Mortimer Mouse
In 1927, under contract with Universal Pictures, the Walt Disney Studio created a new animated cartoon character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was a hit, and over the next decade, Disney produced two dozen Oswald cartoons for Universal.
But Universal was cashing in on Oswald, not Disney, and that would not do. Accordingly, in 1928, Disney created a cartoon character of his own: Mortimer Mouse. That year, Disney produced two animated cartoons starring Mortimer. Neither was released, however, because they failed to impress a test audience.
Meanwhile, Walt’s wife Lillian convinced him that the name Mortimer was sort of blah, and Mickey was much stronger. Thus, when the character later made his public debut in “Steamboat Willie,” it was as Mickey Mouse, not Mortimer.
![](https://rockysmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mickey.jpg?w=576)
Scurvy
Scurvy, a debilitating condition caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, was the mysterious scourge of seafarers for thousands of years. People in olden times didn’t know that the human body needs vitamin C, but can’t manufacture it, so we have to consume foods that contain it, such as citrus fruits, cabbage, and broccoli.
Before refrigeration was invented, sailors on long voyages relied on food that was non-perishable or salt-cured. Fresh fruits and vegetables mostly weren’t on the menu. So the telltale symptoms of scurvy set in: fatigue, hair loss, swollen gums and limbs, ulcers, bleeding from the nose and mouth — all leading to death if the deficiency continued.
Finally, in the mid-1700s, a doctor in the British Navy figured out the cause of scurvy. Supplies of lemons and limes quickly became standard issue on sailing ships worldwide. Scurvy essentially was stopped, except when the citrus supply ran out on long voyages.
That’s also how Brits got the nickname Limeys.
![](https://rockysmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lemon-lime.jpg?w=504)
Scarborough Fair
Back in 1966, Simon and Garfunkel had a big hit with the folk song Scarborough Fair, which, FYI, is a traditional English folk song from the Middle Ages. It refers to a real fair once held in the town of Scarborough in Yorkshire.
In the song, a fellow tells his former love she must perform a series of impossible tasks in order to get back in his good graces. Actually, the guy was jilted and is being petulant.
Theories linger about the spices mentioned in the lyrics: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Those four were considered special in the popular culture of the time.
In Europe a thousand years ago, parsley had come to symbolize hell, sorcery, and such. Sage was said to bless you with a long life and could ward off evil. Rosemary was the primary ingredient of love potions. And thyme could bring good luck. That, anyway, was the word on the street.
In addition, let me remind you of the importance of always displaying those four items in the proper order in your spice rack. Failure to do so is, well, uncouth.
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Mickey Mouse! What a mouse!