chastise you for putting a comma into the title where none exists but I'm not so I won't.)

Do you want to guess how many times I have seen this hilarious movie? Too many, I'm sure.

Mona Lisa: Yeah, that's it, it's broken. (the faucet)
Vinny: You sure?
Mona Lisa: I'm positive.
Vinny: Maybe you didn't twist it hard enough.
Mona Lisa: I twisted it just right.
Vinny: How can you be so sure?
Mona Lisa: If you will look in the manual, you will see that this
particular model faucet requires a range of 10-16 foot pounds of
torque. I routinely twist the maximum allowable torquage.
Vinny: How can you be sure you used 16 foot pounds of torque?
Mona Lisa: Because I used a Craftsman model 1019 Laboratory
edition, signature series torque wrench. The kind used by Cal Tech
High Energy physicists, and NASA engineers.
Vinny: In that case, how can you be sure THAT'S accurate?
Mona Lisa: Because a split second before the torque wrench was
applied to the faucet handle, it had been calibrated by top members
of the state and federal department of weights and measures, to be
dead on balls accurate. Here's the certificate of validation!
Vinny: I guess the *#!*^$# thing is broken!

I can't believe my comma! I can only say it was a typo, and not ignorance (this time ).