# It's meat. Get over it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 21, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144 "2013-07-21T23:40:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/61 "2013-07-22T22:15:31Z")
What we need is a carrot that not only wants to be eaten, but is capable of saying so, clearly and distinctly. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/62 "2013-07-22T22:31:46Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > It is not a matter of “dumb,” it is a matter of ignorance. Yours, in this case. > > For example, you are clearly unaware that meat has had various meanings throughout the life of the English language. You obviously failed to notice that “minced meat pie” has no animal products within it, at all, (with the possible exception of some rendered fat). The meaning of meat has had numerous meanings over the years and the one on which you are currently fixating is neither the broadest nor most comprehensive meaning assigned to that word. > > Similarly, the various dietary rules, (Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Jewish, etc.), all use different definitions of what sort of animal flesh is prohibited during various days of abstinence. The definition that the Catholic Church uses most nearly conforms to “warm blooded animals,” so Friday prohibitions refer to cattle, pork, rabbit, poultry of various sorts, and do not include fish, eggs, or turtles. That the word used to identify the “in” and “out” animals is rendered in English as “meat” is the result of the vagaries of the English language, not the confusion on the part of the religions that have defined their rules. > > I am not sure why you placed this mini-rant in Great Debates. It belongs in The BBQ Pit, (or, more appropriately, in the ashtray with a book of matches), but I will leave it here long enough for you to go open a dictionary and educate yourself regarding your confusion. In honor of this wonderful post (which contained all the stuff I came in this thread to say, added two things more, and was more eloquent than anything I had written), I am officially retracting 7 of the 9 slanderous statements I have written about you in the Dope bathroom, Tom. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/63 "2013-07-22T22:49:53Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Plants are living creatures… What did you think they were, rocks? Creature is pretty specifically animal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen plants referred to as creatures until now. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/64 "2013-07-22T22:59:37Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Creature is pretty specifically animal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen plants referred to as creatures until now. Fair point… They are certainly living, though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/65 "2013-07-23T00:05:47Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Fair point… They are certainly living, though. Indeed, which is why I wrote “living creature” rather than “living thing.” I’ve never heard anyone call a plant a “creature.” ---
**Author:** ![Tacit\_Knowledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Tacit\_Knowledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tacit_Knowledge)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/66 "2013-07-23T01:55:53Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > So you’re saying that not all meat is meat. But all meat is meat. No, I never said that. Nor does my response that you quoted allude to, suggest or imply that. The snack cake example was sarcasm intended to point out that just because some one doesn’t mention fish (for example) when listing meats (who can make an exhaustive list including every meat?) doesn’t mean that fish is therefore rendered a non-meat. Not all meat is fish. But, certainly, all fish is meat. Bit you would have known that had you read what I was responding to. Context. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/67 "2013-07-23T02:44:57Z")
> [@Tacit\_Knowledge](#): > > No, I never said that. Nor does my response that you quoted allude to, suggest or imply that. The snack cake example was sarcasm intended to point out that just because some one doesn’t mention fish (for example) when listing meats (who can make an exhaustive list including every meat?) doesn’t mean that fish is therefore rendered a non-meat. Not all meat is fish. But, certainly, all fish is meat. > > Bit you would have known that had you read what I was responding to. Context. I did know that. Read the whole thread. Thus my reply. The exhaustive list of meat would include fish, poultry and meat ( as per the USDA ) so yes all meat ( subcategory ) is meat ( supercategory ) not all meat ( supercategory ) is meat ( subcategory ). It’s not a complex thought and I was agreeing with you. Since you clearly don’t mean this, even though in your reply it seems you’re stating the exact same thing, what the hell do you mean if it isn’t isn’t what you stated and I restated above? [edit to add] > [@](#): > > That’s quite true when thought of this way. This is where I agreed with you but you would have known that had you read my entire post. ---
