Ok, I know we have a lot of experts on the movie Master and Commander.I have watched this movie many times
and there is a part that makes me question my ability to understand the queens english every time.

After the ship has target practice the Captain gives an extra ration of grog to his crew and goes back to his quarters,he asks the ships cook or seaman attendant or who ever he is.

What do you have for us tonight? he gets an answer something like this "widgetisowouceoxface" at that point even the Captain says Huh? again he gets an answer "WIDGETISOWOUCEOXFACE" to which the Captain answers oh yes my favorite!

What the hell are they talking about? Never heard that here in New England..maybe our navy at the time had the same thing. What was it like and what was your average meal for the navy back then.Couldn't have been to appealing.

PS:the person who knows has to cook it for everyone on SimHQ.

Clipper

I searched IMDB for any info on your question but no luck. However, I found this very interesting bit of trivia about the film,

"The original HMS Rose (the replica of which became the HMS Surprise for the film) was actually a French ship, captured by the British in 1757. When it was in dry dock in Hull, England, it was modified along British lines and saw action under the British during the American Revolution. It was scuttled in 1779. The replica, based on the same plans as the original which were housed at the Admiralty in Whitehall, London, was built in Nova Scotia in 1970 by Rhode Island historian John Fitzhugh Millar. It was the only remaining working frigate in the world when Peter Weir came across it at a maritime festival. When he learned that it was for sale, Weir concluded that he was fated to make "Master and Commander" after all, a project he had previously turned down."

I can't help with the OP either, but continuing with PM's post, I've been on that ship - it's based in San Diego now:

http://sdmaritime.org/visit/the-ships/hms-surprise/

OP, you got a time stamp for conversation?

Sounds like he said "which it is soused ox face." I'm guessing that's no more the actual object than spotted dick is, though, mainly because I never saw an ox aboard the ship. Though I suppose there could have been a barrel full of pickled, salted, or otherwise preserved ox faces in the ship's stores.

Check this out.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080726053800AAu78e9

I think your right NH.Make it and lmk what you think!

Sounds good..lol

Clipper

Interesting since in a particular usage, i.e. referring to someone very drunk, both soused and pickled can be considered synonymous.

Never thought of Oxen having a face. Probably should of been Ox cheeks, still a delicacy here and in Germany I believe.

Another interesting bit of trivia that I was previously not aware of,


"The toast to "wives and sweethearts (may they never meet)" is the traditional toast for Saturdays in the Royal Navy."

"Which it's, Soused Hoggs-Face"

Source

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Master-and-Commander.html

#127 if you're trying to find it.

1 pig's head, about 1 pounds, cleaned but not skinned
2 lbs. (6 cups) white cornmeal
3 cups white wine
3 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 T salt
12 peppercorns
1 knob fresh ginger, about 1 inch long, sliced
1 nutmeg, cut in half

Place the head in a large bucket with half the cornmeal and cold water to cover. Soak 2 hours or longer.

Remove the head from the water, rinse well, and place in a large pot with the remaining cornmeal and water to cover. Bring to a boil, covered, and simmer 3 hours. Remove from the pot. When it is just cool enough to handle, pick all meat from the bones. Reserve the tongue and ears.

Wring out a cloth in warm water. Put all the meat into the cloth and tie up as tightly as possible. Chill until firm.

Combine the wine, vinegar, 1 cup water, and the spices. Untie the cloth and pack the meat into a crock. Add the tongue and ears. Pour the wine mixture over the meat. Weight the meat to keep it submerged (a plastic bag partly filed with water works nice.). Seal the crock and store in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks before serving. Serves 6.

Doesn't seem quite practical or healthy to do that on an early 19th century frigate! Can you say trichinosis?

Your original post reminds me of this:



v6,
boNes

Yeah...I would've starved to death on one of those ships.




The Jedi Master

That's a cool bit of accuracy there.

Oh, and it seems the RN ditched this toast due to "cultural changes".

Of course they did. Gotta be hyper PC these days!

Right, some might actually have husbands you know!



The Jedi Master

you missed the "boil, covered, simmer for 3 hours" part?

I was referring the part where it said it could be stored for up to 2 weeks.

That's the magic of the vinegar and wine.

It's pickled.