Sometimes you don’t…sometimes you just feel stupid. Such was the case last week…
Far Guy and I were ensconced on our respective couches watching a bit of TV..Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs to be exact. In the background there is a Nutcracker..cracking nuts. I said right out loud in front of God and Far Guy and possibly even Chance. “ I never knew that those nutcrackers guys actually cracked nuts.” Far Guy began to laugh..”Whatya mean sweetheart..of course they crack nuts ..they are Nutcrackers.”
I always thought nutcrackers were the things that sat in the bowl of nuts..you know they were silver and you put the nuts in-between… squeezed for all you were worth and then the shell flew all over..leaving you with some of the nuts meat.
I never knew that the soldiery looking guys in red, green or blue uniforms called Nutcrackers actually cracked nuts. No one ever explained it to me before..I must have been sick that day when it was taught in school…my Mom or Dad never educated me.. I have never been to the famous ballet ..I have never watched it on TV either..how was I supposed to know?
Now to make it even worse..there is a Planters Peanut commercial where a Nutcracker assaults a peanut. That commercial would have helped me out years ago..now it just reminds me of my stupidity. If that wasn’t enough my oldest daughter when she heard of my lack of nutcracker education..just had to wrap one up for me…marked with the year 2010 so that I will forever remember when I discovered that Nutcrackers actually crack nuts.
I wonder who told my children? Did Far Guy tell them all about Nutcrackers one day when I was at work?
No, because, I hate to say it, but I didn't know either! I am 45.
ReplyDeleteI get how you feel, but on the other hand I think it is great, nobody knows everything, we all ought to be life long learners. Do you realize that there are grown ups, really old grown ups that don't know what a pansy is! There is a lot to learn out there in our big world we could live to be a hunert and learn a bunch of stuff every day and still come up short in the end.
ReplyDeleteBesides, do they really crack nuts? I dare you to walk in to a shop of those expensive things with a walnut in your hand!
I, too, am 59 - - (for only 3 more weeks) - - - and I did not know it either. Perhaps it is because we always bought the shelled walnuts or cans of nuts. We, too, used the silver grips that about broke your hand. I thought the nutcracker was just part of the ballet.
ReplyDeleteChance is a good sport to pose with the little fellow!
P.S. Dirty Jobs is a GREAT show!
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that using the form of a fancy soldier for a nutcracker gave the term "nut cracker" a double meaning but I'm not sure how true that is...
ReplyDeleteCount me in with the clue-less!!! I grew up with all those pecan trees and we used daddy's hammer on the back brick steps to crack the nuts!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA! Sometimes you crack me up!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I don't think it's that strange, they do look like they're just for decor... That Planters peanut commercial is one of my favorites! and Mike Rowe, I love Mike Rowe, his show is so great!
ReplyDeleteThat is a good one! I have never though about them being used to crack a nut.
ReplyDeleteYou are a cracked nut.
ReplyDelete:) and a very good one.
And I've no doubt at all that Far Guy mentioned it a time or three at the water fountain at work today. LOL!
Judging by the comments you are not the only one that stayed home from school that day! LOL. I don't remember when I learned about Nutcrackers, but I do know I was an adult. :)
ReplyDeleteEmma sends kisses for Chance!
The Duchess
LOL, my wooden nutcrackers are for display and I wouldn't try them for actually cracking nuts. I have a metal nutcracker for that. Your post is cute.
ReplyDeleteSo funny! Actually, I could act all snooty and say, "Why, of course, my dear, that's what nutcrackers do!" But in all honesty, I finally figured it out myself just a little while ago, when I was displaying one of mine, and the mouth moved open. I stood there gawking, and finally realized they really were for cracking nuts. (And I have a ton of them for show!)
ReplyDeletePeace,
Muff
Great post! I love the picture, I think Chance knew.
ReplyDeleteFunny! I think we all learn something new every day!! I did know about nutcrackers though.. but I still would use the metal kind. My luck I would break a real nutcracker.
ReplyDeleteHuh, well add me to the group of uninformed. Now I'm wondering why I never questioned as to why they were actually called Nutcrackers, those wooden soldier guys. Learned something today!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess it's because I'm older and we actually used them to crack nuts that I knew about them. It's that dang younger generation who doesn't know these things. Funny story, Connie! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone!! I didn't know that either!
ReplyDeleteWell, I mean in theory, they are supposed to crack nuts, but the only time I tried it, the dang fancy little soldier guy broke into pieces and I got into trouble!!!! (I was a child) So, I don't really believe that they CAN crack nuts. So, don't believe everything they tell you! Did you try it out?
ReplyDeleteUmm, I think I may be being a bit thick here, but the nutcrackers we had were the silvery sort which destroyed nuts and left you picking up the edible bits. Cute soldiers tho we don't have them in Scotland :-) Jo
ReplyDeleteI have to admit - I thought the fancy dancy ones were for decoration! I've never see a fancy dancy one in action!
ReplyDeletePS I'll bet they don't make many of those nutcracker soldiers now that actually work. I asked my son and daughter (22 and 26), and they knew what they were, and my daughter got a good laugh out of me not knowing. I've now decided that I really did know, I've just forgotten:)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those soldiers really work? You're never too old to learn stuff...
ReplyDeleteWe love Dirty Jobs!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I found out about nutcrackers before I was 59. (Which I will be next July. ;-) )
HI:
ReplyDeleteI am 81 and didn't know either! I of course knew about the Nutcracker Suite but only thought of the fancily dressed soldier. I used our metal nutcracker that decimated the nutshells making us pick up so many little pieces of the nut.We used the nut picks to dig out the walnut pieces.
It's never too late to learn something.
Love these stories. My grandson (5 at the time) fed our nutcracker soft chocolate's. That was fun to clean up !!! Chance knew!!
ReplyDeleteI tell hubby Mike Rowe is good looking.
I thought those were just cute soldier decorations that had evolved because of the play/music. And I'm almost 60--hehe! By glancing thru all these comments--we are not alone in our ignorance--ROFL! ;)
ReplyDeleteHeeehehehe!!! Truly??? You didn't know?? I saw the 'nutcracker-Mr. Peanut' add Sunday and thought I'd die!!!
ReplyDeleteNo worries girl! Here are three grown women discussing the shoes we had purchased for Angel Dawn ( the little gal with cancer). We wanted her to have something with support so we bought her a pair of basic white tennis shoes. We were talkin' about how we could dress 'em up quickly. I spout out...how 'bout some cool laces, the other jump in yeah...yeah that would be great. I go to my recourse room and just as I'm pullin' some neon colored Jesus laces....it hits me...are ya ready....the tennis shoes...Velcro!
I just went back to the other two and said.."OK on the count of three we can all say duhhhhhhh!!!"
Have a greatly blessed day sweetie!!!
I knew that they worked for cracking nuts, but never have tried .... I think they don't work very well ... at least the modern ones. But then, there is a lot of things I don't know that YOU know!!!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stick to my anvil and hammer!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll be jigged! Can't emagine it would work well. Better just to look at them. Thanks Connie. GW
ReplyDeleteThis made me giggle.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean in the play the Nutcracker Suite? Are there nutcrackers in it??
ReplyDeleteHEY! some of them are just ornamental.
ReplyDelete