Not to mention the descriptions with a command of the English language that has been since forgotten, such as "Bellgrade with its wide gamut of flavours and richnesses, and its not too solid flesh, stands unapproachable. What better end to a golden September day could be desired, as we toy with our dessert, and see through the open windows a great tawny moon sailing bravely over the sleeping elms?"

Or as to pears: "I have heard it said by an Englishman that the matter is really very simple: there are but two classes of Pears - those that taste of hair-wash and those that do not."

It is as great a literary work as it is the work of an experienced fruitier.

Applenut, a "fruitier"? There's a coinage I've not heard before- sounds more like an adjective than a noun. Better be careful who you apply it to- many macho men probably wouldn't want to be called fruitier or even a fruitier.

Harvestman, there's a whole mess of them in England and even an organization devoted to them, the "Worshipful Company of Fruitiers", of which my friend Joan Morgan was named an "Honorary Freeman".

The British have taken fruit snobbery to its highest art form.

Here is a link that might be useful: Worshipful Company of Fruitiers

Thanks AN, that is rich.

I have to make a few corrections here. It's FruitERer, not FruitIEr. And a fruiterer is someone who trades in fruit rather than grows it. It's not common now but when I was a child some shops would have the description 'Greengrocer and Fruiterer' i.e. they sold vegetables and fruit.

The Worshipful Company is nothing to do with snobbery but a commercial organisation based on one of the ancient medieval trade guilds. While they do support some fruit growing research they are not a growers'organisation per se.

The author, Edward Bunyard wasn't a fruiterer, I think he'd find that an insult, implying he ran a shop. He was a nurseryman and pomologist.

BTW sadly, there's no moon sailing over any elms here since the Dutch Elm Disease transformed our landscapes in the 70s.

Here is a link that might be useful: Edward Ashdown Bunyard

Fruitier? French? The book is divine and I strongly suggest you all read it. Not only is it transporting, you will find mimicry of the same problems we have today. Macho? Hman, you should definitely read it! Mrs. G

Mrs G47, did you read my bit above? The word is fruitERer, not fruitIEr. It was in common usage until quite recently and is still sometimes seen in shop names. The word goes back a long way to Middle English and thence, presumably back to Norman French. It's as French as the word 'fruit' itself, ie not very after all this time. I don't think Edward Bunyard would have called himself a fruiterer. He was a pomologist. He didn't run a shop.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:125849}}

Floral, thank you so much, I can always count on you for proper usage of Hort. Pom. etc. language. Great book though, have just bought two older books of his at auction. Cannot wait to read them. And yes, he most certainly did not run a shop. Mrs. G

I wonder if "fruitier" is an Americanized invented word, not yet made it into dictionaries. I've heard the word in fruit circles before with the intended meaning of one who is an enthusiastic fruit grower.

Floral,

We bloody yanks have a fancy for giving stick to fine British words for years, else we wouldn't have spoiled such dench words as "bonnet" and "boot" on our automobiles. Our mum's never initiated us in properly spelling of words either. I still find myself wanting to spell "color" instead of correctly "colour" :-)

I fear fruitier is simply another casualty.

I am not remotely trying to correct anyone on how they spell their own language; color, sulfur, estrogen - no problem at all. British spelling is no more correct than American spelling - in fact it's frequently much sillier. It's just that applenut was referring to a British organisation and inadvertently changed its name. Like me talking about the Library of Compress or the Daughters of the American Revulsion. Fruiterer is a word which has a specific meaning here. We don't have a word fruitier.

And 'dench'?? I had to look it up.

One of my favorite fruitiers. Dench? Judy Dench!

Judy Dench - yes - but I'd never heard it used as an adjective. Seems I'm way behind the times.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dench

Floral,

I had my tongue firmly implanted in my cheek when I wrote about British words and their spelling.

I tried to sound as British as I could (I got the word "dench" from a British dictionary. I've never heard of it before either.)

Seriously though, I think people in fruit circles are using fruitier as a word. Probably taking a cue from the word financier (somewhat equivalent meaning in the financial world).

I follow you though about the specific meaning of the word fruiterer. Good point.

Olpea you make a fine Brit. Downton Abbey is looking for a new Peach Fruitier.

"Olpea you make a fine Brit. Downton Abbey is looking for a new Peach Fruitier."

:-)

My wife loved that show. She wasn't very happy though when they killed Matthew last year. Still peeved about that.

Me too!