Beanplating the term beanplate?

December 13, 2013 10:48 PM

Where and when exactly did the term beanplating originate?

I've tried searching around the site (and the wiki) but without much luck. What it means is explained, of course, but where it comes from?

BUT. But, I think I've had a eureka moment and maybe discovered it? Reading Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe tonight, I came across these passages:

"Within, Dr. Hugh McGuire sat on a stool patiently impaling kidney beans, one at a time, upon the prongs of his fork."

followed by:

"'Come on, Hugh,' said Corked, prodding McGuire under his shoulder. 'Stop chasing those beans around the plate. Crawl or fall off that damned stool - I don't care which.'"

Is this it?! Have I found it?

posted by addelburgh to MetaFilter-Related at 10:48 PM (45 comments total)

It's from here
posted by aubilenon at 10:49 PM on December 13, 2013 [6 favorites]

I somehow misread aubilenon as addelburgh, or perhaps the opposite and thought that you both answered your own question and then favorited your own answer. Imagine how disappointed I was upon further inspection.
posted by Literaryhero at 11:28 PM on December 13, 2013

You were disappointed? How do you think I feel!
posted by aubilenon at 11:36 PM on December 13, 2013 [8 favorites]

This is pretty ironic.
posted by Daddy-O at 12:11 AM on December 14, 2013 [7 favorites]

i overthought a plate of beans
it happens, yes it does
got dragged into a tangled thread
a doozy, yes it was
i thought and thought, and pondered hard
'bout what some trifle means
and there i was, another schmuck
o'erthinking plates of beans
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:58 AM on December 14, 2013 [10 favorites]

At one of the Philly meetups there was an actual plate of beans. We promptly overthought it.
posted by graymouser at 3:25 AM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

At one of the Philly meetups there was an actual plate of beans.

One of our Tokyo ones, too, a few years back!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:29 AM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

It puts the bean in the basket.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:09 AM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

If we spend too much time talking about beanplating, would we be meta-beanplating?
posted by HuronBob at 4:46 AM on December 14, 2013

Eventually you'll beanplateau.
posted by 0 answers at 5:31 AM on December 14, 2013 [14 favorites]

DANGER: HERE BE WORMHOLE.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:05 AM on December 14, 2013

beanplatypus are rather introspective creatures.
posted by sciencegeek at 6:30 AM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

I always thought it came from that Lennon/McCartney classic.

I've just beaned a plate; I can't forget
the time I opened up that thread
to leave a comment which
examined this whole subject inch-by-inch.
Mmm-mm-mm-m-mm-mmm.

Had it been another thread,
I doubt I ever could've said
all of the things which came to mind.
But as it is, I've got plenty of time.
Lai dai dai da-dum dai.

Favorite!
Give me a favorite!
You know I'll savor it!
Click [+] again!

I'm always thinking 'bout the likes of this—
I browse the blue, but still I miss things
to leave comments on.
But here I've found a thread; my night is gone.
Mmm-mm-mm-m-mm-mmm.

Favorite!
Give me a favorite!
Hell, I'd even pay for it!
Click [+] again!

Favorite!
Welp, there's a favorite!
I wrote a lot today for it!
It's my favorite friend.
posted by Rory Marinich at 7:30 AM on December 14, 2013 [4 favorites]

HuronBob: "If we spend too much time talking about beanplating, would we be meta-beanplating?"

It's beans all the way down.
posted by octothorpe at 7:31 AM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

When you want to know the origin of a Mefi injoke, check the Wiki. "Plate of beans."
posted by John Cohen at 7:35 AM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

It's like 10,000 beans when all you need is a plate.
posted by mlle valentine at 7:59 AM on December 14, 2013 [3 favorites]

Beans are nice and all, but I prefer to overthink a plate of shrimp.
posted by kewb at 8:01 AM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

It's time to listen to the musical classic that helped propel overthinking a plate of beans into art.
posted by The Whelk at 8:20 AM on December 14, 2013 [3 favorites]

I have plated
All the beans
That you were wrapping for
Christmas
posted by arcticseal at 8:27 AM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

I'm overthinking

A plate of a beeeeans

Just like the mefites


I have knooooown.
posted by The Whelk at 8:30 AM on December 14, 2013

OK, now that we have solved that conundrum, does anyone know what video pyramid termite referenced here? The link goes to Google Video, and the link is dead, so I thought, "that's OK, I'll search for the URL, and I'm sure someone, somewhere posted it with more context!"

