this steamed

pdh0224 · Post by **pdh0224** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:57 pm

Dear teacher,

As a chef, I am often mystified as I hear diners, rooting around for a nutrition and dietary cure, ask for this steamed and that on the side, and in the process deny themselves pleasure. Choosing what dietary advice of the moment to follow by putting a wet finger up to the wind, our patrons decide, or succumb, en masse, to a pummeling of such wearisome regularity that it begins to resemble the "rosebud'' of "Citizen Kane": the clue that solves everything but means nothing.

Q ; "this steamed" means a food functioning as a noun, doesn't it?

Q2 : what does the bold portion mean?

All the best,

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:33 pm

Q1. 'This' - pronoun, referring to some unspecified foodstuff.
'Steamed' is an adjectival postmodifier.

Q2.= Deciding what popular dietary advice to follow by...

You put a wet finger to the wind to determine which way the wind is blowing. The expression is metaphorical.