Chomp that sausage: Brits just LOVE scoffing a Full Monty • The Register Forums

Tuesday 12th August 2014 06:40 GMT Anonymous Coward

The full monty

The Field marshal? Unlikely. The phrase doesn't appear in Ngram until 1976 and didn't pick up in popularity until the mid 90s. John le Carré used it in The Tailor of Panama. It was published 1996 but the story refers back 20 years and used in the context of Burton's the tailors. Montague Burton was the founder and a if you ordered a three piece suit it was "the full Monty". The usually reliable etymologist Michael Quinion also says that this is the most likely source.

Not definitive then but seems reasonable.

5 0 Reply
1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:38 GMT LarsG
  
  Re: The full monty
  
  Just been on holiday for a week. When you are on an all inclusive it is criminal not to get your money's worth of food during breakfast.
  
  My usual breakfast of porridge was substituted for a full cooked extreme breakfast every day.
  
  4 rashers of bacon
  
  3 sausages
  
  3 eggs
  
  2 Hash browns ( American addition)
  
  1 ladle of Beans
  
  4 grilled half tomatoes
  
  2 halves fried bread
  
  4 toasts
  
  2 ladles of mushrooms
  
  1 black pudding
  
  Tea
  
  I have no idea what the calorific value of this was over 7 days but I felt I had value for money.
  
  It is a relief to be back on porridge.
  
  13 1 Reply
  1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:17 GMT James Micallef
    
    @LarsG
    
    "It is a relief to be back on porridge."
    
    Your arteries say Thank You!
    
    3 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:27 GMT I ain't Spartacus
      
      Re: @LarsG
      
      Your arteries say Thank You!
      
      No. I think his arteries say:
      
      "NnnnnnnnnNNNnnngggggggrrrrrrrrrAaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Make it stop! Yum. Yum. Nomnomnom. Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!! Yummy. Oh dear. Make it st... Oh bugger it! Moooooooorrrreeeeee! Mmmmmmmm. Yum!
      
      7 0 Reply
      1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 12:14 GMT VinceH
        
        Re: @LarsG
        
        " Your arteries say Thank You!
        
        No. I think his arteries say:
        
        "NnnnnnnnnNNNnnngggggggrrrrrrrrrAaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Make it stop! Yum. Yum. Nomnomnom. Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!! Yummy. Oh dear. Make it st... Oh bugger it! Moooooooorrrreeeeee! Mmmmmmmm. Yum!"
        
        Quite. It's his bathroom scales that are saying "thank you" !
        
        1 0 Reply
  2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 11:25 GMT Ted Treen
    
    Re: The full monty
    
    Extreme? With only one black pudding?
    
    Wuss - unless it's an entire link; and the fried bread's a bit sparse, too.
    
    Aa a 64 yr-old with a cholesterol level below 4 (God knows how or why), a proper fried breakfast is my idea of heaven!
    
    2 0 Reply
2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 08:41 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  Balderdash and Piffle ...
  
  [a BBC2 programme about the origins of certain words and phrases] delved into the meaning of the Full Monty a few years back.
  
  I can't remember what the answer was, but I do remember it had Victoria Coren ... we need a heart icon ;)
  
  3 2 Reply
  1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:29 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    Re: Balderdash and Piffle ...
    
    No we don't! I can't stand the woman with her 'head-girl-better-than-you' attitude.
    
    3 5 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:44 GMT Anonymous Coward
      
      Re: Balderdash and Piffle ...
      
      I had porridge this morning... with bacon bits, best of both worlds.
      
      0 0 Reply
Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:08 GMT Ketlan

Yum...

I'm hungry now.

3 0 Reply
Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:11 GMT jake

So basiclly,

ElReg has just pointed out that Limeys, not Yanks, are the true lard-asses of the Western world.

Interesting.

2 10 Reply
1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:22 GMT Mark 85
  
  Re: So basiclly,
  
  Nope, you guys are just starting to catch up to us. You still need to learn the joys of biscuits and sausage gravy, fried potatoes, and possibly pancakes. Those would be in addition to the eggs, bacon, etc. Right now, you're pikers but gaining fast. The muesli crowd are wimps.
  
