In previous essays, I have noted the fact that my ancestors were rural folks who carried their country customs to the big city of St. Louis. They were farmers in Pope County, Illinois and had one peculiar custom that I have not seen for many years.
Basically, the custom was that, when served a cup of coffee, part of the coffee would be poured into the saucer and blown to cool it. Then the coffee would be drunk from the saucer. In country parlance, it should be noted that the coffee was “blowed” rather than “blown”, which you will all recognize as an elitist term. I have never been much of a coffee drinker throughout my whole life so that I did not become addicted to this country custom. Why the coffee could not remain in the cup and be “blowed” at remains a mystery to me. On the other hand it was the general custom among my ancestors to pour a portion of the steaming cup of coffee into the saucer and drink it from the saucer after it had been blown. As a young man, the term “saucered and blowed” was familiar in that it denoted that things were ready to go. If a car repairman returned your car from the shop, he might say that “it is all saucered and blowed” and ready to go. One way or another, that phrase had an attraction to a curious mind such as mine.
George Carr was my father’s elder brother who wore a brush mustache on his upper lip. Those of you who remember that John Bolton was our Ambassador to the United Nations will recall that Ambassador Bolton also had a brush mustache on his upper lip. Why men grow mustaches is a mystery to me but why men grow brush mustaches is an even greater mystery.
In the case of George Carr, on a few occasions when I happened to be around, he asked for a cup of coffee. As soon as the coffee was served, George would pour a portion of it into a saucer and would drink from the saucer after the coffee had been blown. With his brush mustache, the ends of the mustache hairs would become soaked. After the coffee had been swallowed, George Carr would then place his lower lip above his upper lip and suck the remaining coffee off the mustache. As a child, it was fascinating for me to see my Uncle George suck his mustache. But given the circumstances, a man with a wet mustache really has no choice. But that is an aside. The fact of the matter is that the term “saucered and blowed” was a colorful expression in a language that is often drab when spoken by country people. My hope is that I have added to your vocabulary. When you go to pay your taxes or when you mail a letter, I hope you will say to the world, “It’s all saucered and blowed.” That will mark you as a worldly person with elegant sophistication.
E. E. CARR
November 9, 2008
Essay 344
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Kevin’s commentary: Seems like a useful tradition, honestly. Just today I was attempting to drink a green tea and the damn thing was so hot I had to wait like ten minutes before I could even sip at it… maybe coffee shops should consider offering saucers to help cool things down.