teaspoons: your views please
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:02 pm
teaspoons are, as is well-accepted in polite society, an indispensible accoutrement of everyday life in the West, but are, I feel, sadly overlooked as a topic of serious discourse. let us rectify that forthwith, to wit -
here are four teaspoons with which i interact at the purely mechanical and functional level on a daily basis. as you can see they all have their own peculiar characteristics or, dare one say, their own character traits or personalities. each provokes in me an emotional and intellectual response which differs from spoon to spoon, and i would like to share those responses with you in the hope that perhaps you also have an amusing or enlightening story to tell about teaspoons.
a. "the VIP" - as i usually quaff coffee from a 6 1/2" latte mug, the long-handled teaspoon may seem like a boon, allowing me to keep my fingers clear of the hot liquid while stirring, however since this spoon is technically an icecream spoon, use of it fills me with feelings of disquiet which are almost palpable
b. "the average" - well-rounded and avoiding extremes in its design, this spoon is equally at home in any mug. while stirring the contents of a latte mug with this particular specimen has certain hazards and must be done with great delicacy and care, this is otherwise an excellent all-round teaspoon that i would recommend to spoon-lovers everywhere
c. "back of the drawer" - this spoon was, during its heyday in 1950s britain, considered an "average", and could be found in the cutlery drawers of homes up and down this fair isle. however, the rigours and stresses of living in 21st century britain have taken its toll, and this spoon is no longer the world-beater it once was. as a result, its use is restricted to times of famine in the spoon department, when all other spoons are dirty
d. "the granny" - anyone who has ever sipped tea in the parlour of an elderly relative will recognise this little fellow. as a stirrer of coffee in the bigger, more robust mugs of today it is somewhat out of its depth, but as an accompaniment to a genteel gathering it is perfection, providing just the right timbre of dull silver shine and bone china tinkling. a nostalgic throwback to the days of boiled vegetables, cloth caps and twitching net curtains
here are four teaspoons with which i interact at the purely mechanical and functional level on a daily basis. as you can see they all have their own peculiar characteristics or, dare one say, their own character traits or personalities. each provokes in me an emotional and intellectual response which differs from spoon to spoon, and i would like to share those responses with you in the hope that perhaps you also have an amusing or enlightening story to tell about teaspoons.
a. "the VIP" - as i usually quaff coffee from a 6 1/2" latte mug, the long-handled teaspoon may seem like a boon, allowing me to keep my fingers clear of the hot liquid while stirring, however since this spoon is technically an icecream spoon, use of it fills me with feelings of disquiet which are almost palpable
b. "the average" - well-rounded and avoiding extremes in its design, this spoon is equally at home in any mug. while stirring the contents of a latte mug with this particular specimen has certain hazards and must be done with great delicacy and care, this is otherwise an excellent all-round teaspoon that i would recommend to spoon-lovers everywhere
c. "back of the drawer" - this spoon was, during its heyday in 1950s britain, considered an "average", and could be found in the cutlery drawers of homes up and down this fair isle. however, the rigours and stresses of living in 21st century britain have taken its toll, and this spoon is no longer the world-beater it once was. as a result, its use is restricted to times of famine in the spoon department, when all other spoons are dirty
d. "the granny" - anyone who has ever sipped tea in the parlour of an elderly relative will recognise this little fellow. as a stirrer of coffee in the bigger, more robust mugs of today it is somewhat out of its depth, but as an accompaniment to a genteel gathering it is perfection, providing just the right timbre of dull silver shine and bone china tinkling. a nostalgic throwback to the days of boiled vegetables, cloth caps and twitching net curtains
Its just to heavy 