  Hmm... It's now half-past midnite here... it's a.m... morning!!!! All this talk is whetting the appetite. Breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  3 3 Reply
  1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:38 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    Re: So basiclly,
    
    "You still need to learn the joys of biscuits and sausage gravy, fried potatoes, and possibly pancakes."
    
    But returning to the subject of what constitutes a proper breakfast, the article made three important omissions: Black pudding, fried mushrooms, and baked beans. Oooh, and fried bread.
    
    On the downside for the Full Monty, recent EU changes to standardise Europe to Bulgarian meat hygiene standards (that the spineless British government have kow-towed to) now mean that it is increasingly difficult to trust mass produced sausages unless you want to eat minced ulcer, sore, carbuncle, cancer etc with an official stamp of approval.
    
    4 1 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:24 GMT James Micallef
      
      Re: So basiclly,
      
      "recent EU changes to standardise Europe to Bulgarian meat hygiene standards (that the spineless British government have kow-towed to) "
      
      Unfortunately standards are useless if they are not kept.
      
      <cough>horsemeat<cough>
      
      0 0 Reply
      1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:40 GMT Anonymous Coward
        
        Re: So basiclly,@ James M
        
        "Unfortunately standards are useless if they are not kept. <cough>horsemeat<cough>"
        
        That's true, but I'm mindful that probably the worst abbatoir safety disaster in the UK (BSE/vCJD) was as a result of misguided changes to regulations. Feeding a few TV-dinner addicts cooked horse meat is something relatively tame in comparison. I know you can argue that if people aren't abiding by the regs then anything can happen, but that's a bit different from changing the regs to knowingly allow something to happen.
        
        0 0 Reply
    2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 11:55 GMT Lars
      
      Re: So basiclly,
      
      "it is difficult to trust mass produced sausages unless you want to eat minced ulcer, sore, carbuncle, cancer etc with an official stamp of approval."
      
      I am affraid Yes Minister is rather accurate regarding the British sausage even to day.
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4DCGjyvnrM
      
      It's the mass industry you should bark at as they are the ones lobbying for sausages that are cheep to produce and stay "fresh" for half a year. The EU can/could/should do something about it. I wish I could use the "Joke Alert" icon but this is no joke.
      
      0 0 Reply
  2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:41 GMT AceRimmer
    
    Re: So basiclly,
    
    "biscuits and sausage gravy"
    
    Digestives or Ginger Nuts?
    
    14 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 08:44 GMT Richard 81
      
      Re: So basiclly,
      
      "Black Pudding (Americans really do not want to know what is in this)"
      
      I believe our American cousins call this blood sausage. It's supposedly quite popular in some quarters.
      
      "Fried Slice (A king amongst bread products, and we do not put sugar in our bread)"
      
      For a moment there I thought you were having a go at French toast, which you may know as eggy bread. I've tried eggy bread with maple syrup at home and it's not to be sniffed at.
      
      1 0 Reply
      1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:10 GMT I ain't Spartacus
        
        Re: So basiclly,
        
        For a moment there I thought you were having a go at French toast, which you may know as eggy bread. I've tried eggy bread with maple syrup at home and it's not to be sniffed at.
        
        Richard 81,
        
        My arteries now hate you. I've not had eggy-bread in ages. It's OK with ketchup, but I'd not tried it with maple syrup. Which I have in, as I was given some US breakfast pancake mixture by a relative.
        
        To all other sceptics in my country I should point out that American/Scottish pancakes are an execllent substitute for the usual fried slice or toast option. Actually US biscuits are quite nice too. Although I'm not so sure about country gravy. The pancakes, bacon, sausage and maple syrup go very well together, with a bit of fried egg and some beans on the side. I'm not so sure about adding blueberries to the whole thing though.
        
        Talking of US breakfasts I'm not a fan of the hash browns you can get in England. They're not the same as what you get in the US anyway. But I sometimes have some potato croquettes with my brekkie. Sauteed tatoes are good too.
        
