Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Great Caesar's Ghost!


As is typical for me, I hear a phrase or a reference to something and I just have to know what it means. 'Great Caesar's Ghost!' is one of those sayings.  Unlike a lot of obscure expressions, the etymology of this phrase is easily explainable.  


I'm not going to delve into religiousness . . . I'm just giving a basis for my explanation.  Even if we happen to not be Christian, most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments.  The third commandment is "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."  People do this all the time . . . I, myself, am guilty of countlessly breaking the commandment.   Obviously,  you should not be saying things like "God D_____t" or "Jesus Christ!".  But it also means you should not say "God bless you"  when someone sneezes, or say "Oh my God" when we are excited".  


Okay . . . it's safe to say that most folks know that "Caesar" refers to Julius Caesar.  You know the famous dude who took complete power in ancient Rome.  Yeah, well, he managed to piss off a few people along the way to his rise to power and got himself killed.  In William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar", his ghost appears to Brutus, one of the assassins.


"Great Caesar's Ghost", it is an old expression that is a euphemism for "good God" . . . back to that whole taking the lord's name in vain and whatnot . . . without actually cursing.  


Cornbread Pizza



1 1/2 Cups Cornmeal
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Heaping Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Milk
Pepperoni
1 Jar Pizza Sauce
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese




Mix the dry ingredients together for the cornbread. Stir in the egg and milk.


Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the cornbread batter in the dish.


Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.


Pull it out of the oven and spread with the sauce, pepperoni and cheese.


Bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is done.


Note: You can use a double batch of Jiffy cornbread mix. And, of course, you can also use any toppings you like.

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