“MAY I, monsieur, offer my services without running the risk of intruding? I fear you may not be able to make yourself understood by the worthy ape who presides over the fate of this establishment. In fact, he speaks nothing but Dutch. Unless you authorize me to plead your case, he will not guess that you want gin. There, I dare hope he understood me; that nod must mean that he yields to my arguments. He is taking steps; indeed, he is making haste with prudent deliberation. You are lucky; he didn’t grunt. When he refuses to serve someone, he merely grunts. No one insists. Being master of one’s moods is the privilege of the larger animals. Now I shall withdraw, monsieur, happy to have been of help to you. Thank you; I’d accept if I were sure of not being a nuisance. You are too kind. Then I shall bring my glass over beside yours.” The Fall by Albert Camus etext

“Algernon. Got nice neighbours in your part of Shropshire?
Jack. Perfectly horrid! Never speak to one of them.
Algernon. How immensely you must amuse them! [Goes over and takes sandwich.] By the way, Shropshire is your county, is it not?
Jack. Eh? Shropshire? Yes, of course. Hallo! Why all these cups? Why cucumber sandwiches? Why such reckless extravagance in one so young? Who is coming to tea?”

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe@daylesincrediblelinks.com
The Importance Of Being Earnest@wikisource

“The pea coat originated as a cold weather uniform in many European navies, most notably the British and the Dutch during the 18th century. The term “pea coat” comes from the Dutch word pij, which is a type of cloth commonly used in the production of the coat. The typical pea coat is a short double-breasted jacket made of coarse wool. It is normally navy blue or black in colour. Three to six buttons often made of wood or brass adorn the front and they are sometimes inscribed with anchors or other naval insignia. Though the uniform originated in Europe, by the early 20th century it became part of the United States navy’s official dress as well.” link@soko.com

“As the story goes, 17th-century Poland was the breadbasket of Europe, and King Jan Sobieski was the first king not to confirm the decree of 1496 limiting the production of white bread and obwarzanek (bagellike rolls whose name derives from a word meaning “to parboil”) to the Krakow bakers guild. This meant that Jews could finally bake bread within the confines of the city walls. Furthermore, when Sobieski saved Austria from the Turkish invaders, a baker made a roll in the shape of the king’s stirrup and called it a beugel (the Austrian word for stirrup).” link@slate.com