back to article Chomp that sausage: Brits just LOVE scoffing a Full Monty

As world events point increasingly to a nasty and very imminent end, the good of folk of Blighty are now thinking: bugger it, why don't I eat a fat boy fried breakfast rather than the poncy muesli my Californian chums subsist on? New stats have revealed that the English breakfast is surging in popularity. At least, that's ( …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    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.

    1. 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.

      1. James Micallef Silver badge

        @LarsG

        "It is a relief to be back on porridge."

        Your arteries say Thank You!

        1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
          Happy

          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!

          1. 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" !

      2. Ted Treen
        Happy

        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. Anonymous Coward
      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 ;)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Balderdash and Piffle ...

        No we don't! I can't stand the woman with her 'head-girl-better-than-you' attitude.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Balderdash and Piffle ...

          I had porridge this morning... with bacon bits, best of both worlds.

  2. Ketlan
    Angel

    Yum...

    I'm hungry now.

  3. jake Silver badge

    So basiclly,

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

    Interesting.

    1. 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        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.

        1. James Micallef Silver badge

          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>

          1. Anonymous Coward
            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.

        2. Lars Silver badge
          Happy

          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.

      2. AceRimmer
        Joke

        Re: So basiclly,

        "biscuits and sausage gravy"

        Digestives or Ginger Nuts?

        1. 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. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

            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. 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.

            2. Khaptain Silver badge

              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. Alfie
                Thumb Up

                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.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  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.

              2. Seanmon
                Thumb Up

                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.

            3. 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.

        2. ukgnome

          Re: So basiclly,

          "biscuits and sausage gravy"

          Oh, you mean scones, except the way you have them is more akin to a cobbler.

      3. Jedit Silver badge

        "Right now, you're pikers but gaining fast."

        If we're still small compared to Americans, surely we're pikelets?

      4. Kane
        Joke

        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. Richard 81

          Re: So basiclly, @ Mark 85

          Underpants? No. A tea cosy however...

      5. IsJustabloke
        Stop

        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. 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. ;)

    3. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      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.

      1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

        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. skeptical i
          Devil

          Re: So basiclly,

          "Double-wide" applies to more than mobile homes roun' here.

    4. 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!

      1. Gordon 10

        Re: So basiclly,

        Add a white pudding hold the beans and you have a sale!

      2. Anonymous Coward
        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.

        1. 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. Anonymous Coward
            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. 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.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                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.

            2. Sparkypatrick

              Re: So basiclly, @Dalek Dave

              M&S don't do Free Range pork sausages, only the highly misleadingly named outdoor reared/outdoor bred.

        2. 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.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            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.

      3. 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.

  4. 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.

    1. Nuke
      Headmaster

      @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!".

    2. joeldillon

      No, 'gone for a Burton' was a euphemism fort 'had been killed', and this goes back at least to World War I.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    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

    1. James Micallef Silver badge
      Happy

      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. Robert Baker

        Re: And you think a fry up is bad for you? Telegraph 1 April

        Actually, if you subtract the sliced spuds and the toast (and possibly the baked beans; they often have plenty of sugar), what's on that plate is quite healthy — ask on any diabetes forum. The article text is sensible as well.

        Just because an article happens to have a 1 April dateline, it doesn't automatically follow that it's a joke.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wikipedia Rules

    Your gremlins need to research further than Wikipedia for "facts".

    Field Marshal Montgomery was a health fanatic. The last thing he would have started the day with would be the fat laden over salted plate of crap that is a full English.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Wikipedia Rules

      That's why the British ruled such a large empire, it was founded on the breakfast.

      The Frenchies had no chance against us with their coffee and croissants, the Germans with their cold sausage and cheese, the Eye-ties with their egg on pizza, the Spanish roll and jam and the Scots with salted porridge ( no wonder the Scots are such a dour miserable race bless them so roll on independence )

      The decline of the British Empire can be traced from the moment we adopted the bloody Continental Breakfast, American pancakes and Porridge.

      1. Richard 81

        Re: Wikipedia Rules

        Nope, it was tea. Tea served us very well in the old imperial days. Without knowing about microbes our troop's tendency to boil water to make tea made us less likely to suffer disease than, say, the French.

