What causes beef rainbows?
September 6, 2018 6:28 PM Subscribe
"...but it is under the flourescent light of our grocer's deli section where we can look at a rainbow on a slice of beef and know the natural diffraction grating responsible for it is shared with very few things, including the antennae of seed shrimp, and the shells of animals that haven't lived for hundreds of millions of years."
There is a reason why in Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, the central conflict of the protagonist is his strong apprehension against eating green meat.
*Sigh*. This is the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" problem all over again. The story never specifies if the ham is green or not. This is why we can't have nice things, people who ignore the Oxford comma. I hope you're paying attention; because of you we can't infer what Seuss meant.
But back on topic: this is kinda neat. I'd wondered about that iridescence in the past, though it's been so long since I've eaten beef that I haven't thought of that effect for a long time.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2018 [25 favorites]
*Sigh*. This is the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" problem all over again. The story never specifies if the ham is green or not. This is why we can't have nice things, people who ignore the Oxford comma. I hope you're paying attention; because of you we can't infer what Seuss meant.
But back on topic: this is kinda neat. I'd wondered about that iridescence in the past, though it's been so long since I've eaten beef that I haven't thought of that effect for a long time.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2018 [25 favorites]
Beef Rainbow is my favorite Frank Zappa album.
posted by bondcliff at 6:39 PM on September 6, 2018 [46 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 6:39 PM on September 6, 2018 [46 favorites]
The pictures in the book show the ham in question. I won't ruin it for you, because spoilers.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:44 PM on September 6, 2018 [56 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 6:44 PM on September 6, 2018 [56 favorites]
Hah, I remember, if only vaguely. I freely posit the ham really oughta be green. It's just the ambiguity of the text that always set me off.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:48 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:48 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
What causes beef rainbows?
Well, that's easy. Beef rainbows appear whenever there's a pot o' tripe.
posted by FJT at 6:53 PM on September 6, 2018 [21 favorites]
Well, that's easy. Beef rainbows appear whenever there's a pot o' tripe.
posted by FJT at 6:53 PM on September 6, 2018 [21 favorites]
Clearly they've been pushing the gay agenda at Bovine University.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:00 PM on September 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:00 PM on September 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
Wait, wasn't Rainbow Beef a character from Achewood?
posted by loquacious at 7:34 PM on September 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 7:34 PM on September 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
Wait, this isn't an episode of Beef and Dairy Network?
posted by Cash4Lead at 7:42 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Cash4Lead at 7:42 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
similar topics like "What does 'natural?' mean" and "what is beef?"
What is beef? We just don't know.
posted by capricorn at 7:52 PM on September 6, 2018 [14 favorites]
What is beef? We just don't know.
posted by capricorn at 7:52 PM on September 6, 2018 [14 favorites]
why are there so many songs of beef rainbows, what rots on the other side?
posted by halation at 7:56 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by halation at 7:56 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
"What does 'natural?' mean" and "what is beef?"
The Shaggs' most under-appreciated songs, I feel.
posted by mykescipark at 8:17 PM on September 6, 2018 [16 favorites]
The Shaggs' most under-appreciated songs, I feel.
posted by mykescipark at 8:17 PM on September 6, 2018 [16 favorites]
The story never specifies if the ham is green or not.
I disagree. Dr. Seuss stories are as much about the pictures as the words, as much as anything can be. He created both after all. And the ham is clearly green.
posted by traveler_ at 8:20 PM on September 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
I disagree. Dr. Seuss stories are as much about the pictures as the words, as much as anything can be. He created both after all. And the ham is clearly green.
posted by traveler_ at 8:20 PM on September 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
needs the "meatfilter" tag
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:26 PM on September 6, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by Jon_Evil at 8:26 PM on September 6, 2018 [29 favorites]
Wait, wasn't Rainbow Beef a character from Achewood?
