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The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu
The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu | Dan Jurafsky
2015 James Beard Award Nominee: Writing and Literature category Eye-opening, insightful, and huge fun to read.Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork Why do we eat toast for breakfast, and then toast to good health at dinner? What does the turkey we eat on Thanksgiving have to do with the country on the eastern Mediterranean? Can you figure out how much your dinner will cost by counting the words on the menu? In The Language of Food, Stanford University professor and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky peels away the mysteries from the foods we think we know. Thirteen chapters evoke the joy and discovery of reading a menu dotted with the sharp-eyed annotations of a linguist. Jurafsky points out the subtle meanings hidden in filler words like "rich" and "crispy," zeroes in on the metaphors and storytelling tropes we rely on in restaurant reviews, and charts a microuniverse of marketing language on the back of a bag of potato chips. The fascinating journey through The Language of Food uncovers a global atlas of culinary influences. With Jurafsky's insight, words like ketchup, macaron, and even salad become living fossils that contain the patterns of early global exploration that predate our modern fusion-filled world. From ancient recipes preserved in Sumerian song lyrics to colonial shipping routes that first connected East and West, Jurafsky paints a vibrant portrait of how our foods developed. A surprising history of culinary exchangea sharing of ideas and culture as much as ingredients and flavorslies just beneath the surface of our daily snacks, soups, and suppers. Engaging and informed, Jurafsky's unique study illuminates an extraordinary network of language, history, and food. The menu is yours to enjoy.
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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

I liked this a lot! some minor gripes (was it necessary to use so many "currently trendy" references and thus firmly date it to the late 2010s? also we know your wife's name is Janet by now) but overall informative, captivating and generally just a good time for someone who likes food or language, or both. Quick read, too, I'm just extremely limited in my reading time rn.

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annamatopoetry
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I thought I was going to finish this over lunch (spinach feta hand pie), but I ended up responding to work emails most of the break instead. It's the last day of the April heat wave, so I still enjoyed being outside.

Tamra How are you liking this book? 4y
annamatopoetry @Tamra I like it a lot 4y
annamatopoetry @Tamra oops sent too early... some minor stylistic gripes but overall it's definitely gonna be a pick and recommend. 4y
5 likes3 comments
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annamatopoetry
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No, I didn't read without glasses, but the mini April heatwave continued through today and I had to wear shades.

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annamatopoetry
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It's still in the seventies, I had to sit in the shade of a tree to not overheat. The cold weather is coming back next week though.

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annamatopoetry
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Aww yiss, picked this up and have taken a vacation day. It's in the 70s outside. I'm a happy camper.

oh, and my next ankle surgery is scheduled for May 5th. it's gonna suck but I'll be able to improve, which I'm not at the current state of things.

Buechersuechtling I already now wish you all the best and speedy recovery for your ankle surgery in May. How many did you already have, if you say, it‘s your “next” one❓ 4y
annamatopoetry @Buechersuechtling this is just the second, I had my first one in the summer of 2019 and was juuuust recovered when it started acting up again. basically my ankle is bad at doing its job. 4y
8 likes2 comments
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annamatopoetry
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yes please
also thanks to the lingthusiasm discord for mentioning it.

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Sace
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Bailedbailed

I just don't think this worked as an audiobook for me. There were recipes and the narrator kept referring to pdf supplements that were not available on Hoopla (I checked this out from the library.) I listened to about half of it and found myself less and less interested and fast forwarding more and more. I think I would have liked it more if it were a physical book. It strikes me more as a book you browse.

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Sace
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My next audiobook.... #inspiredbylitsy and @MaGoose

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MaGoose
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Thanks to @betty for the great #winterswap gift - a book and a box of postcards with bookstore pictures on the front. Just my cup of tea! 😍 👍 👌

@alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@bookhippie

Rissreads Those postcards look beautiful 💙 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love these postcards!! 5y
Sace I just checked this out from Hoopla. Thanks for posting this and putting this book in my path 😁 5y
MaGoose @Sace No problem. I haven't had a chance to leaf through my copy, yet. Hopefully, I'll enjoy it. 5y
47 likes4 comments
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Howard_L
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I‘m looking forward to reading this over the weekend. It arrived unexpectedly as an Overdrive download since I had it on hold in one of my digital libraries.

jenreads7 Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚 5y
tpixie Welcome! Happy Reading 📖 🥳📚♥️ 5y
overtheedge Hi Howard ...Welcome to Litsy! 5y
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jpmcwisemorgan Welcome to Litsy! 5y
MrBook Can‘t wait to read this one! 5y
readinginthedark I'm curious about this one! I loved Voracious (different author but also about books and food), so this is right up my alley! 5y
SW-T Sounds really interesting! Welcome to Litsy 😊 5y
87 likes6 stack adds9 comments
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LibrarianRenee
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This excited my little nerd brain. It wasn‘t the most ‘page-turning‘ book I‘ve ever listened to, but it had nuggets of info that are really interesting.