        1. Triggerfish

          Re: Wikipedia Rules

          Teas still an army requirement now.

          https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-british-perfected-the-art-of-brewing-tea-inside-an-armored-vehicle-1cc012f3ee54

        2. Nuke
          Holmes

          @Richard 81 - Re: Wikipedia Rules

          Wrote :- "Nope, it was tea. Tea served us very well in the old imperial days.

          Nope, it was cigars, and gin and tonic. The tonic was quinnine and it kept the tropical fevers away; the cigar smoke kept the mosquitos away in the evening.

          1. Robert Baker
            Joke

            Re: @Richard 81 - Wikipedia Rules

            "Nope, it was cigars, and gin and tonic. The tonic was quinnine and it kept the tropical fevers away; the cigar smoke kept the mosquitos away in the evening."

            That's why the French, Spanish and Italians don't have a vampire problem; the garlic keeps those away.

            That also explains why the Queen doesn't like garlic; she is after all related by descent to all the other European royal families, including the Transylvanian one. :-)

    2. Triggerfish

      Re: Wikipedia Rules

      A full English probably was thought of as healthy in those days, know old dockers from Tilsbury they would eat that and have a few pints in the morning just for the calories to get through to lunch time.

      Also shame on you saying that about a fry up, I almost clicked the report abuse button.

  7. David Roberts
    FAIL

    Carbs are the killers

    A full English breakfast may well help you live longer - if you hold back on the bread and potatoes.

    Weight loss diets based on fats and protein (look up LCHF) are surprisingly effective so a fried breakfast can turn you from lard back to slim.

    It is the cheap bulk carbohydrate that generate the profits for the food industry and go straight into your fat cells.

    Strangely, contrary to popular mythology, eating fat does not necessarily make you fat.

    I'm looking at you Ancel Keys!

    1. khisanth

      Re: Carbs are the killers

      Yet people who eat fruit and rice based dishes every day (pretty high carbs) are generally slim and lean!

      Where is your evidence that carbs are killers and go straight into fat? Whats the fat doing that you eat?!

      1. Richard 81

        Re: Carbs are the killers

        Unfortunately khisanth is right. Those veggies don't eat any animal fat, which is pure energy.

      2. AceRimmer

        Re: Carbs are the killers

        "Yet people who eat fruit and rice based dishes every day (pretty high carbs) are generally slim and lean!

        Where is your evidence that carbs are killers and go straight into fat? Whats the fat doing that you eat?!"

        Unused eaten carbs are turned into sugars which are then stored as fats, just as unused fat is stored as fat. The benefit of fat is that it is usually consumed with meat and eating meat makes you feel full faster than just veg. Fat is also a good energy source and contains abundant compounds essential for your brain.

        People usually get fat from an over consumption of processed carbohydrates (bread and pasta) as well as large amounts of sugar.

        Most fruits in large quantities are as bad as sweets as they have been specially bred for a higher sugar content than they would naturally have.

        http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/14/banana-ban-monkeys-health-paignton-zoo

        Large infrequent meals are also good for weight loss as they force the body to use stored fat as an energy source.

        http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/05May/Pages/Two-big-meals-better-than-six-snacks-for-diabetics.aspx

        Personally, I lost 2 stone in 3 months by reducing my carb and sugar intake to almost zero and sticking to 2 huge meals a day. Being able to properly pig out once a day certainly helps motivate one through a hungry morning

      3. James Micallef Silver badge

        Re: Carbs are the killers

        Simply categorising food as 'carbs' or 'fats' etc is misleading. There are good carbs (rice, fruit & veg etc) and bad carbs (high fructose corn syrup, highly processed grains). There are good fats (omega 3 & 6 oils, most nut oils) and bad fats (hydrogenated / saturated oils)

        If you're getting quality ingredients cooked in unprocessed oil or even real butter, there's nothing unhealthy about bacon, eggs, beans etc. If you're getting bacon / eggs from pigs / chickens that have been stuffed with growth hormones and antibiotics, cured with a bunch of toxic preservatives all of it fried in the cheapest available oil, arteries will start to clog

        1. RonWheeler

          Re: Carbs are the killers

          Fruit carbs can be very bad indeed - high glycemic index.

