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Betty Crocker

English translation: Betty Crocker

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15:57 Feb 2, 2012

English to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

English term or phrase: Betty Crocker

“How ’bout God? You believe in God?” he asks me. “Whose?” “Don’t be so smart.” “Sorry. Too late.” “You go to St. Anselm’s, right? Don’t they teach you no reliigion there?"

“It’s just a name. They sent the saint packing, but they kept his name.”

“They did that to Betty Crocker, too, the sonsabitches. So what do they teach you there?”

*
I couldn't quite google up what happened to Betty Crocker that the guy compares her to St. Anselm whose name was used but whose biography was disregarded. Please help me understand this.

Thanks!

zmejka KudoZ activity Questions: 1629 (1 open) (15 closed without grading) Answers: 416
Local time: 06:10

English translation:Betty Crocker

Explanation:
Iconic brand name in USA

There never actually was a real "Betty Crocker" (see Wiki article), but the idea is that "her" name was taken for a product, even though little or nothing is known about the actual person. The name is no more than a brand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Crocker

Selected response from:

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 04:10

Grading comment

thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

Betty Crocker

Colin Rowe

4 +1

The image of (fictitious) Betty Crocker was successfully used to sell flour-based products*

Jenni Lukac

cooking advice and cook book before the mixes

Stephanie Ezrol

icon for the American homemaker

Donna Stevens

just a generic name for cake mixes

gallagy2

Answers

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

betty crocker

Betty Crocker

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 04:10
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

thank you!

11 mins confidence:

betty crocker just a generic name for cake mixes

Explanation:
so, not a real person or having no real presence just like St Anselm has nothing really to do with school; it's just a name

gallagy2
Ireland
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

betty crocker The image of (fictitious) Betty Crocker was successfully used to sell flour-based products*

Explanation:
* and St. Anselm's job is to sell (I'm assuming) education. I think the sarcastic joke intends to infer that St. Anselm is now no more than an advertising image that makes people think the school is special.
For more about Betty Crocker, see: http://hennepinhistory.org/magazine.aspx

Jenni Lukac
Local time: 04:10
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 111

1 hr confidence:

betty crocker icon for the American homemaker

Explanation:
Betty Crocker was a ficitious person who was used to market food, cook books, etc. She became an icon for the American homemaker. St Ansolm was a Benedictine monk, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was saintly and scholarly man- an icon for the Benedictine order. Both icons have become no more than marketing tools.

Donna Stevens
Local time: 04:10
Native speaker of:

English

25 mins confidence:

betty crocker cooking advice and cook book before the mixes

Explanation:
The following web link is usefu http://www.cookbkjj.com/college/betty_crocker.htm

You could say that the introduction of mixes under the same is the analogy, even thought it is different and there was no person named betty crocker

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2012-02-02 20:06:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The fictional Betty Crocker gave advice -- as talked about in the link here and the link that Jenni posted -- and was also named as the author of cookbooks.

When Betty Crocker mixes were introduced "Betty Crocker" ceased being a source of wisdom and advice for the home maker. Betty Crocker became a brand name.

Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 22:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 132

Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO

Non-PRO (1): Tony M

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Betty Crocker

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