That was Beef's stage name the summer he toured with Dreamwheel and the Child.
posted by MrBadExample at 8:32 PM on September 6, 2018 [12 favorites]
That was Beef's stage name the summer he toured with Dreamwheel and the Child.
posted by MrBadExample at 8:32 PM on September 6, 2018 [12 favorites]
Beef Rainbow happens to be the name of my Ritchie Blackmore/Meatloaf cover band.
And I have never ever encountered one.
posted by not_on_display at 8:56 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
And I have never ever encountered one.
posted by not_on_display at 8:56 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Fun fact: Beef rainbows have been attested since the Great Flood, but there is no general agreement whether they, like their counterpart in the heavens, are a symbol of God's promise not to destroy the earth again, or merely a mutation that easily swept to fixation in the world's population of cattle -- there being only one mating pair at the time.
posted by aws17576 at 9:31 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by aws17576 at 9:31 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
"Beef rainbows" really sounds like one of those things you do not want to Google accidentally at work, like "lemon parties" or "blue waffles."
posted by rokusan at 9:37 PM on September 6, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by rokusan at 9:37 PM on September 6, 2018 [15 favorites]
The link from the referred article to animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago gets a 404 page not found error with comment "That page may have evolved or become extinct."
posted by anadem at 9:52 PM on September 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by anadem at 9:52 PM on September 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
It's listeria all the way down.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:57 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:57 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
Thanks for posting this, I’ve been wondering about it for a while. The USDA link in the article is broken, here is an up to date one.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:08 PM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:08 PM on September 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
ive not yet been in a situation where it made sense to *not* eat the roast beef in front of me, rainbow or not, and i doubt i will anytime in the future
it is the king of deli meats
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:18 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
it is the king of deli meats
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:18 PM on September 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Who put the rainbow on the meat? Why, Finian of course! (SCTV)
posted by hangashore at 10:31 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by hangashore at 10:31 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
"Beef rainbows" really sounds like one of those things you do not want to Google accidentally at work, like "lemon parties" or "blue waffles."
Wait what's blue waffles?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:49 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
Wait what's blue waffles?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:49 PM on September 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
OH GOD WHY DID I GOOGLE THAT
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:49 PM on September 6, 2018 [46 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:49 PM on September 6, 2018 [46 favorites]
Beef Rainbow, Beef Rainbow,
Will you be mine?
My darling dear, love you all the time.
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.
posted by figurant at 11:42 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
Will you be mine?
My darling dear, love you all the time.
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.
posted by figurant at 11:42 PM on September 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
-Would you like green eggs and green ham?
I would not like it, Sam-I-Am,
-Actually my name is just Sam, "Sam I am" was just an idiocyncratic way of announcing my name.
Oh I thought it was like Will.I.Am, whose name sounds the same.
-Would you like them here or there?
I would not like them anywhere.
-Would you like them in a house?
-Would you like them with a mouse?
Do you mean would I like to eat a mouse?
Or would I like to share the food, as if with a spouse?
[Green Eggs & Ham, 1st draft]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:03 AM on September 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
I would not like it, Sam-I-Am,
-Actually my name is just Sam, "Sam I am" was just an idiocyncratic way of announcing my name.
Oh I thought it was like Will.I.Am, whose name sounds the same.
-Would you like them here or there?
I would not like them anywhere.
-Would you like them in a house?
-Would you like them with a mouse?
Do you mean would I like to eat a mouse?
Or would I like to share the food, as if with a spouse?
