Down with the lingo

THE BBC website was inundated when readers were asked to nominate their least favourite Americanisms which have percolated to this side of the pond.

American? English? Scottish? I say vive la difference.During the time mentioned above coffee was made by dropping the grounds in the bottom of a "coffee pot" that now came in various shapes with a spout at the top on one side and a wooden handle on the other; nonetheless, some were very ornate and made of silver. Hot water was poured over the coffee grounds and boiled for a few minutes. Then, in the late 1770s, a two chamber coffee maker began to be used. Coffee grounds were put in an upper chamber. Boiling water was poured into the upper chamber that allowed only liquid to go to the lower chamber. This was an expensive coffee maker and not many people had them.To clean your percolator, fill the percolator to the highest cup level with half water and half vinegar. Put a filter in the basket as you normally would, then run a full percolator cycle. When done, discard the water and the filter. Then run the percolator again with clean water. Discard that water and rinse out the percolator and rinse the stem and basket; dry with a soft towel. You can also clean an urn the same way. Be sure that you have enough vinegar to fill your urn half full; then, fill the second have with water. Be sure to put a paper filter in the filter basket when you clean an urn. Run it through a full cycle just like you would with a percolator. You can also lengthen the life and taste of coffee at your grange, social club or church that uses an urn. You will be surprised by the number of compliments you get after cleaning. This process always makes the coffee taste much better.Next, there came a series of coffee makers. The first of these was the percolator in 1865. It was the stove top percolator similar to the ones we have today. When it was placed on a hot stove, the boiling water was forced up the hollow stem and over the coffee in a "basket." Many people still prefer this method as it makes a stronger tasting coffee; however, today, they also prefer electric percolators. Another coffee maker that some still like to use is the vacuum coffee maker, which looks like two pots, one upside down on the other. When heat forms a pressure, it forces hot water up into the top chamber where it infuses with the coffee grounds. When the heat is taken away, the pressure is released and the hot water, now coffee, returns to the bottom chamber. Not too much later the electric percolator was introduced; the French Press coffeemaker was introduced as well. Course coffee was placed in the bottom of a straight container and a plunger with a filter in the center was pushed down and allowed the coffee to come to the top. This is another method that still remains popular today.Personally, I'm good with Americanisms. I don't mean skilful or adept at their use. Just cool about it. Or, to use an Englishism: "Am I bovvered?"Water can leave a whitish mineral deposit or a brownish deposit stain in the bottom and sides of your decanter from your coffee or tea. To clean these deposits take a solution of equal parts of White household vinegar and Hot, not boiling, water and leave in the decanter for 20 to 30 minutes then discard. Wash your decanter with regular dish soap, rinse and dry with a soft dish towel. NEVER use a harsh abrasive on your coffee maker.The first noted commercial coffee makers were those used in coffee houses that opened in Istanbul, Turkey in 1554. Drinking coffee from coffee makers spread to Persia and on to the Ottoman Empire and northern Africa. Next, the taste for coffee spread to Europe; it is the Dutch sailors who then spread coffee and the need for coffeemakers to the rest of the world. Coffee came to America by way of the British in the 1607. Colonists, who were mainly tea drinkers, began to drink more coffee; especially after the Boston Tea party in 1773. All this coffee drinking then inspired a need for a better coffee maker.Me, I'm on a learning curve. When people ask "What's up?" I know they mean: "What's new?" And not a short form of the Scottish question: "What's up with your face?"

American? English? Scottish? I say vive la difference.