Unutterably Silly Quiz

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

woolworths?

Good guess, but not correct. Woolworths opened in 1879, and was the first of the major chains of department stores, not grocery stores. In the US we called them "Five & Dime Stores." The one in my neighborhood as a kid had a great lunch counter, were for 35 cents you could get a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup, but we preferred their shoe-string french fries!

I'm still looking for the first and longest surviving grocery store chains...


Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

Safeway?

Here is Oz it used to be Woolworth's safeway.

And we did have in the olden days Woolworths variety stores which I think evolved into today's Big W.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Safeway?

Here is Oz it used to be Woolworth's safeway.

And we did have in the olden days Woolworths variety stores which I think evolved into today's Big W.

Nope! Not Safeway either. If I'm not mistaken, there are no Woolworths still surviving in the US... but don't quote me on that. Just seems to be something in the back of my mind...

Anyway... we're still looking for the earliest, largest (from the 1860's-1970's) and longest surviving grocery store chain.


Stitchawl

[orlok]

Here in the UK that would probably be Booths - I haven't a scoobys what it would be in the US.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by orlok

Here in the UK that would probably be Booths - I haven't a scoobys what it would be in the US.

Sorry, but if Shayne can ask for the mating oddities of rare New Zealand parrots, I feel justified in asking for not-so-rare US grocery store chains! In this case, one that did a LOT of business in the UK in it's original role...


Stitchawl

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Sorry, but if Shayne can ask for the mating oddities of rare New Zealand parrots...

Fair point .

So it's not Sainsburys, you say? Maybe Sears?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by orlok

Fair point .

So it's not Sainsburys, you say? Maybe Sears?

Nope, and nope! Nor Tesco or Harrod's.

A Hint: It opened it's first US grocery store as an adjunct to its primary international business concerns.



Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

A & P? (The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company)

[Got our first set of encyclopedias free there, 1 volume/week - Funk & Wagnalls]

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

A & P? (The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company)

[Got our first set of encyclopedias free there, 1 volume/week - Funk & Wagnalls]

And the chicken wins a cigar! Yes, the A&P was the first, the largest, and the longest surviving grocery store. We had one on our block when I was growing up. It was the only chain that offered coffee grinding machines so customers could grind theirs fresh. Smelled great!

Take it away, Poohbear! (and get some feathers on!)


Stitchawl

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Sorry, but if Shayne can ask for the mating oddities of rare New Zealand parrots....

Stitchawl

Ah, but you *did* know the answer. I had every confidence in you.

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

And the chicken wins a cigar! Yes, the A&P was the first, the largest, and the longest surviving grocery store. We had one on our block when I was growing up. It was the only chain that offered coffee grinding machines so customers could grind theirs fresh. Smelled great!

Take it away, Poohbear! (and get some feathers on!)


Stitchawl

Ah yes - I can still remember those red bags of Eight O'Clock coffee beans and the sound & smell of grinding a bag in the store!


OK: a literary question now:

In Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Betrothed" the narrator compares and evaluates the relative strengths and attractions between which two things?
Which one wins?
Extra points if you can repeat his conclusion!

[HomeInMyShoes]

Mars and Venus. Mars wins because Venus can't take all the dust what with the allergies and all.

[poohbear_nc]

Wrong ... allergies & all ....

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

Ah, but you *did* know the answer. I had every confidence in you.

Yeah, but that's only cuz I know a bit about mating habits, not New Zealand birdies!

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

OK: a literary question now:

In Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Betrothed" the narrator compares and evaluates the relative strengths and attractions between which two things?
Which one wins?
Extra points if you can repeat his conclusion!

Easy peasy! The origin of that oh so famous line;
"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a Smoke."
He was comparing his girlfriend to his cigar... as so many of us eventually have.

Kipling is one of my all time favorites. Whenever I'm involved in a group poetry read, I usually pick one of his to recite!
So I'll meet 'im later on
In the place where 'e is gone
Where it's always double drill and no canteen;
'E'll be squattin' on the coals
Givin' drink to pore damned souls,
An' I'll get a swig in Hell from Gunga Din!


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

Exactomundo! Your comment to my winning post gave me the idea!

Take it away Stitcherooo! Errrr .... Gunga Din!