[Green Eggs & Ham, 1st draft]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:03 AM on September 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
I tell ya, for all the times I've read Green Eggs & Ham, I've never once worried about the ham. The green eggs, though? I wouldn't eat that. (And for purists fussing about the Oxford comma & Dr. Seuss' intentions, I've got news for you: he wasn't a real doctor and it really should be "Green Yolks & Ham.")
posted by chavenet at 2:45 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 2:45 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
I thought bacon was the meat product that was meant to be made of sparkly awesomeness?
posted by acb at 3:10 AM on September 7, 2018
posted by acb at 3:10 AM on September 7, 2018
(Green Eggs) and Ham
Green (Eggs and Ham)
Green, Eggs, and Ham
Green, Eggs, and Ham, LLC
posted by rokusan at 4:00 AM on September 7, 2018 [17 favorites]
Green (Eggs and Ham)
Green, Eggs, and Ham
Green, Eggs, and Ham, LLC
posted by rokusan at 4:00 AM on September 7, 2018 [17 favorites]
This is why we can't have nice things, people who ignore the Oxford comma.
"I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-Am."
WHERE. WHERE DO YOU PUT A COMMA IN THERE. there's no place for an oxford comma because it's just a list of two things. My red shoes and socks. My sharp knife and spoon. This isn't an oxford comma problem, this is a problem that would be solved by pluralizing adjectives. For example, in Spanish.
... Okay, hold the phone. The Spanish title is:
"Huevos Verdes con jamón."
Ugh. The Romance language solution doesn't work either because eggs is plural and so it's STILL ambiguous. Why did you learn me this?!!?
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:02 AM on September 7, 2018 [11 favorites]
"I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-Am."
WHERE. WHERE DO YOU PUT A COMMA IN THERE. there's no place for an oxford comma because it's just a list of two things. My red shoes and socks. My sharp knife and spoon. This isn't an oxford comma problem, this is a problem that would be solved by pluralizing adjectives. For example, in Spanish.
... Okay, hold the phone. The Spanish title is:
"Huevos Verdes con jamón."
Ugh. The Romance language solution doesn't work either because eggs is plural and so it's STILL ambiguous. Why did you learn me this?!!?
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:02 AM on September 7, 2018 [11 favorites]
Maybe it's "greens, eggs, and ham" but with only one green.
posted by Foosnark at 4:27 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Foosnark at 4:27 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
Wait what's blue waffles?
WAIT, NO, DON'T--
OH GOD WHY DID I GOOGLE THAT
Why don't they look, MetaFilter? Why don't they look?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:30 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
WAIT, NO, DON'T--
OH GOD WHY DID I GOOGLE THAT
Why don't they look, MetaFilter? Why don't they look?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:30 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
I see this most on raw bacon, but mainly on standard British rashers of back bacon. I don't think it's particularly visible on the rashers of streaky bacon more commonly found in the US.
posted by howfar at 4:44 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 4:44 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
When our twins were little we got the Spanish version of Green Eggs and Ham to read to them. “Juan Ramón! Juan Ramón! No me gusta Juan Ramón!”
posted by EarBucket at 4:59 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by EarBucket at 4:59 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
I have noticed and wondered about this before, but presumed it was a sign of spoilage! Now I can eat my rainbow beef in peace and confidence!
posted by merriment at 5:11 AM on September 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by merriment at 5:11 AM on September 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
I assumed it was some kind of promise from God regarding a long-forgotten cattle-based cataclysm.
posted by Grangousier at 5:25 AM on September 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 5:25 AM on September 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
Or cattleclysm, if you will.
posted by Grangousier at 5:26 AM on September 7, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 5:26 AM on September 7, 2018 [18 favorites]
...when cooked beef is sharply sliced against the grain of the muscle fiber, this, coupled with the moisture in the beef, creates an excellent surface for producing rainbows. "In my opinion," Dr. Thomas Powell, Executive Director of the American Meat Science Association, told me, "The reason it shows up in roast beef is because the cuts of meat that are used in most roast beef are more prone to iridescence, particularly in the round," hence the reason why the USDA singles out roast beef as being especially colorful.So according to Dr. Thomas, the reason that rainbows show up more in roast beef is because roast beef is prone to rainbows. Wow. Thanks, Doc!
posted by lazaruslong at 6:00 AM on September 7, 2018 [11 favorites]
Is it just me or does the USDA not actually answer the question?
