Sunday, December 14, 2008

Follow-up on "clear"

There was an excellent response to the oldtime family expression "clear". This really brought back memories of family conversation. "Clear" was as common as the old fashioned "schmear kase"! (Who knows what this is?)

Well--here is another choice expression that I especially remember Grandma K. using: EKELS! and/or EKELISH! She would be talking away on some issue and she'd say, "Oh, it just EKELS me." or "That is so EKELISH." In her manner, she would sorta shivver and shake her torso and shoulders. This word pops up in my mind on occasion and I thought the Blog would be interested in this memory of my mother.
Reckon what she meant?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

From the Klopfenstein Dictionary:

ecklish (adj), eck'el (v). 1)bothers one, (as in clear repulsive). 2) eckels; (v) repulses, irritates, agitates (as in disgusts) 3)the act of being repulsed or repelled 4)to cause distaste or aversion

schmear kase (noun), 1)whipped cottage cheese, homemade 2)a smooth-textured creamy cheese often served with meat & potatoes, etc.

Nog Blog said...

I can just picture that shudder of Grandma's - like you said, her torso and shoulders and head all involved in a disgusted shudder.

Anonymous said...

One of the things that eckled Mother the most was schmear kase.
I would whip it in the mixer and then I would lick the dish and the beaters. She said she just couldn't watch me do that - and didn't see how I could like it.
I really did like it and do to this day - - but I don't whip it.She wouldn't drink milk either.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea that Grandma K did not like the schmear kase. She made it for me often when I ate at her house over 2 college summers, but come to think of it, I don't recall her eating it. Had I known that, I would have made a footnote in the Klopfenstein Dictionary. These days, I eat only regular cottage cheese.
Cleve

Ann said...

Where exactly does the word "ecklish" come from? I googled it and there weren't really any references to it - a couple were from earlier posts on this blog! Schmear kase, now, sounds like a good German word and there are references to it on Google.

And who is our anonymous writer of the Klopfenstein dictionary? :-)

Anonymous said...

I confess, it's me. But I'm even more impressed with Google! They had ecklish already documented from my post comment?? Wow!

Ann said...

It's not documented from your post yesterday - it was used several months ago and it's documented from those. Type in "ecklish" and you'll find two references to our blog.

Apparently "ecklish" is a good German word, not just a K. word, which I always thought it was - is it spelled differently, or could it be found in a German dictionary?

Anonymous said...

EKEL--is in a German dictionary; however ecklish cannot be found. So I'm wondering if it is Klopfensteinese! The original post was only from memory.

With respect to "schmear kase": English is simply cottage cheese! In the olden days, our mother would fill a cloth sack with curdled milk and hang it on the sink water spigot. When the whey dripped out she would whip the newly developed "cottage cheese" until it was smooth--very smooth. A little salt added made it ultra yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!(esp. with fried thinsliced potatoes and sausage.)
Lynn K.

Ada said...

I'm very sorry to say that I never liked that awful schmear kase - I thought it was ecklish!!

Neither do I like modern-day cottage cheese although it does not eckel me and I do force myself to eat it ocassionally.