2 likes1 stack add
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DebinHawaii
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Day 30 #AndItsAugust #cantstopwontstop I can't stop, won't stop eating or posting avocado toast with spicy garlic aioli 🥑🍞🌶 (I'm addicted!) 😆 & whenever possible, starting my day with a little reading for pleasure. Today's regular coffeeshop breakfast & the start of a current non-fiction read before starting in on today's work projects. 📚😽#humpday 🐫🐪#creatureofhabit

RealLifeReading Ok I'm intrigued! I've never heard of spicy aioli with avocado! Sounds amazing. 7y
Reecaspieces Yea!! I need this recipe 7y
DebinHawaii @RealLifeReading Hah! I'm surprised you haven't seen my over-posting of it each week! 😆👍 @Reecaspieces This is my homemade version-a pretty good copycat of my local coffeeshop's aioli recipe: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-book-tour-stops-here-review-of_11... 7y
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Reecaspieces @DebinHawaii thank you!!!!!! 7y
BethFishReads Why stop??????? 7y
DebinHawaii @Reecaspieces You are welcome! 👍😀 7y
DebinHawaii @BethFishReads I am very unlikely to--but it makes for an easy photo challenge prompt today! 🤣🤣 7y
BethFishReads Indeed 7y
92 likes8 comments
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Aseleener
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Pickpick

My #nonfiction pick for July. This was really interesting. It combined two of my favorite things: the study of language and food. I learned of lot of cool tidbits. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

MrBook Ohhhh!!! 🙊 7y
24 likes1 stack add1 comment
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KateTheBookworm
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Pickpick

I found this book endlessly interesting. I love linguistics, love history, and ESPECIALLY love food. (Could you tell?) I'm now armed with a plethora of "did you know" facts to throw out at dinner to annoy my loved ones for years to come. ?

30 likes2 stack adds
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kdwinchester
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The @24in48 readathon is coming up soon on July 23rd-24th. I'm pretty much obsessed with this bookish event—I'm already in agony over choosing the books for my stack! 😆 I would love to see you come sign up and join the party!! #introvertsunite

📚 https://24in48.com 📚

Chessa I so wish we were not going to be hosting my parents that weekend. Though to be honest, my kids would never really allow me to participate. Maybe next year I'll rent a cabin a go on a retreat for it! #lifegoals 8y
DreesReads I signed up, but my kids (and husband) are unlikely to let me get in more than 4 hours I bet. I'm curious to see how much I actually do get to read. 8y
451Degrees Wish I could jump in on this one! My sisters bachelorette party is that weekend😞 8y
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Carol I'm signed up! My stack so far is heavy on the graphic novels, so I'm pi 8y
Carol Planning to pick out some books of essays and maybe a novel to break it up. 8y
AwkwardlyAlive I want to join, but I'm working! 😩 8y
Tanner I signed up - I don't think I'll actually get 24 hours, but my goal is just to read as much as I can. 8y
Shortstack I am so disappointed in the timing of this. I have two papers to write that weekend and company coming the following week. 😭 8y
Bookworm83 I've never done an official readathon before and I am so excited! My husband is going on a camping trip that weekend, so yay!! 8y
SoniaC Signed Up! 8y
Johanna414 I'm going to sign up for this one, but I don't know how much time I'll actually get to read- never as much as I'd like! 8y
Alicia Excited to participate this year!!! Yay! 8y
KarouBlue What is the 24 in 48?? 8y
kdwinchester @Chessa sounds like an amazing life goal! 8y
kdwinchester @AudreyMorris Aw, it's okay! Read however much you like. Just hopefully you can get some extra reading in than normal. :) 8y
kdwinchester @Carol I like your plan! I may have to steal that idea. 😜 8y
kdwinchester @thecomfykitchen Here's a better explanation than what I can give in the character limit here. 😄 http://www.kdwinchester.com/blog/2016/4/16/24in48-readathon 8y
LeeRHarry I'll be having a go here in Australia so will be getting in early! 😊 8y
MeganAnn Just signed up! We will see if I can make it... My son may get a little antsy but perhaps we can do some reading together for part of it. Reading to him still counts right? 8y
kdwinchester @MeganAnn Oh, yeah totally! 😄 8y
117 likes1 stack add20 comments
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rebeccaschinsky
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Picked this up at Bookends and Beginnings in Evanston, IL, thanks to a great shelftalker. Can't wait to dig in (not sorry).

CherylDeFranceschi I love that store! 8y
DanaStaves Ooh, so much yes! 8y
rebeccaschinsky @DanaStaves I started reading it on the train and it's 👌so far 8y
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Megabooks I've heard great things about it! 8y
Keryntalia Ooh, this is basically the Venn diagram of my interests - definitely must see if it's made its way to Oz yet! 8y
DanaStaves Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! You know I love a good deep study into food. 8y
ChasingOm That must be a new store -- it wasn't there when I was in school. Looks like I need a reunion weekend! 8y
64 likes31 stack adds7 comments