Noah is studying South Africa in school. Here's a convoluted conversation we had today.
N: Ostrich meat is less expensive than mints in South Africa.
M: Hmm. Mints must be pretty expensive there.
N: What is mints?
M (giving him the crooked eye): You know what mints are. You know, like breath mints? Peppermints? Spearmints? You know.
N: No, not mints, Mom. Mints.
M: What? Who's on first?
N: What? I just want to know what mince is! (He shows me the word in the book).
M: Oh, mince. I have no idea. Jenny Thomas likes mincemeat pie, but that doesn't answer your question.
I google "mince" and am glad I did it myself instead of assigning him to do it, because the first thing I see is the urban dictionary's definition: "To move or act in a way that implies homosexuality." What?! I have never heard that one before. I go to the regular dictionary definition, which defines the verb as chopping into small pieces, which everyone knows. Then it defines the noun as "something minced, esp. mincemeat." Is that a helpful definition to anyone? Not to me, so I look up mincemeat.
Wikipedia tells me that "Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and sometimes beef suet, beef, or venison." I read that definition to Noah.
N: So it's fruit, ghosts, spices, and meat? And they call that a pie? And Jenny Thomas seriously likes it?
M: Ghosts?
N: Distilled spirits?
M: Oh, that's some kind of alcoholic beverage, I think. I'm sure it's not ghosts.
N: Still, doesn't sounds like a very good pie to me.
M: No, it sure doesn't. And it doesn't explain the fact that ostrich meat is cheaper than mince.
Further research reveals that "mince" apparently just means "hamburger" in South Africa I'm friendly with a lady from South Africa who works at Papa Murphy's. Next time I see her, I'm going to ask her about it.
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