Meat contains iron, fat, and other compounds. When light hits a slice of meat, it splits into colors like a rainbow. There are various pigments in meat compounds that can give it an iridescent or greenish cast when exposed to heat and processing. Wrapping the meat in airtight packages and storing it away from light will help prevent this situation.
Iron and fat aren't pigments. What do they have to do with this? Why does wrapping it in an airtight package and away from light affect it (other than no light == no rainbows)? WTF?
On preview, what lazaruslong said.
posted by quaking fajita at 6:02 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Meat contains iron, fat, and other compounds. When light hits a slice of meat, it splits into colors like a rainbow. There are various pigments in meat compounds that can give it an iridescent or greenish cast when exposed to heat and processing. Wrapping the meat in airtight packages and storing it away from light will help prevent this situation.
Iron and fat aren't pigments. What do they have to do with this? Why does wrapping it in an airtight package and away from light affect it (other than no light == no rainbows)? WTF?
On preview, what lazaruslong said.
posted by quaking fajita at 6:02 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Is it just me or does the USDA not actually answer the question?
It’s because they don’t want us to know that it’s actually unicorn meat.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:19 AM on September 7, 2018 [8 favorites]
It’s because they don’t want us to know that it’s actually unicorn meat.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:19 AM on September 7, 2018 [8 favorites]
This reminds me of a discussion that arose at work the other day about ox tails. I knew an “ox tail” could be from any bovine, but WTF is an ox? Is it a castrated bull? A cow? An NPC in Dungeons and Dragons?
It is an interesting commentary on the twenty-first century that none of us knew the answer without the assistance of the internet. Spoiler: any bovine. So, from now on I will refer to the meat as “rainbow ox.”
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:25 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
It is an interesting commentary on the twenty-first century that none of us knew the answer without the assistance of the internet. Spoiler: any bovine. So, from now on I will refer to the meat as “rainbow ox.”
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:25 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
Beef Rainbow is my favorite Frank Zappa album.
Captain Beefheart had a sheen to him as well...
posted by jim in austin at 6:52 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Captain Beefheart had a sheen to him as well...
posted by jim in austin at 6:52 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seconding that a serial comma is only for lists of three or more items. But green eggs with ham would have scanned nicely. Then you still have the problem that I had which is, so the green eggs would be ok if you weren’t being forced to also eat ham? I’ll pass on the green eggs but bring me the rainbow beef.
(I wanted to believe the iridescent green spots on my pound of bacon were a similar phonomenon a few weeks ago. They were not. I filled an apartment with the smell of rancid cooked bacon fat. Blerg.)
posted by bilabial at 7:31 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
(I wanted to believe the iridescent green spots on my pound of bacon were a similar phonomenon a few weeks ago. They were not. I filled an apartment with the smell of rancid cooked bacon fat. Blerg.)
posted by bilabial at 7:31 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
MEAT IS 🌈MAGIC🌈
posted by scruss at 7:32 AM on September 7, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by scruss at 7:32 AM on September 7, 2018 [12 favorites]
MEAT IS 🌈MAGIC🌈
I think Morrissey would have something to say about this
posted by Automocar at 7:55 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
I think Morrissey would have something to say about this
posted by Automocar at 7:55 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Beef Rainbow happens to be the name of my Ritchie Blackmore/Meatloaf cover band
Nah, Beef Rainbow is the world's most LGBT-positive male stripper.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:16 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Nah, Beef Rainbow is the world's most LGBT-positive male stripper.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:16 AM on September 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
– Moltar, do you know what causes beef rainbows?
– I don't think I want to know. But you'll probably tell me anyway.
posted by mubba at 8:35 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
– I don't think I want to know. But you'll probably tell me anyway.
posted by mubba at 8:35 AM on September 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
The reason it shows up in roast beef is because the cuts of meat that are used in most roast beef are more prone to iridescence, particularly in the round
-------
So according to Dr. Thomas, the reason that rainbows show up more in roast beef is because roast beef is prone to rainbows. Wow. Thanks, Doc!
