# In the 24th Century, Do They Know What an Omelet Is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 13, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485 "2020-11-13T02:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/1 "2020-11-13T02:48:05Z")
Just finished watching the ST:TNG episode titled _Time Squared_. It begins with Riker inviting a bunch of the bridge crew to his quarters so he can show off his culinary skills by preparing and serving a hand-made omelet. But what he actually serves them is scrambled eggs. What the hell, dudes? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/2 "2020-11-13T02:54:40Z")
Why not? The [omelet has existed, by that name, for nearly five centuries already](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omelette#History), and the concept predates it by even more; why could it not have survived another three or four centuries? Now, if it was properly Trekky, it should have been an omelet with some weird non-Earth ingredient… ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/3 "2020-11-13T02:57:28Z")
It was, and it tasted terrible to everyone except Worf. The eggs themselves weren’t from any terrestrial creature. They also consumed the eggs with, IIRC, some exotic ale. I’ll bet there was a lot of gas in the air that night. 😖 As for the difference between an omelet and scrambled eggs, I’d wager a lot of people today don’t know or care about it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/4 "2020-11-13T03:01:07Z")
Meh. Riker would never have gotten away with it if he’d invited the Captain to the feast. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/5 "2020-11-13T03:05:21Z")
Why are they allowed to cook in their quarters? And with a replicator, why would they need to? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/6 "2020-11-13T03:08:35Z")
Cooking comes under the heading of “Recreation.” Not surprising that a senior officer would have a kitchenette in his wastefully spacious quarters. I love cooking too. I find it very relaxing. Plus, I get to eat what I cook. 😋 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/7 "2020-11-13T03:11:50Z")
^ Good point. Hopefully, senior officers have enough common sense to not set fire to the ship. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/8 "2020-11-13T03:12:10Z")
The gag of the food being inedible to everyone but Worf resurfaced on the TNG episode in which he and Geordi were eating at the Replimat on DS9. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/9 "2020-11-13T03:12:56Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Good point. Hopefully, senior officers have enough common sense to not set fire to the ship. I dunno; Riker sometimes sits on the tactical console, where the phasers and photon torpedoes are fired from. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/10 "2020-11-13T03:15:11Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > I dunno; Riker sometimes sits on the tactical console, where the phasers and photon torpedoes are fired from. Apparently, in the 24th century, they have eliminated the butt-dial issue. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/11 "2020-11-13T03:15:50Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > I dunno; Riker sometimes sits on the tactical console, where the phasers and photon torpedoes are fired from. Doesn’t he have some kind of difficulty getting into certain chairs? As in, he has to hoick his leg over the back? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/12 "2020-11-13T03:17:05Z")
That would be funny. I can picture guest star Tony Shalhoub as “Lt Monk” panicking over a grease fire while trying to figure out how to use an extinguisher. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/13 "2020-11-13T03:18:02Z")
I thought that was because his Spandex was too tight. No? 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/14 "2020-11-13T03:19:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > That would be funny. I can picture guest star Tony Shalhoub as “Lt Monk” panicking over a grease fire while trying to figure out how to use an extinguisher. 😆 Lt. Monk would have to stop the turbo-lift between decks and touch each floor. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/15 "2020-11-13T03:20:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I thought that was because his Spandex was too tight. No? My understanding (I think I originally read something about this from Wil Wheaton) is that Jonathan Frakes had a bad back, and the funky sit-down maneuver was a way to sit down that didn’t hurt as much. For those unfamiliar: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lVIGhYMwRgs/hqdefault.jpg "Riker sits down") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVIGhYMwRgs) > **[The Riker Maneuver in Star Trek, Explained | The Mary Sue](https://www.themarysue.com/riker-sits-down/)** > > I'll never forget the day, years ago, when a co-worker turned to me, incredulous: "You've never seen the Riker sits down video?" Reader, I had not. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/16 "2020-11-13T03:21:44Z")
… And that would be the season’s best crossover episode! 👍 👍 👍 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/17 "2020-11-13T03:23:00Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > > [@ekedolphin](#): > > > > I dunno; Riker sometimes sits on the tactical console, where the phasers and photon torpedoes are fired from. > > Doesn’t he have some kind of difficulty getting into certain chairs? As in, he has to hoick his leg over the back? Yeah, I’ve been bingeing the series, and whenever Picard tells him he has the Bridge, I notice that he hesitates slightly before sitting in the command chair, as though he’s wondering if he can get away with doing his patented Will Riker straddle-sit maneuver. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/18 "2020-11-13T03:23:12Z")
Yeah, but look at how that uniform stretches (or doesn’t stretch enough)! 😒 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/19 "2020-11-13T03:23:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > As for the difference between an omelet and scrambled eggs, I’d wager a lot of people today don’t know or care about it. There was a thread here maybe a year ago, about “what do you put in your scrambled eggs.” It was quite clear that no one here made the distinction between omletes and scrambled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/20 "2020-11-13T03:23:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Apparently, in the 24th century, they have eliminated the butt-dial issue. Wait a minute! How many beings on that ship have actual butts? 🤣 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485.md?page=2)