Comments on Close Your Eyes and Think of England

Not a hoax. I used to love the ads for 'Brains Faggots' as a kid. Funny northern food tho, no idea what they taste like!

Their son looks so unexcited in that picture. Although, having been a teenage boy, I can understand how being part of the Faggot Family (aka Doody Family, no less) might not be that thrilling of a prospect.

I thought faggots were british slang for cigs? If they had a dish called faggots, why would they (presumably) later use that word for slang for cigarettes? Does the dish taste like ashtray?

Wow: cannibalism at the Stranger offices spreads to England in the space of an hour. Thank Jeebus for Teh Internets!

Totally not a hoax. I saw a documentary about this. There were several families in a competition to be crowned The Faggot Family, little kids and all. They got sashes.

@3

Ciggarettes are called Fags, meatballs are Faggots. At least up North. I'm from London, so there could be more to it. Also, Faggot is an old-fashioned word for a piece of wood that you burn. I dunno if it ever had that meaning here ...

@6:

i've always been aware that the old man on the cover of zeppelin 4 was carrying a "great faggot of sticks" on his back.

Faggots go great with Spotted Dick.

if you fagged that means to be tired.

faggots, the dish, are so named cos they look a little like sticks...the ones i saw at least were longer rather than rounder...and with gravy are tasty...i used to get faggot buttys which are like a meatball sandwich i guess.

a fag can also be a ciggie

faggots are also sticks. burning the faggots can mean to burn cut brush

Ask Sully; he would know more than anyone

Ah, an almôndega by any other name...

And @1, I was always under the impression faggots were a Welsh "delicacy", not northern.

As for what they taste like, think of a scrapple meatball, and you'll get a pretty good idea.

@ 6 Meatballs! *giggles*

How has nobody mentioned "Doody" yet? Doody Family... Faggot Family. They were doomed from the start.

@11:

It's a lazy London thing, sorry. Anything north of Watford is lumped into 'Northern' somtimes, at least until you hit Scotland.

I remember seeing an outdoor ad in Birmingham (England) in the 70s with the slogan "Surprise your family tonight... Serve them faggots".

@14 or anything south of the Humber is 'Southern'

In Ireland they're called "O'Mosexuals."

It's true!

ah... the stranger.... as juvenile as ever.

My recipe book says faggots are basically made like meatballs but you use ground calves liver. I'll take a pass.

A good faggot will warm your your belly ANY time of the year!

Nope, not a hoax. We are aware of the comedy though, don't worry. A chip-shop near my house have a sign advertising their "Real Faggots (in gravy)". Always good for a smile.

I've never tried them although I'd like to. I worry about my poor waistline. Faggots are never good for your waistline.