          Rice is very starchy - you simply don't need carbs. Better to fuel your body off fat and use veg for other vital minerals, fibre etc

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Carbs are the killers

            "[...] you simply don't need carbs. Better to fuel your body off fat [...]"

            A BBC Four programme had identical twin doctors trying two extreme diets. One was full of fats - the other full of sugars.

            When the trial finished the "fats" brother was found to have developed pre-diabetes glucose levels.

            There is a complex relationship between dietary fats and carbohydrates. IIRC you need the right balance - otherwise the body can't process energy from its fat reserves.

            1. RonWheeler

              Re: Carbs are the killers

              Interesting. However a single pair of borthers tested and NO vegetables allowed in the low carb test make me less than convincted of the validity of the results.

              Also the point you make about the diabetes is questioned by another doctor here: http://www.dietdoctor.com/sugar-vs-fat-on-bbc-which-is-worse

          2. launcap Silver badge

            Re: Carbs are the killers

            >Rice is very starchy - you simply don't need carbs.

            Different rice types have different starch types. Basmati rice (for example) has a slow-release starch (compared to normal long-grain rice anyway) - which is why it's better for t2 diabetcs..

    2. Triggerfish

      Re: Carbs are the killers

      I don't think it should be an extreme of anything, the best diet is one that's balanced. You may not slim down as fast but you have additional health effects from it.

    3. Robert Baker

      Re: Carbs are the killers

      Whoever downvoted that post is clearly not a diabetic. Although they may be an NHS dietitian, most of which still peddle the discredited line that "starchy carbs are very healthy" — somewhere in the last 100 years or so, the "un-" got dropped from that phrase.

  8. This post has been deleted by its author

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The full english has been perfected by, ironically enough, the Irish. Anyone lucky enough to visit dublin, who is who so hung over by drinking the black stuff that their poo is a disturbing colour, the only cure is a decent breakfast. Take your pick, but I have cloudy memories of a place called 'Matt the Rashers'. Superb stuff, fantastic value, and absolutely must be served with strong Tea, again an irish specialty. The Gods themselves dont eat any better. Gordon fucking Ramsay can shove tiny bits of mushed up goose liver for £400 right up his jaxy.

    1. Dr Insanity

      @Hadvar

      My best Full English of late actually came from Wales, The Quarterpenny Cafe in Cowbridge does what are quite possibly the greatest scrambled eggs I've ever had. Also opted for the Vege sausage not through any mistrust of meat (the bacon was thick sliced and wonderful) but a cheese and leek sausage that wasn't even remotely trying to imitate meat sounded too good to pass up. Unfortunately that's a 250 mile round trip just for breakfast.

      Best breakfast available locally is some little greesy spoon café where they somehow manage to both simultaniously undercook and overcook the bacon, give the eggs the consistency of a pencil eraser and the sausages have the consistency of something which has already been eaten once, bagged up and cooked again.

  10. RonWheeler

    'Balanced' diet

    I hate the term 'balanced' diet. Balanced compared to what? The modern term 'balanced' really is just out acceptance of the rice/pasta/potatoes/insert-starchy-junk plus meat and two veg standard. did it for forty eyars and was permanently fat weak and unhealthy - trying to lose weight meant being ill and scrawny but still with a flabby beergut.

    Dumped the carbs 6 months back and heavily cut back on beans and food with addititves too, fry with lard instead of rapeseed oil. Meat/veg/nuts/egg and a little fruit diet. Feel great, lost a load of weight - healthy.

    Instead of traditional great British brekkie, I recommend stirfry bacon and cabbage with black pepper and ketchup.

  11. Diogenes

    "going for a burton" was a euphamism for "giving birth to an officer" (ie doing a #2) at the university regiment I gained my commission in (for obvious reasons as we were all putative officers :-) )

    My diabetic educator & dietitian actually advised eating an egg (boiled or fried) with 1 slice of toast(and specfied a brand & variety) and real butter for brekkie as the lowest calorie + lowest GI brekkie short of those godawful VLCD shakes -it worked , I lost about 3.3 jubs (std reg units) over 3 months

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    Quick query

    The thinner, reddish, sweet sausages they serve up with a Holiday Inn breakfast - any tips on what I should be looking for in a supermarket to replicate that lethal and presumably unethically sourced deliciousness?