Nope. The only thing I found was these two forum posts, which indicate that 1) it features a kid who trips on his jacket and later can't find his sleeve, and 2) it might be 2 minutes 17 seconds long.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:25 AM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have been experimenting with classic English cooking lately. Baked beans are a big part of many well established English meals, and so I have been cooking baked beans a lot. After many experiments with approaches to cooking, seasoning, presentation, etc., ere is what I have learned:

It is impossible to overthink a plate of beans.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 10:20 AM on December 14, 2013

god damn, i hate that stupid phrase.

At least HAMBURGER seems to have disappeared.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:35 AM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

beanplatypus are rather introspective creatures.

Surely sir you mean platypodes.

runs for door
posted by jquinby at 11:57 AM on December 14, 2013 [3 favorites]

Anyway you should eat beans out of a bowl.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:57 PM on December 14, 2013

We collectively and individually overthought a plate of beans at the Boston 10th. Which lead to questions about what *kind* of beans are on the plate? Baked beans are the most obvious, but why is that? Why would they not be green beans or black beans?

Have you really overthought your beans *enough?*
posted by sonika at 1:19 PM on December 14, 2013

I think you're overhating a plate of celery there.
posted by The Whelk at 2:09 PM on December 14, 2013

That's celerity for you, my friend.
posted by Namlit at 3:34 PM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

quick someone make a mefi-themed bean clicker game.
posted by The Whelk at 4:07 PM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

Eww!
posted by h00py at 4:32 PM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

Now you're overthinking this, h00py (I hope).
posted by Namlit at 11:32 PM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

Anyway you should eat beans out of a bowl.

Really, you should eat your beans off a knife or spoon. Unless, perhaps, you are a cat, when bowls become the best option.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:23 AM on December 15, 2013

I am embarrassed by how often that song gets stuck in my head. For instance, today.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:04 AM on December 15, 2013

I can't see this term and not think:

plate -- cockney rhyming slang for fellate
bean -- slang for clitoris

So why are all these people overthinking oral sex?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:08 AM on December 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

beanplatypus are rather introspective creatures.

Surely sir you mean platypodes.

That would be correct, if we were speaking Greek. Since we're speaking English and have merely borrowed that singular noun, we pluralize it after the fashion of our people since English speakers wouldn't know that "platypode" is the plural of platypus.
posted by clockzero at 10:54 AM on December 15, 2013

The Heinz Baked Beans account subplot on Mad Men had several moments when people really literally are overthinking a plate of beans, and there was at least one point when I was sure somebody on the writing staff reads Metafilter.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:38 PM on December 15, 2013

that would explain some of our epic Mad Men discussion threads ........
posted by The Whelk at 12:43 PM on December 15, 2013

They're actually platylegumes.

Actually, botanically speaking they're a fruit.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 4:00 PM on December 15, 2013

A musical fruit.
posted by billiebee at 4:17 PM on December 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

The more you eat...
posted by wenestvedt at 5:12 PM on December 15, 2013

Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease
posted by wenestvedt at 5:12 PM on December 15, 2013

Actually, botanically speaking they're a fruit.

That depends. Botanically speaking, a fruit is an ovary. So if you're eating string beans or green beans, you're eating the fruit (pod) of the bean plant. If you're eating dried beans like pintos or limas or kidney beans, you're eating the seed (embryonic plant, seed coat, maybe some food for the embryonic plant), not the fruit.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:30 PM on December 15, 2013 [3 favorites]

this was the best possible answer.
posted by The Whelk at 9:36 PM on December 15, 2013

Eventually you'll beanplateau.

When you get to the top there's a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about beans.

Sorry.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 10:19 PM on December 15, 2013

In Soviet Russia, beanplateau.
posted by double block and bleed at 6:15 PM on December 17, 2013 [4 favorites]