        To push the American thing even further, my brother introduced me to the breakfast burrito. TexMex at it's finest (or worst). Take a nice tortilla, spread some salsa on it, add a rasher or two of bacon, scrambled egg, a little grated cheese, roll up and consume. Yummy. Also works with sausage. The salsa should have a decent chilli kick, without being overpowering.
        
        I must confess to eating a Linda McCartney veggie sausage with my fry-up recently. I had vegetarians over, and couldn't be bothered to cook two kinds. I had proper bacon of course, I'm not a pervert. Those things are truly horrible. I think veggies must eat them in order to avoid temptation - as a sort of re-inforcement to make them think that meat is horrible tasting. Bleurgh!
        
        1 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:27 GMT ukgnome
        
        @I ain't Spartacus
        
        Maple syrup eggy bread with peanut butter and cheese (extra mature) it's simply awesome
        
        Pancakes or waffles with cheese and fried egg is also for the win.
        
        Basically we should go into business as potato croquettes are the king of potato breakfast items, unless you are sitting down to an Olympic at little chef.
        
        As for vege products, basically quorn all the way if you can handle the incredibly loud farting afterwards. Fake bacon is OK, but only if you like the taste of frazzles. If you are having a vege fry up then have everything else in a bigger portion size and side step the meat.
        
        1 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:29 GMT Khaptain
        
        Re: So basiclly,
        
        Hang on a mo, why is there no "Fruit Pudding" in any of those lists. Don't any of you Sassenachs know what's good for you....
        
        1 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 11:01 GMT Alfie
        
        Re: So basiclly, Sassenachs
        
        You need to include the white (or mealie) pudding as well as the black, and you need to have beef link, pork sausage and square sausage which I think is made from pink things, some of them claim to be steak slice, but unless its actually veal I'm not convinced.
        
        Also there should be some left over mashed potato which is then put in the bacon and sausage fat and fried until crispy on the outside.
        
        And it must be washed down with builders tea. I think there must be something to do with the tannins that absorbs all the fat and cleans out your mouth.
        
        That, my friends is a proper breakfast. Sadly it takes quite a while to prepare, so not one to knock up before running out the door for work, best left for the weekends.
        
        0 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 16:21 GMT Anonymous Coward
        
        Re: So basiclly, Sassenachs
        
        I much prefer a good black pudding to white pudding (though good white pudding is probably better than bad black pudding), but I've made do with scrapple when visiting the US (usually available sout of New York and north of DC).
        
        And while the bread that the yanks serve up as "toast" is usually horrible (probably more unhealthy than the rest of the breakfast put together) I once got an egg sandwich on sourdough that was as good or better than anything I've had at home.
        
        0 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 12:06 GMT Seanmon
        
        Re: So basiclly,
        
        No to mention tattie scones, lorne sausages or haggis slices. The true masters of the grease-filled fry up live north of the border.
        
        0 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 12:38 GMT Sparkypatrick
        
        Re: So basiclly,
        
        There are some very tasty veggie sausages out there; but the Linda McCartney ones are, indeed, an abomination. Much like those weirdly pink things made by the likes of Walls.
        
        1 0 Reply
    2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 08:54 GMT ukgnome
      
      Re: So basiclly,
      
      "biscuits and sausage gravy"
      
      Oh, you mean scones, except the way you have them is more akin to a cobbler.
      
      2 0 Reply
  3. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:17 GMT Jedit
    
    "Right now, you're pikers but gaining fast."
    
    If we're still small compared to Americans, surely we're pikelets?
    
    4 0 Reply
  4. Tuesday 12th August 2014 13:46 GMT Kane
    
    Re: So basiclly, @ Mark 85
    
    And all those exclamation marks, you notice? A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head.
    
    1 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 15:14 GMT Richard 81
      
      Re: So basiclly, @ Mark 85
      
      Underpants? No. A tea cosy however...
      
