Smack barm pea wet is a common order at chippies in Wigan (a town in Greater Manchester, England). The syntax of this order may need some explaining. A "smack" (in other regions called a "scallop" or a "potato cake") is a battered and deep-fried potato slice. "Barm cakes" are soft, enriched rolls which were traditionally leavened with "barm," or the froth from the top of a fermenting vat of beer—though bakeries today use active dry yeast. Thus "smack barm" is a noun-noun compound, where "smack" gives the specific type of "barm," or "sandwich on a barm cake," that's being described.

"Pea wet," or "pey wet," is another noun-noun compound. It describes a condiment that, as far as anybody can tell, is completely specific to Wigan: the liquid, or "wet," off the top of a batch of mushy peas (though a few solid peas may make their way into the ladle as well).

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[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

For the inventors of the language they sure do take their liberties with it

[–] christian@hexbear.net 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Smack barm pea wet is a common order at chippies in Wigan, what's not to understand?

[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Smack barm pea wet is up there with Chunk slap barn waft, lovely innit

[–] christian@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm reasonably confident that's something you just made up on the spot here for banter, but smack barm pea wet being real plants a seed of doubt here.

[–] SkingradGuard@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago

It is indeed made up, I just tried to find something that fit the vibe.

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago

'Smack barm pea wet' was actually the localized lyrics of "my neck, my back, my pussy and my crack". Never really took off sadly

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

😨

A deep fried potato served with dressing in a bread roll makes you react like this?

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"Dressing" is one word for it.

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Most things can sound disgusting if youre preempted to feel that way. Relish is a nasty word. Mayo is eggs with oil. A good part of Korean cooking is fermented whathaveyous

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

the froth from the top of a fermenting vat of beer

the liquid, or “wet,” off the top of a batch of mushy peas

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

barm is literally just yeast, if you make a whole bunch of it on purpose and dry it out you get the stuff in the yeast packets

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yes? I read it too.

the froth from the top of a fermenting vat of beer

If this was Korean or japanese you'd be saying it sounded interesting or delicious.

the liquid, or “wet,” off the top of a batch of mushy peas

As I said, it sounds nasty because you're preempted to think of it nastylike. It's just cooking, you can make it sound disgusting if you try. You could reward that description to use words like "slow-cooked" and I dunno. Its just the wording. Slap a Japanese guy on there talking about his traditional local white-green-rice and youd be calling it a delicacy.

I don't even particularly like British cooking, but this childish yank tendency of calling food gross in order to perform something is just tiring.
Deep fried potato slice in a bread roll with some wet stuff so its not too dry? Wow so nasty ewwwww. What's next, putting chocolate in their sauces? Those things don't mix!