North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Melissa Kacalanos <mijwiz@yahoo.com>]

Maybe you co-workers don't eat apples because they're not vegetarian. I will explain.

When I lived in Iowa, a friend saw me eating some chicken one day, and freaked out. "But I thought you were a vegetarian!" he said. "Why did you think that?" I asked. "Well, I saw you eating an apple the other day," he explained.

Also in Iowa, I went to our department secretary one day to request that she provide some fruits and vegetables at these department get-togethers she organized. There was always lots of food at these events, but it consisted exclusively of meat, high-fat dairy products, and white bread, with not a vitamin or bit of fiber to be found. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know you were a vegetarian."

So there you have it. In Iowa, and probably other places as well, a vegetarian is defined as someone who, unlike a normal person, eats fruits and vegetables.

Melissa