"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Oven-peel

   
An oven-peel was a pole with a broad flat end for thrusting loaves, pies, etc into a baker's oven and withdrawing them from it. Not knowing any bakers I don't know if the word is still in use.

5 comments:

  1. I've seen the neighborhood pizza place still use them!

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  2. I have been racking my brain for the corresponding German word and am a little ashamed to say that I can't remember what it is called in my mother tongue, although I know exactly what the thing looks like and can smell freshly baked bread and wood fire picturing the scene!
    Those pizza makers who make pizza in restaurants in a wooden stove still use them.

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  3. @ Librarian - In German it is a Backofen Schale - made from Beechwood. I had to Google it. Left Germany when I was 10 - but I did see it used at our neighborhood bakery over there.

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  4. Thanks Karin! I only know about two words of German so I was hoping someone else could help Librarian out!

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  5. @Karin: thank you for looking it up - but are you entirely sure? A Schale would mean an object deep enough to put something IN, but the oven peel is entirely flat, isn't it?
    Now you've made me curious, and I have googled for pictures and come across this: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0eyOrFPVoSo/S4AKnGVjv4I/AAAAAAAAAWc/0bg_zy2OELk/Ofenschieber01.JPG
    They call it Ofenschieber.

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