Talk:Maize/Archive 1

First entry

I removed this:

Corn is also used to make Moonshine.

• Do you mean that all these things called "corn" are used to make moonshine? Then this should be under Grain.
• Do you mean that whatever the writer calls "corn" is used to make moonshine? Then this should be under Maize, Wheat, or whatever.
• Do you mean that some kinds of moonshine are called "corn moonshine" or some such thing? Then explain that and let us know what grain is in fact used to make corn moonshine.

-- Toby 02:06 Mar 5, 2003 (UTC)

Since Wikipedia is not a dictionary, I removed this:

It is connected with ideas of something that needs grinding, kerning (querning) or corning to be made useful.

which is etymological information about the word "corn". Wiktionary writers, however, may find it useful, so I record it here for posterity. -- Toby Bartels

I removed this:

See also Mamaliga, a national Romanian dish made out of corn.

• Do you mean that all these things called "corn" are used to make Mamaliga? Then this should be under Grain.
• Do you mean that whatever the writer calls "corn" is used to make Mamaliga? Then this should be under Maize, Wheat, or whatever.
• Do you mean that some kinds of Mamaliga are called "corn Mamaliga" or some such thing? Then explain that and let us know what grain is in fact used to make corn Mamaliga.

-- Toby Bartels 16:22, 28 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Actual primary grains

The article Corn says

In various English-speaking countries, the term may now be used for some particular grain, often the most common staple food grain eaten in the country.

and then proceeds in a survey of most of the Anglo-Saxon world but without reference to the countries where English is either a second national lnaguage, or (are there examples?) a second language for most people but the only national language.
Now, we have it on Dr. Johnson's authority that in Scotland, the population subsists on oats, but in at least the northern US and, i doubt not, Canada, wheat is the primary grain even tho "corn" means maize. But the language of the article invites the impression that Yanks and Canucks are chowing down daily on cornbread and grits. I don't want to compound the confusion by trying to supplement the current version with the part of the full story that i know, but can we collect more information and include it? --Jerzy(t) 19:24, 2004 Mar 20 (UTC)

Corn in Scotland and England

Is it true that the word means oats in Scotland nowadays? I know Johnson recorded it that way, but a brief and unscientific survey of a couple of Scots seemed to indicate that they understood it to mean wheat, like English people do. Can any Scottish people here comment? Marnanel 14:08, May 15, 2004 (UTC)

Does corn really mean oats or wheat in Scotland and England? Here in Ireland, corn means corn. Or more specifically, maize, although that word is never used - would have thought of it as an Americanism, ironically. Blorg 20:19, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I'm English. My parents are both interested in language, and one of them is from Cheshire, and the other from London. I've lived in Leicester, York and Birmingham. I have never heared the word corn used in England to mean anything other than sweetcorn. Does anyone object if I change that bit? Does anyone know if this is an antiquated usage? I'll ask my grandparents, and see if they know. Hughcharlesparker 20:56:10, 2005-09-07 (UTC) - newsflash: my housemate points out that the word "cornfield" is used to mean a field of any sort of grain - a field of corn in its generic sense. Also, Chambers disagrees with me, and I reckon they have the authoritative voice on this one. I think they're outdated, but that would count as original research. Oh well, I hope someone found my rambling two pennorth interesting. Hughcharlesparker 21:22:07, 2005-09-07 (UTC)

(I'm English.) If someone said "I'm having corn for dinner" I'd think it was a slightly strange way of saying "sweetcorn", merely because nobody eats wheat per se for dinner. The important question is, if I say, "Picture a field of corn," do you think of maize plants or wheat plants growing? I think English people in general don't think of maize plants. I certainly don't. The Wednesday Island 14:31, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Corn as transitive verb

In a Patrick O'Brian novel (one of the Aubrey/Maturin series; I don't recall which), there is a sentence similar to the following: "They set to work corning the powder." The sense in this passage is that a ship's gunpowder stores had gotten wet and consequently had become a solid or caked mass. After the powder had dried in its massive form, some of the ship's hands were set to work breaking it up (presumably by grinding or pounding) into kernels of fairly uniform size. Consider this usage in light of the sense of the noun corn meaning a particle or small bit, as in "peppercorn."

sweetcorn

Sweetcorn is a genetic variation that is softer and has more sugars and less starch. If it is served as "corn on the cob" it is still sweetcorn.--Gbleem 16:26, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Picture

Will someone please edit the link away from the picture or find another?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.184.109.162 (talk • contribs)

Why? —Eternal Equinox | talk 23:28, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Disambig page?

Shouldn't this be a disambiguation page?--The ikiroid (talk/parler/hablar/paroli/说/話) 02:50, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

It is and it was. It just wasn't a very good one, so I've cleaned it up a whole lot. —Pengo 03:50, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

Corny

Should we add corny (as in cheesy) to this page? robertvan1 19:43, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

Redirect to maize

I am redirecting corn to maize. after doing a bunch of disambig clean up it is clear the 98% of the links to corn are for Maize, not sweetcorn or anything else. I will finish any clean up this evening as paid work is calling Jeepday 13:58, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

• looks like the only clean up is the "Cornfield (redirect page)" wiht about 6 pages. Jeepday 14:01, 16 March 2007 (UTC)