Fingers First

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30847, 4 September 1965, Page 5

Fingers First

(Specially written for “The Press” by

DERRICK ROONEY]

Jack Spratt could eat no fat, I His wife could eat no lean. And so between the tiro of them; They licked the platter clean. • The dietary habits and culinary behaviour of Mr and’ Mrs Spratt are well known as | a nursery rhyme, and less; well known as an instructive; example of social change. Modern book illustrators and. presumably, modern children have forgotten the custom from which the rhyme originates: 16th century Jacks and their wives ate from the same! plate.

If this seems like an odd custom, that is only because we are somewhat more sophisticated in- the matter of food than our ancestors were. Delicate cooking and table manners are innovations of the last one or two centuries. The food our ancestors ate was, by all accounts, gross and badly cooked and their table manners matched it. They ate with their fingers and wip§d them on the tablecloth afterwards: they had to, for there were no table utensils in the Middle Ages.

Across I—Though1—Though raw, he has no defect of character. (6) 4 —Public school junior obtained bundle of twigs. (6) 9—Medical changing tips—they’re often used in his calculations. (7, 6) 10 — Bolt with Slav returning east. ... (5) 11 — . . . because penniless red was honest. (7) 12 — Religious feast has no initial bloom. (5) 13— I had one high order in a manner of speaking. (5) | 18—It simply shears through the waves! (7) 20— Old woman gives credit to single person. (5) 21 — Take lodgings as a compromise. (13) 22 Assess? (3-3) 23 Fights arranged with drunkard's backing. (3-3)1

Down 1— Edward, being queer inside. dropped off. (6) 2 There seems to be no way of breaking this immoral group. (7, 6) 3 -Turn over, he’s going to say something. (7) 5 It takes a long time to become wood—with a grain. (5) 6 A woman is patient with him. (13) 7 Last of claret at 12, being a good judge of wine? (6) 8— Kind of form. (5) 14— Cricket captain may decide to make a statement. (7) 15— Fights for left-over food. (6) 16— Stable worker? He’s ready for marriage! (5) 17— Game caught in nets. (6) 19—Gets water in the shoes. (5) (Solution on Page 12.)