So all of this light and color stuff is basically magic to me, but if you look at the Wikipedia article for diffraction grating, I think the key here is the literal cut, as in, the angle of the slice against the grain of the meat. Different angles and different grains just won't produce the same results.
posted by redsparkler at 8:43 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
-------
So according to Dr. Thomas, the reason that rainbows show up more in roast beef is because roast beef is prone to rainbows. Wow. Thanks, Doc!
So all of this light and color stuff is basically magic to me, but if you look at the Wikipedia article for diffraction grating, I think the key here is the literal cut, as in, the angle of the slice against the grain of the meat. Different angles and different grains just won't produce the same results.
posted by redsparkler at 8:43 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also notable, from the same Wikipedia article:
Most commonly confused with diffraction gratings are the iridescent colors of peacock feathers, mother-of-pearl, and butterfly wings. Iridescence in birds, fish and insects is often caused by thin-film interference rather than a diffraction grating. Diffraction produces the entire spectrum of colors as the viewing angle changes, whereas thin-film interference usually produces a much narrower range.
posted by redsparkler at 8:45 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Most commonly confused with diffraction gratings are the iridescent colors of peacock feathers, mother-of-pearl, and butterfly wings. Iridescence in birds, fish and insects is often caused by thin-film interference rather than a diffraction grating. Diffraction produces the entire spectrum of colors as the viewing angle changes, whereas thin-film interference usually produces a much narrower range.
posted by redsparkler at 8:45 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" problem all over again.
Whaaat's that about?
posted by stinkfoot at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Whaaat's that about?
posted by stinkfoot at 9:14 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Beef Rainbow is as recherche as Zappa gets, which is lots. I think I prefer A Rainbow In Cured Ham.
And, uh, thank you for blue waffles. I did not know. I was so much happier then. SO MUCH HAPPIER.
posted by Devonian at 9:20 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
And, uh, thank you for blue waffles. I did not know. I was so much happier then. SO MUCH HAPPIER.
posted by Devonian at 9:20 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
- This is the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" problem all over again.
- Whaaat's that about?
Is the bikini itself yellow, or are just the polkadots yellow? Is the bikini itself itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are just the polkadots itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are both the polkadots and the bikini both itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or is the bikini itsy bitsy with teenie weenie polkadots, or...
Commas save lives, people.
posted by halation at 9:34 AM on September 7, 2018 [9 favorites]
- Whaaat's that about?
Is the bikini itself yellow, or are just the polkadots yellow? Is the bikini itself itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are just the polkadots itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are both the polkadots and the bikini both itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or is the bikini itsy bitsy with teenie weenie polkadots, or...
Commas save lives, people.
posted by halation at 9:34 AM on September 7, 2018 [9 favorites]
I think Morrissey would have something to say about this
Eh, I don't really care that much about what he has to say about things, as he's only become more and more of a racist asshole as he got older.
posted by tclark at 9:38 AM on September 7, 2018
Eh, I don't really care that much about what he has to say about things, as he's only become more and more of a racist asshole as he got older.
posted by tclark at 9:38 AM on September 7, 2018
Morrissey's supposed love of animals is a mask for his misanthropy and his misanthropy is a mask for his racism. His racism is just racism as far as I can tell.
posted by howfar at 9:44 AM on September 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by howfar at 9:44 AM on September 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Is the bikini itself yellow, or are just the polkadots yellow?
It’s yellow with pink polkadots. Everyone knows this. Duh.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:08 AM on September 7, 2018
It’s yellow with pink polkadots. Everyone knows this. Duh.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:08 AM on September 7, 2018
Is the bikini itself yellow, or are just the polkadots yellow? Is the bikini itself itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are just the polkadots itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or are both the polkadots and the bikini both itsy bitsy and teenie weenie, or is the bikini itsy bitsy with teenie weenie polkadots, or...