    (I do have a stash of Corfiot loukaniko in the freezer, but they're about to run out and I need to find a substitute soon).

  13. Kubla Cant

    What about

    Kippers? Kedgeree? Devilled kidneys? Anything else that begins with 'k'?

    TBH kippers is the only one I regularly breakfast on. Kedgeree is mainly a dish for impressing weekend guests with my ability to cook on Sunday morning after a bibulous Saturday dinner, and I can't remember ever having devilled a kidney.

  14. Mike Moyle

    A question for our British friends...

    I recently went to a restaurant (stateside) which offered what was claimed to be an Irish breakfast -- eggs, back bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, fried tomatoes, toast and baked beans. Now, I grew up near Boston, MA, so, to me, beans are supposed to be done up al dente in a rich brown -- almost black -- molasses and brown sugar base. The beans that appeared before me seemed to have been stewed until mushy in some sort of tomato-based soup. Was this abomination just the restaurant having a go, or is this really what people over on that side of the pond consider "baked beans"?

    ...'Cause I gotta say -- seeing those things called "baked beans" nearly put me off the rest of my meal!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A question for our British friends...

      I dare say the sight of your version might make us feel a bit queasy; not every country seems to pile as much sugar into its breakfasts as the US does! Do an image search for 'Heinz Beans' - white haricot beans in a bright orange tomato-based sauce. Sounds like the ones you saw had been stewed far too hot for too long; if the sauce starts to dry out they break down to mush when you try and serve them up. Though if you add a dab of olive oil or butter and catch them at just the right moment they can be wonderfully sticky. Not that it seems you got the fried bread to serve them on; I suppose that could be forgiven on the Irish, but not a Full English.

      On a similar note, be fore-warned that our 'French Toast' (Eggy Bread) doesn't contain the customary half-pound of cinammon in every slice either! However, I will admit that your 'over easy' eggs are excellent in a bread roll and a lot easier than the British way of doing a slightly whitened sunny-side-up fried egg by splashing the top with hot oil.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: A question for our British friends...

        > ...and a lot easier than the British way of doing a slightly whitened sunny-side-up fried egg by splashing the top with hot oil.

        This is the only way to have enough runny yoke to stick your soldiers into.

        It's the dog's :D

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Boffin

          Re: A question for our British friends...

          "This is the only way to have enough runny yoke to stick your soldiers into."

          Which just goes to demonstrate that you've never had a good over-easy; it preserves much more of the yolk in a runny state than splashing with oil, which can cause hardening around the edges, particularly if then left on a hot plate for too long. The trick is to flip the egg while there's still some white left on top still to set, and not to be too eager to flip it back or it'll break the thin skin over the yolk. Or you could try learning how to poach an egg properly, but that's not so easily done!

        2. Vic

          Re: A question for our British friends...

          This is the only way to have enough runny yoke to stick your soldiers into.

          No it isn't!

          Stick a lid on the pan. The top of the egg is steamed, leaving you with a just-solidified white and a runny yolk.

          Mmmmmm...

          Vic.

      2. Mike Moyle

        Re: A question for our British friends...

        The only reason for cinnamon on French Toast (we never used it, ourselves, but some families apparently did) is if you were using that flavorless, bastardized concoction, "Pancake Syrup", instead of the pure maple syrup.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: A question for our British friends...

        The Americans seem to have some weird cinnamon fetish - it is next to impossible to get any sort of apple dish that hasn't been spoiled by the addition of that horrible spice.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: A question for our British friends...

          > The Americans seem to have some weird cinnamon fetish - it is next to impossible to get any sort of apple dish that hasn't been spoiled by the addition of that horrible spice.

          Same in Canada.

          I think it stems from the same issue as the reason why the food here has so much salt and sugar in it and the preference for very spicy sauces added to it. Historically, food has been utter shite and the only way to eat it without gagging is to heavily spice it. Now food is generally better with the advent of better refrigeration and faster transport, the habits continue. As meat used to be very heavily salted for preservation, salting continues to satisfy that habitual expectation.

          Whereas in the likes of Italy where the climate promotes fresh, tasty food, the habits are very different.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A question for our British friends...

