Les Jones: Word of the Day: Tom and Jerry (Fiestaware)

November 01, 2007

Word of the Day > Word of the Day: Tom and Jerry (Fiestaware)

So tonight at Border's I was browsing through some books on Fiestaware collecting. I knew that there were multiple styles of Fiestaware coffee mugs, of which we have a few. I didn't realize that the kind included with contemporary Fiestaware place settings was called the Tom and Jerry mug. It's named not for the cat and mouse cartoon characters but for a hot drink.

A Tom and Jerry is a traditional Christmastime cocktail in the United States. It was devised by sports writer Pierce Egan in the 1820s. It is a variant of eggnog with brandy and rum added and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl.
Another method uses egg whites, beaten stiff, with the yolks and sugar folded back in, and vanilla extract added. A few spoonfuls are added to a mug, then hot water and rum are added, and it is topped with nutmeg.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of an 1820s sports writer, but there you go.

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Comments

Somewhat more recently, but still long enough ago to require headwrapping, Bat Masterson became a sports writer after returning from a brief trip out west.

The cartoon characters Tom and Jerry were named after the drink, rather like the way our hamsters Dunk and Fife were named after a famous cabinet maker.

Posted by: triticale at November 02, 2007