What’s in a Name?
On a quest for biscuits and gravy, my son Matt recently led the family to the Runcible Spoon Cafe tucked away in a quaint section of Bloomington, Indiana, near the campus of Indiana University. Curiosity about the name of the cafe led me down the proverbial rabbit hole.
Stay with me. Here we go….
Clue #1 : The Menu
Enterning the bungalow/cafe, the warm smells of coffee and bacon greeted me. I was already in love. The hostess seated us at one of the last available tables in a little nook by the front window. Mismatched chairs and tables, floor to ceiling bookshelves, and an eclectic assortment of wall art and knick-knacks added to the charm.
We started with lattes and a pot of hot tea as we perused the menu. Sadly, the sought-after biscuits and gravy had sold out, but we made other yummy choices. Clue #1: There was a picture of an owl and a cat with a spoon on the back of the menu. Hmmm..
Clue #2: The song
Over a delightful breakfast, I was thinking about the picture on the menu when a song my grandmother used to sing popped into my head. This is a typical occurrence for me… my head is full of random songs. It’s often annoying, but I’ve learned to live with my internal playlist. In my mind, I could hear grandma singing in her slow, rhythmic cadence…
The owl and the pussycat went to sea, in a beautiful pea-green boat. They took some honey and plenty of money wrapped up in a five pound note…
Grandma’s sing-songy story went on to say the owl married the pussycat (after bribing the pig for his nose ring) and they lived happily ever after. Weird.. what’s the connection to the Runcible Spoon Cafe? What is a runcible spoon?
Clue #3: Edward Lear
Once home, I slipped further down the rabbit hole. I googled the term:
A runcible (RUN- ci-ble) spoon is a fork curved like a spoon, with three broad prongs, one of which has a sharpened outer edge for cutting. (the forerunner to a spork?) The word appears several times in the works of Edward Lear, most famously as the “runcible spoon” used by the Owl and the Pussycat in his nonsense poem published in 1871. Though there is some debate on the subject, many scholars believe Lear invented the word runcible because he liked the sound of it.
They dined on mince and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon.
Curiouser and Curiouser
This is the second time in recent months my grandmother’s song has come back to me. Last Spring I found the poem in a book displayed in the Rare Book section of the San Diego Museum of Natural History. The poem/song has been playing in the back of my consciousness ever since. A sweet memory of my grandmother.
So that’s where my rabbit hole adventure ends. The only question left unanswered is why a little cafe in Bloomington, Indiana chose Runcible Spoon as its name? Their spoons didn’t look runcible to me. Maybe, like Edward Lear, they just liked the sound of the word. If you’re still curious, drop in and ask them yourselves. https://runciblespoonrestaurant.com/ It’s well worth the trip. Just be sure to get there early if you’re hoping to get biscuits and gravy…
Threads of Thought
I find it fascinating that an imaginary word (if in fact Lear did invent it) from a children’s peom written in 1871, went on inspire an actual object and a name of a cafe in 2022. The power of the written word…
PS..the lattes at the Runcible Spoon are works of art.
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Thanks Deb, now “The Owl and the Pussy-cat” is going to be in my head for the next month, along with all the other song Grandma used to sing to us when she tucked us in bed.
Her singing is one of the things I remember most. Such a gentle, sweet soul.
I assume this is Grandma Bauer. I would love to know where she learned the song/poem.
Yes, Grandma Bauer. I think she learned these kinds of songs and poems as recitations in school. They stayed with her, and were passed down to her children and grandchildren.
Greatly enjoyed this. What a wonderful word “runcible.” Much better than spork.
Thanks Venetia! I agree..”runcible” is much better than”spork!”
Very interesting, indeed! Thanks for the history lesson! Now….I want to know what you had for breakfast since they were all out of biscuits and gravy?!
I had a really nice omlette!
Bravo Debra, well written, clever, and entertaining, and not even counting the benefit of trying out your new restaurant.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post! It was a fun story to write.