At dinner this evening we talked about dinner table phrases.
F.H.B. is McQuillin code for “family hold back” - a warning to the family that food was running low and guests should have second servings before the family.
M.I.K. offered the opposite message: more in kitchen.
But the phrase that got us all interested was “I’ve had an elegant sufficiency; any more would be a burden.” It means you’re full and don’t want any more food.
It turns out that this isn’t unique to grandmother Bobby McQuillin. It’s from a poem called Spring written by James Thomson in the early 18th century:
An elegant sufficiency, content, Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, Ease and alternate labor, useful life, Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven; These are the matchless joys of virtuous love.
“An elegant sufficiency” has morphed into “my sufficiency is suffonsified.” Eh? Explanation available at World Wide Words
Posted by kuri at November 03, 2004 11:09 PMInteresting. Code at the dinner table! Did you share “the breeze” with everyone?
Posted by: Jenny on November 4, 2004 01:25 AMOh, I forgot about “the breeze.” Here’s the story:
When Jenn was maybe 7 years old, every time we sat down to dinner, she had to excuse herself to use the toilet. It was uncannily consistent. When Mom asked her why she didn’t’ go before she came to the table, she explained that she didn’t have to go before, but the breeze from the dining room window made her want to go. After that, anytime we needed to excuse ourselves from the table, it was because “the breeze” got us.
Posted by: Kristen on November 4, 2004 07:35 AMthe Northcott’s are a group of A-types so there is lots of fighting for airtime. Our code is BTM (back to me) when somebody has gone off on a tangent of their own in the middle of one’s story.
but I prefer to use “elegant sufficiency” rather than “I’m full” - another reason that we are friends Kristen… isn’t it funny how words strike a certain chord with people… this is one of those for me.
Posted by: T on November 4, 2004 01:41 PMIn my family it was always ‘elephant sufficiency’! But now i know where it came from!
Posted by: j-ster on November 4, 2004 11:36 PM