**Author:** ![Tacit\_Knowledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@Tacit\_Knowledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tacit_Knowledge)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/68 "2013-07-23T05:17:34Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > I did know that. Read the whole thread. Thus my reply. > > The exhaustive list of meat would include fish, poultry and meat ( as per the USDA ) so yes all meat ( subcategory ) is meat ( supercategory ) not all meat ( supercategory ) is meat ( subcategory ). It’s not a complex thought and I was agreeing with you. > > Since you clearly don’t mean this, even though in your reply it seems you’re stating the exact same thing, what the hell do you mean if it isn’t isn’t what you stated and I restated above? > > [edit to add] > This is where I agreed with you but you would have known that had you read my entire post. Well, if you put it that way, yes. Meat both is and is not meat! Quite zen, meat is. 😃 Like seriously, is there anything meat can’t do? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/69 "2013-07-23T16:56:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sorry, I’m slow today. What’s the joke? That vegetables are products of living creatures as humans harvest them, or something? I once saw a news segment where they were interviewing shoppers in a grocery about their attitudes regarding genetically modified foods. One shopper said “I wouldn’t eat anything with DNA in it”. Personally, I’m a Level 7 Vegan: I don’t eat anything that casts a shadow.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/70 "2013-07-23T17:11:55Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You know what you call the part of a piece of fruit that is neither stems, seeds,nor peel? > > The meat. You’ve come to the meat of the argument. > [@dasmoocher](#): > > . . .One shopper said “I wouldn’t eat anything with DNA in it”. . .😉 That leaves her only RNA viruses. And maybe twinkies. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/71 "2013-07-23T17:22:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What’s so dumb? One of the definitions of meat is flesh of a mammal, as opposed to fish, fowl, amphibians, reptiles, etc. It depends on what definition you’re using. If somebody tells me they’re a vegetarian, I assume they don’t eat any living creature, and quite possibly products of living creatures. If somebody tells me “they don’t eat meat,” I generally assume poultry falls under this (otherwise, they’d say “I don’t eat red meat,” usually), but I’d ask for clarification on the fish issue (as why didn’t they just say they’re vegetarian)? Everyone eats creatures that were once living, whether animal, vegetable, or fungus. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/72 "2013-07-23T17:25:54Z")
Most people don’t know that gelatin is a meat by-product. I used to work with a woman who became vegetarian at age 7 when she found out what meat really is, but I would see her eating Yoplait yogurt, which I know contains gelatin. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her, because I knew she would have to go throw up and I don’t want to be responsible for someone else doing that. We worked with several men who were avid hunters, and she warned them that this was how she reacted to conversations about dressing animals. They thought she was kidding or exaggerating. She wasn’t. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/73 "2013-07-23T17:35:51Z")
> [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > “Fishing is for sport only. Fish Meat is practically a vegetable.” > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6c7Vw6R33E](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6c7Vw6R33E) “Fish are friends, not food.” 😛 There’s a “Family Circus” cartoon where Mommy and the kids are meeting Daddy outside a public aquarium, and the kids are all crying. Mommy is saying, “A big fish ate a little fish.” And another version of this video went viral a couple months ago. 3-year-old Luis finds out that his octopus gnocchi contains…OCTOPUS. It’s in Portuguese with English subtitles. https://www.youtube.com/embed/9j85JUa1eFY?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/74 "2013-07-23T17:38:08Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > And maybe twinkies. Twinkies are alien meat. The cream filling is their life force. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/75 "2013-07-23T17:57:09Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Everyone eats creatures that were once living, whether animal, vegetable, or fungus. It is impossible to live without killing other living creatures. Every time you move every time you breath, you kill something. Take a shower? Bacteria Holocaust! This is why I say people are too divorced from Nature. How do you think those deer in the park die? Starvation, disease, hit by cars, injuries, freezing to death in cooler climes, predated by other animals. How do you think the rabbits and squirrels in your yard die? Do you think it worse that a hunter kills them quickly, and then eats them? In an ecosystem without Human intervention, the vast majority of animals die by being killed and eaten by other animals. How is it bad then, that we kill and eat them? Arguments against factory farming and animal cruelty? Sure, I’ll buy it. Arguments completely divorced from nature? Wake up. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/76 "2013-07-23T18:04:47Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Bacteria Holocaust! Didn’t they tour with Dillinger Escape Plan and Peace Corpse? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/77 "2013-07-23T18:43:36Z")
Hear, hear, **Chimera**. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/78 "2013-07-23T20:06:25Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Everyone eats creatures that were once living, whether animal, vegetable, or fungus. As I said above (and others have expressed similar sentiments), I think this is a rather non-standard use of the word “creature.” Everyone eats living things, yes. Of course. I don’t consider wheat a “creature,” though. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/79 "2013-07-23T20:23:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t consider wheat a “creature,” though. I won’t tell you what wheat considers you! :eek:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Girlundone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Girlundone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlundone)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144/80 "2013-07-23T23:44:25Z")
Are insects meat? Some of them are rather juicy… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-meat-get-over-it/664144.md?page=5)