      That is indeed what "Baked Beans" means on the "North East Atlantic Archipelago" though personally I have never seen the attraction of either type of baked bean but if forced to choose, I'd prefer the soft, orangey ones to the hard ones.

      http://www.batchelors.ie/

      http://www.heinz.co.uk/

      1. Mike Moyle

        Re: A question for our British friends...

        http://www.batchelors.ie/

        http://www.heinz.co.uk/

        That's... horrifying.

        THESE are baked beans (although, personally, I'd say they could use more chunks of onion and salt pork in there, but that may just be family preference):

        http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k72CLKUzO3o/UmlEhESaHnI/AAAAAAAAEDg/ZAFtz3c03rI/s1600/IMG_0359.jpg

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: A question for our British friends...

          I keep the salt pork for making coddle.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wot no Bubble?

    Used to be traditional when they had leftovers in the bit of East London I grew up in, you still get it up north too, but not many places do it now,

    1. Chris G

      Re: Wot no Bubble?

      An upvote for you my friend; I had just counted over 70 comments with no mention of Bubble, one of Britain's god given ingredients for a true British breakfast.

  16. smartypants

    A proper full english breakfast doesn't have beans

    There. I've said it.

    Eggs - yes please - the yolkier the better.

    Mushrooms. Of course. Big beefy ones

    Sausages and back bacon.... The best the local butcher can provide.

    Regional specialities... splendid! Be it black pudding, cockles or even seaweed... the regional corner of the plate is a welcome addition.

    Tomatoes. Well only if full of flavour, properly cooked. Watery pale gristly substitutes not welcome

    Toast: Fresh bread of any description with real butter. Please. No dyed hydrogenated factory mush substitute.

    ...all washed down with a strong mug of tea.

    But beans? Only if the rest of the ingredients are rubbish would a dollop of sugary, salty bean sauce be a benefit. Leave the can opener alone!

    (I speak as someone brought up on baked beans. Giving them up was as transformative to the enjoyment of life as giving up watching the news!)

  17. Woodyacorn

    Full Monty

    I thought a full Monty was a massed artillery barrage...................

    1. Roj Blake Silver badge

      Re: Full Monty

      In addition to all of the explanations here for the "Full Monty" I've heard that it refers to the Monte Carlo rally, which originally included half and full distance races.

  18. Tony Rogers
    Paris Hilton

    Lorry Driver Specials

    If visiting central London, the finest breakfast "Fry Up" can be obtained at the Ritz Hotel "Geasy Spoon".

    Lorries que up for a table in Regent St. and Oxford St. in order to sample the rich and varied menu.

    No effort is to much for the manager "Greasy Rick".

    All of the ingredients are traceable back to the craftsmen farmers who supply the joint direct.

    A quick phone call to check availability is reccomended.

    The blockbuster is the "Super Ten". You may have a selection or all of the items on the menu.

    Eat well and prosper ?

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Before wickipedia allowed people not there to supplant more likely things........Full Monty

    I asked my dad (too many years ago) what the full monty was. He was ex RA, Anzio landings and it was not Montgomery, It was prewar and about a tailors in Whitechapel and I should ask Granny because she lived there.

    ( Gran would be 115 if alive, Mum was a late shock as she should have been too old to conceive).

    Gran said a full monty came from Montague BERMAN in Whitechapel ( and was from what i can work out about 1920-25) where you got gangster style sharp suits, and the accessories as per the then current films.

    Thickipedia and most sites traceable only say the son of the founder went into theatrical costumes following on from his father and dwell on the film stuff alone.

    My uncle who was fleet air arm from start ww2 to 1970 said it was a sharp suit place. even during the war (I had had doubts on Gran`s accuracy.) but for all the years up to the internet, full monty was east end or ex forces from eastender exposure. Years ago at uni no-one non- London unless with an ex forces family member somewhere had heard the term and I had to explain it meant the works and also dogs bollocks.

    Unless spiritualism works I can`t get any more now, but all the rest I was told is a cohesive thing from many. ( even from my dad who grew up on the wrong side of the river but had the same version).

    I had no idea that idiots would misrepresent things they have no direct experience or contact with so badly to no-one`s benefit (citation not required)

    I think I need to find an old boy around 90 who is a local and do a voice record and post it as the only way to support above

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