# Burns Night Tonight! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954 "2008-01-25T14:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/1 "2008-01-25T14:51:11Z")
Tonight is Burns Night! Pipe in the haggis! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/2 "2008-01-25T14:52:12Z")
[Burns]Excellent.[/Burns] ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/3 "2008-01-25T14:53:44Z")
Good night, Gracie! ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/4 "2008-01-25T15:54:49Z")
Yay! To the haggis. Now to cause a flamewar. What colour is the turnip which accompanies it? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/5 "2008-01-25T16:00:07Z")
[Obligatory link](http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/address_to_a_haggis.htm). ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/6 "2008-01-25T17:18:34Z")
Oh God. Last year Burns Night involved cheap Scotch. Too much of it. I’m sure Burns would’ve approved … but I would rather not repeat that experience. :: turns green just remembering :: ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/7 "2008-01-25T19:28:27Z")
Today is Burn’s day. If oor Rabby were around, He’d hae lots tae say. “Big, slimy, sleazy, Crooked beastie: politics Is low and nasty.” “O, wad some pow’r the giftie gie us, tae see oursel’s as others see us.” ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/8 "2008-01-25T20:34:32Z")
[QUOTE=Smid] Yay! To the haggis. Now to cause a flamewar. What colour is the turnip which accompanies it? [/QUOTE] Turnips only come in one color. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/9 "2008-01-25T20:42:39Z")
A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns O my luve’s like a red, red rose. That’s newly sprung in June; O my luve’s like a melodie That’s sweetly play’d in tune. As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I; And I will love thee still, my Dear, Till a’the seas gang dry. Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: I will luve thee still, my Dear, While the sands o’life shall run. And fare thee weel my only Luve! And fare thee weel a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/10 "2008-01-25T20:45:08Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Turnips only come in one color. [/QUOTE] … and we don’t serve turnips. Those are neeps! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/11 "2008-01-25T20:45:28Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Turnips only come in one color. [/QUOTE] Us Scots have advanced turnip technology. They come in _two_ colours due to a long-standing confusion about what is a turnip and what is a swede. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pretend\_my\_name\_is\_witty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@pretend\_my\_name\_is\_witty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pretend_my_name_is_witty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/12 "2008-01-25T23:03:28Z")
For some reason, my OTC’s Burns’ supper is not until the 9[sup]th[/sup] Feb. I shall wait until then to celebrate in a suitable manner. But come the ninth, I shall, with a more suitable accent. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/13 "2008-01-25T23:04:30Z")
Well, we are having neeps and tatties for supper. Only the neeps are actually “rutabagas” according to the bin label at the store. Close enough for the boys I go out with. No haggis, though. Just leg o’ lamb. And a slice of Dundee cake with sherry for dessert. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/14 "2008-01-25T23:18:56Z")
My wife picked up Highland Park and I got the 16 year old Lagavulin. Screw the neeps (which are red and white) and tatties. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/15 "2008-01-25T23:24:20Z")
I’m going to a Burns supper Saturday night (tomorrow). Who cares what’s to eat, when there’s whisky flowing? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/16 "2008-01-26T01:21:08Z")
Release the hounds! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/17 "2008-01-26T05:16:54Z")
I’m an idiot, but noticed (in time) that the Burns night I was invited to was tonight, not tomorrow, so I went. I’m back now. Less singing and poetry than previous years, but still good. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/18 "2008-01-26T05:55:49Z")
I gave the [Address to the Haggis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burns_supper#Entrance_of_the_haggis) about 3 hours ago. _[First and last verses only – they’re all that I can remember at short notice, and IMHO manage to get the full point across.]_ I was kilted, the “haggis” was grilled top sirloin steak, and the “whisky” was 2000 Merlot from Sonoma county grapes. It wasn’t _planned_ as a Burns Nicht – more an extended family gathering to celebrate proximate birthdays (and [Australia Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Day)) – but since I’d reckoned that about 80% of those present have close Scots ancestry, I decided to do it as a surprise. I let the hostess know in advance, changed clothes at an appropriate point, then returned in full Highland finery, gave brief equivalents of the “toast to The Immortal Memory” _[i.e of Robert Burns]_, address to the “Haggis” (2 verses out of 8), and “toast to the Lasses”. Plus birthdays, Australia Day, absent friends, etc. Total time, about 3 minutes, so it’s not like I hijacked the evening or anything. 🙂 Seemed to go down well… _[Oh, and Happy Australia Day – since it’s been Jan 26th there for several hours – to those that celebrate it!]_ ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/19 "2008-01-26T16:19:18Z")
My first thought on reading the thread title was “Simpsons marathon involving Mr. Burns centered episodes.” ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burns-night-tonight/434954/20 "2008-01-28T14:02:04Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Turnips only come in one color. [/QUOTE] Turnips, which are referred to as Neeps in Scotland… You know Turneep… Are orange coloured when cooked. A separate root vegetable, which we call Swede, is white in colour. I believe the Irish also name those the same. You go to a scottish shop and ask for a turnip and thats what you get. In England, its the other way around. Cooked turnip is white, cooked swede is orange. The argument being that the English usually think they must be the correct ones, because there are more of them, or something… The reality is that its localisation issue, and both items are called something different in each country… However, it does lead to confusion in England when somewhere cooks Haggis Neeps and Tatties. Because they invariably get it wrong. And **then** they reach for the spoon full of **gravy** … ARGH!