      2 0 Reply
  5. Tuesday 12th August 2014 15:35 GMT IsJustabloke
    
    Re: So basiclly,
    
    American "bacon" doesn't count as bacon; it being the thickness of a gnats penis and grilled until it has attained a glass / plastic like sheen and that when an attempt is made to stab it with a fork it will shatter into a meellllionnnn pieces each flying off the plate in a spray pattern similar to an exploding shell's shrapnel Or something called sausage, that is actually a burger... No I'm afraid you American's can teach us nothing about the breakfast.
    
    Its a called a full English around the world for a reason you know. ;)
    
    2 0 Reply
2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:24 GMT Doogs
  
  Re: So basiclly,
  
  Pretty sure I read somewhere that was true; UK has greater incidence of obesity per capita than US but, as usual, Yanks tend to take it to extremes. ;)
  
  0 0 Reply
3. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:29 GMT Steve Davies 3
  
  Re: So basiclly,
  
  Us the lard-asses? May I humbly suggest that you visit the US and see the real Lard-asses of the world for youself.
  
  Whilst not exactly small in stature myself (ex No 8 forward) I pale into insignificance when compared to our friends (meh) in the US. A great plase to watch is just about any branch of a fast food joint with a scottish name at Breakfast time. There will be plenty of oversized locals breaking their fast on a Hamburger.
  
  Now back to the real subject in question.
  
  A proper 'Full monty' Breakfast is not complete unless it has some high quality Black Pudding on the plate. I hail from the soft south of England but it is always a pleasure to visit the parts of the country that serve proper (in my eyes) Breakfasts.
  
  They will set you up for the day ahead.
  
  13 1 Reply
  1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 08:38 GMT A Non e-mouse
    
    Re: So basiclly,
    
    Whilst not exactly small in stature myself (ex No 8 forward) I pale into insignificance when compared to our friends (meh) in the US.
    
    The BMI stats claim I'm obese. I went on a trip to America and discovered the real meaning of obese.
    
    1 0 Reply
    1. Saturday 19th September 2015 17:22 GMT skeptical i
      
      Re: So basiclly,
      
      "Double-wide" applies to more than mobile homes roun' here.
      
      0 0 Reply
4. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:30 GMT Dalek Dave
  
  Re: So basiclly,
  
  Not so.
  
  Our Fry-ups are perfectly healthy.
  
  Egg, (One - Fried, not over easy)
  
  Bacon (Proper back bacon, not that crispy slither of fat you get Stateside)
  
  Sausage (Proper sausage with real meat, not the gristle filled tube of indeterminate animal parts sold in the USA)
  
  Beans (See, we do Vegetables!)
  
  Mushrooms (Deliciously fried in the bacon fat, that not wasteful)
  
  Black Pudding (Americans really do not want to know what is in this)
  
  Fried Slice (A king amongst bread products, and we do not put sugar in our bread)
  
  Grilled Tomato (We do Fruit too!)
  
  There is no side order of pancakes and syrup, and it is designed to sit on a plate, not be presented in a tower formation some six inches high.
  
  Served with tea (Milk and Two as you are asking).
  
  Breakfast of Kings!
  
  15 1 Reply
  1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:35 GMT Gordon 10
    
    Re: So basiclly,
    
    Add a white pudding hold the beans and you have a sale!
    
    3 0 Reply
  2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:54 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
    
    >Sausage (Proper sausage with real meat, not the gristle filled tube of indeterminate animal parts sold in the USA)
    
    Hahahaaaa..... Real meat content of a your average British sausage is 0. I've previously described them as being like lumpy porridge in a condom and even then I think I was being too flattering towards them.
    
    4 3 Reply
    1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:29 GMT Richard 81
      
      Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
      
      Chris W, you're buying the wrong British sausages. When Yank sausages are the right kind they can be very good, since they're rather like German sausages. Those sausage meat patties are rubbish though.
      
      1 0 Reply
      1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:41 GMT Anonymous Coward
        
        Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
        
        Richard, I know everyone here only buys M&S Real Pork Deluxe sausages made from freerange pigs who have been fed on only the finest acorns and spend their days basking in the sunshine cast over the lush green meadow they call home. Yes, I know such utopian sausagery exists, however your average British sausage is just as I have described it.
        