Commas save lives, people.
Maybe they do, but they don't really disambiguate this sentence. It's an ambiguity inherent in any adjective noun (and) noun construction, because English allows the adjective to apply to either the list, or just the entry that follows it. Hot coffee, tea, and milk - is the implication that the tea is cold, or that the milk is hot? Either is valid. Or maybe the tea is hot and milk cold! No less ambiguous with commas.
posted by Dysk at 10:35 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
Commas save lives, people.
Maybe they do, but they don't really disambiguate this sentence. It's an ambiguity inherent in any adjective noun (and) noun construction, because English allows the adjective to apply to either the list, or just the entry that follows it. Hot coffee, tea, and milk - is the implication that the tea is cold, or that the milk is hot? Either is valid. Or maybe the tea is hot and milk cold! No less ambiguous with commas.
posted by Dysk at 10:35 AM on September 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww
is all I have to say.
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 11:29 AM on September 7, 2018
is all I have to say.
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 11:29 AM on September 7, 2018
The story never specifies if the ham is green or not.
In the book the illustrations show the ham as green.
posted by Splunge at 11:32 AM on September 7, 2018
In the book the illustrations show the ham as green.
posted by Splunge at 11:32 AM on September 7, 2018
Just logging in real quick to say that I am totally squicked out right now
posted by aliasless at 11:55 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by aliasless at 11:55 AM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
"Oh no, my Lord, I assure you! Parts of it are excellent!"
posted by anadem at 12:30 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by anadem at 12:30 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
No beef rainbow is complete without a little gravy rainbow
posted by Miss Otis' Egrets at 12:33 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Miss Otis' Egrets at 12:33 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is it safe to eat deli meats with that metallic sheen?
This article has a bit more sciencey detail, if that's your thing. It also covers the oil film sort of rainbows that can happen if liquid fats are present.
posted by bonehead at 12:46 PM on September 7, 2018 [7 favorites]
This article has a bit more sciencey detail, if that's your thing. It also covers the oil film sort of rainbows that can happen if liquid fats are present.
posted by bonehead at 12:46 PM on September 7, 2018 [7 favorites]
Ah, thanks, Bonehead! That's a great overview of both kinds of effects!
posted by redsparkler at 1:16 PM on September 7, 2018
posted by redsparkler at 1:16 PM on September 7, 2018
Related note - I’m taking an intro cog science course right now and the prof just did a whole lecture on color vision and holy hell is it so much more interesting / cool than I knew.
posted by lazaruslong at 2:34 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazaruslong at 2:34 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Okay. But is it safe to eat deli meats with that Charlie Sheen?
posted by Splunge at 3:02 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Splunge at 3:02 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
only if you’re immune to warlock blood parasites
posted by lazaruslong at 3:15 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lazaruslong at 3:15 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
And while everyone should be spared urbandictionary.com's definition of what a "Beef Rainbow" is, the truth of the matter is, there's nothing inherently wrong with rainbow meat.
Please tell me I’m not the only person in the article who read this and immediately felt compelled to check the urban dictionary definition.
Spoiler; it’s not that bad, at least by my estimation. Not sure if I’ve been on the Internet too long or if nursing has made me forever immune to bodily grossness.
posted by ActionPopulated at 4:54 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Please tell me I’m not the only person in the article who read this and immediately felt compelled to check the urban dictionary definition.
Spoiler; it’s not that bad, at least by my estimation. Not sure if I’ve been on the Internet too long or if nursing has made me forever immune to bodily grossness.
posted by ActionPopulated at 4:54 PM on September 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Please tell me I’m not the only person in the article who read this and immediately felt compelled to check the urban dictionary definition.
