Discussion:
More rice than beans
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Lewis
2018-01-10 03:38:59 UTC
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Was talking to a friend and he mentioned that the previous year he'd not
made much money and had had "more rice than beans."

I asked where he'd picked that one up, never having heard it before. He
said he wasn't sure, maybe he'd just made it up and I remarked it was a
good phrase since I knew exactly what he meant.

But is it original, or did he get get it via osmosis?
--
Trying?
if you quote yoda, i swear upon everything holy that i will book a flight to
okinawa to kick your ass.
Madrigal Gurneyhalt
2018-01-10 10:32:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Was talking to a friend and he mentioned that the previous year he'd not
made much money and had had "more rice than beans."
I asked where he'd picked that one up, never having heard it before. He
said he wasn't sure, maybe he'd just made it up and I remarked it was a
good phrase since I knew exactly what he meant.
But is it original, or did he get get it via osmosis?
I've found a reference in a published wartime diary (1942) so it clearly
isn't original. It seems to be a fairly well known expression although
a lot of its uses are apparently literal. When and where it was first
used metaphorically is probably beyond tracing.
John Varela
2018-01-10 19:45:32 UTC
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On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 10:32:24 UTC, Madrigal Gurneyhalt
Post by Madrigal Gurneyhalt
Post by Lewis
Was talking to a friend and he mentioned that the previous year he'd not
made much money and had had "more rice than beans."
I asked where he'd picked that one up, never having heard it before. He
said he wasn't sure, maybe he'd just made it up and I remarked it was a
good phrase since I knew exactly what he meant.
But is it original, or did he get get it via osmosis?
I've found a reference in a published wartime diary (1942) so it clearly
isn't original. It seems to be a fairly well known expression although
a lot of its uses are apparently literal. When and where it was first
used metaphorically is probably beyond tracing.
Red beans and rice is the national dish of south Louisiana, and
black beans and rice is ditto for much of the Caribbean. I having
grown up in New Orleans, the meaning of the expression was
immediately obvious to me. I'd bet it originated in Louisiana or the
Caribbean.
--
John Varela
RH Draney
2018-01-10 21:28:49 UTC
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Post by John Varela
Red beans and rice is the national dish of south Louisiana, and
black beans and rice is ditto for much of the Caribbean. I having
grown up in New Orleans, the meaning of the expression was
immediately obvious to me. I'd bet it originated in Louisiana or the
Caribbean.
A bit of romantic doggerel among the younger Mexican-American populace
when I was in high school:

"I love you once,
I love you twice,
I love you more
Than beans and rice."

....r
Adam Funk
2018-01-10 22:57:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by RH Draney
Post by John Varela
Red beans and rice is the national dish of south Louisiana, and
black beans and rice is ditto for much of the Caribbean. I having
grown up in New Orleans, the meaning of the expression was
immediately obvious to me. I'd bet it originated in Louisiana or the
Caribbean.
A bit of romantic doggerel among the younger Mexican-American populace
"I love you once,
I love you twice,
I love you more
Than beans and rice."
Is this a pastiche of Sendak's _Chicken Soup with Rice_?
--
Morality is doing what's right regardless of what you're
told. Obedience is doing what you're told regardless of what is
right. (attributed to H.L. Mencken)
Peter Moylan
2018-01-11 01:17:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by RH Draney
Post by John Varela
Red beans and rice is the national dish of south Louisiana, and
black beans and rice is ditto for much of the Caribbean. I having
grown up in New Orleans, the meaning of the expression was
immediately obvious to me. I'd bet it originated in Louisiana or the
Caribbean.
A bit of romantic doggerel among the younger Mexican-American populace
"I love you once,
I love you twice,
I love you more
Than beans and rice."
Which immediately brings to mind, at least for me, the "tuning up" song:

I loved you in green
I loved you in red
But most of all
I loved you in blue.
--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Jerry Friedman
2018-01-11 14:45:27 UTC
Permalink
Post by RH Draney
Post by John Varela
Red beans and rice is the national dish of south Louisiana, and
black beans and rice is ditto for much of the Caribbean. I having
grown up in New Orleans, the meaning of the expression was
immediately obvious to me. I'd bet it originated in Louisiana or the
Caribbean.
A bit of romantic doggerel among the younger Mexican-American populace
   "I love you once,
    I love you twice,
    I love you more
    Than beans and rice."
    I loved you in green
    I loved you in red
    But most of all
    I loved you in blue.
Unknown to me and Google.
--
Jerry Friedman
Harrison Hill
2018-01-10 18:43:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Was talking to a friend and he mentioned that the previous year he'd not
made much money and had had "more rice than beans."
I asked where he'd picked that one up, never having heard it before. He
said he wasn't sure, maybe he'd just made it up and I remarked it was a
good phrase since I knew exactly what he meant.
But is it original, or did he get get it via osmosis?
We seem in BrE to have had a similar phrase: "We ate mashed potato
and everything" in the sense of "we ate whatever cheap veg was
available". Only one blues record has ever made it to No1, so that
phrase got recorded:


charles
2018-01-10 19:18:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Harrison Hill
Post by Lewis
Was talking to a friend and he mentioned that the previous year he'd not
made much money and had had "more rice than beans."
I asked where he'd picked that one up, never having heard it before. He
said he wasn't sure, maybe he'd just made it up and I remarked it was a
good phrase since I knew exactly what he meant.
But is it original, or did he get get it via osmosis?
We seem in BrE to have had a similar phrase: "We ate mashed potato
and everything"
"For Mash read Smash"
--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
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