        1 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 11:16 GMT Richard 81
        
        Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
        
        M&S?!? Try just going to your local butcher's shop.
        
        Of course, if you consider a butcher's choice pork and apple sausage to be anything less than a piece of heaven in piggy form, then I'm afraid you just don't know what good food is.
        
        3 0 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 11:24 GMT Anonymous Coward
        
        Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
        
        Richard, I think you need to learn to comprehend what you read instead of just processing words literally.
        
        1 1 Reply
        
        Tuesday 12th August 2014 12:45 GMT Sparkypatrick
        
        Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
        
        M&S don't do Free Range pork sausages, only the highly misleadingly named outdoor reared/outdoor bred.
        
        0 0 Reply
    2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 15:38 GMT IsJustabloke
      
      Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
      
      I'm afraid you sir, are mistaken.... if you buy your sausages from a proper butcher they are indeed mostly made of meat... the same cannot be said of value supermarket sossies though.
      
      0 0 Reply
      1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 16:31 GMT Anonymous Coward
        
        Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave
        
        > I'm afraid you sir, are mistaken.... if you buy your sausages from a proper butcher they are indeed mostly made of meat... the same cannot be said of value supermarket sossies though.
        
        Although I cannot speak for the US, but in Canada it is *possible* to buy decent bangers but you do have to go to a butcher or independent shop. All the sausages sold in supermarkets here (mainly spiced Italian style ones) are utter shite. Some I tried actually made me gag there was so much gristle in.
        
        As for bacon, you *can* get proper back bacon (what they call "Canadian bacon" here) but the vast majority of bacon available is streaky, and very fatty streaky bacon at that. The only possible way to eat it is to grill it to within an inch of its life into what amounts to a long, thin pork scratching. They cleverly pack it offset so that all you can see is the small meaty bit that it does have, and the fat is hidden.
        
        Black pudding is indeed the food of the Gods.
        
        0 0 Reply
  3. Tuesday 12th August 2014 10:29 GMT Captain Hogwash
    
    Re: and we do not put sugar in our bread
    
    If you use and kind of standard sliced stuff then yes you do. It's loaded with sugar to make it rise fast.
    
    0 0 Reply
Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:24 GMT Dalek Dave

When one was demobbed after WW2 one was given one's Demob Suit.

This was designed by Montegue Burton.

When a fellow soldier had been demobbed he was said to have 'Gone for a Burton'.

If the fellow plumped for the 3-Piece version, he is said to have gone for the 'Full Monty'.

It has nothing at all to do with Bernard's Breakfast.

3 0 Reply
1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:06 GMT Nuke
  
  @Dalek Dave
  
  Wrote :- "When [a soldier] was demobbed after WW2 one was given one's Demob Suit... designed by Montegue Burton. ... he was said to have 'Gone for a Burton'.
  
  I always thought that "Gone for a Burton" originally (and before the end of WW2) meant "gone for a beer", Burton being a brand of it. It was an advertising slogan - like there would be a cartoon of a bus waiting with no driver and one passenger saying in a speech bubble "Where's the driver?" and another replies "Gone for a Burton!". (No drink-drive worries in those days)
  
  It became a national standing joke, with "Gone for a Burton" being used about any absentee, then especially if they had met withan accident. So a mother might say to her 8 year-old going too near a cliff edge : "Careful, or you'll go for a Burton!".
  
  1 0 Reply
2. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:37 GMT joeldillon
  
  No, 'gone for a Burton' was a euphemism fort 'had been killed', and this goes back at least to World War I.
  
  0 0 Reply
Tuesday 12th August 2014 07:40 GMT Anonymous Coward

And you think a fry up is bad for you?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7543507/Fried-breakfast-is-healthiest-start-to-day-say-scientists.html

2 0 Reply
1. Tuesday 12th August 2014 09:27 GMT James Micallef
  
  Re: And you think a fry up is bad for you?
  
  Re "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7543507/Fried-breakfast-is-healthiest-start-to-day-say-scientists.html"
  
  - have you seen the timestamp on the article?
  
  1 0 Reply