NO WAY, I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT AGAIN.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 5:39 PM on September 7, 2018 [7 favorites]
NO WAY, I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT AGAIN.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 5:39 PM on September 7, 2018 [7 favorites]
Spoiler; it’s not that bad, at least by my estimation. Not sure if I’ve been on the Internet too long or if nursing has made me forever immune to bodily grossness.
Spoiler spoiler: 'not that bad' by nursing standards = 'OMG EYEBALL BLEACH THE GOGGLES THEY DO NOTHING UUUURGH LET ME DIE NOW BEFORE I REMEMBER THIS AGAIN' levels of horror for civilians.
posted by Devonian at 6:43 AM on September 8, 2018 [2 favorites]
Spoiler spoiler: 'not that bad' by nursing standards = 'OMG EYEBALL BLEACH THE GOGGLES THEY DO NOTHING UUUURGH LET ME DIE NOW BEFORE I REMEMBER THIS AGAIN' levels of horror for civilians.
posted by Devonian at 6:43 AM on September 8, 2018 [2 favorites]
The pictures in the book show the ham in question.
the illustrator is an unreliable narrator
posted by bracems at 2:43 PM on September 8, 2018
the illustrator is an unreliable narrator
posted by bracems at 2:43 PM on September 8, 2018
It seems that there is a pretty rigid order for adjectives in English. I listened to John McWorter discuss it in his rippin' podcast, Lexicon Valley, and I seem to recall that--like most English grammar "rules"--it is really more of an "English rule of thumb." And, of course, if you're Shakespeare then all bets are off.
Anyway, it seems like based on this we could tell something about the color of the polka-dots and so forth, but whenever I actually try to reason about grammar, I hear a low grating buzz and when it stops I am sitting in a diner in Spokane without pants, so someone else will have to see if the rule helps.
I come down on the "bikini is yellow with unspecified color polka-dots" side, because lyricists are very precise people, and if it were a bikini with polka-dots of a yellow color, the song would have been "itty bitty teeny weenie bikini with yellow polka-dots." QED
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 4:55 PM on September 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
Anyway, it seems like based on this we could tell something about the color of the polka-dots and so forth, but whenever I actually try to reason about grammar, I hear a low grating buzz and when it stops I am sitting in a diner in Spokane without pants, so someone else will have to see if the rule helps.
I come down on the "bikini is yellow with unspecified color polka-dots" side, because lyricists are very precise people, and if it were a bikini with polka-dots of a yellow color, the song would have been "itty bitty teeny weenie bikini with yellow polka-dots." QED
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 4:55 PM on September 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
"Iron and fat aren't pigments."
Both fat and iron have natural pigmentation. Furthermore, iron is a common material in the type of pigment I have to assume you're referring, the kind a painter might mix with a medium to make paint. Fat also a has a role with pigment historically being used as a binder or medium for pigment itself, which imparts qualities to the finished paint.
Re: Blue Waffles and company - I know I have been on the internet too long when these images no longer provoke any disgust reaction from me. Hell, some of the images have warped into old friends and I smile at the sight of them. Goatse and Tubgirl are two disgusting images I never thought would become so familiar, their gaping maws bringing me joy and nostalgia.
posted by GoblinHoney at 1:53 PM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
Both fat and iron have natural pigmentation. Furthermore, iron is a common material in the type of pigment I have to assume you're referring, the kind a painter might mix with a medium to make paint. Fat also a has a role with pigment historically being used as a binder or medium for pigment itself, which imparts qualities to the finished paint.
Re: Blue Waffles and company - I know I have been on the internet too long when these images no longer provoke any disgust reaction from me. Hell, some of the images have warped into old friends and I smile at the sight of them. Goatse and Tubgirl are two disgusting images I never thought would become so familiar, their gaping maws bringing me joy and nostalgia.
posted by GoblinHoney at 1:53 PM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
"Welcome Home, GoblinHoney!"
posted by rokusan at 3:15 PM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rokusan at 3:15 PM on September 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:31 PM on September 6, 2018 [33 favorites]