Trivia & Miscellania

Clamshell Bucket

In 1975, Bette Midler starred in "Clams On The Half Shell Revue" on Broadway. The show opened with Bette emerging from a giant clam shell, singing "Moon Of Manakoora. "Clams" set a Guinness record for

the most tickets sold in the shortest amount of time: 80 sold-out shows.

On Gilligan's Island, Ginger, Mrs. Howell and Mary Ann sang "You need us... Like a clam needs a shell..."

"Chowderhead" is not related to clam chowder, but is a variation of "jolterhead," used in the 16th century to mean "idiot." You might think that an idiot's head is full of soup, not brains.

Today, "chowderhead" can mean someone from Boston, who may or may not be an idiot. New Jersey residents are "clam catchers." Someone who gathers clams is a "clammer."

On the other hand, "clamor," means a lot of noise -- the opposite of "clamming up." While fresh clams should be moist, and cold, and something that is moist and cold is clammy, the word "clammy" is not related to "clam."

"Clam" comes from an Old English word relating to "clamp" or "restrain; and "clammy" comes form an Old English word for mud or clay; or from a Middle Low German word meaning stickiness.

It all comes together nicely: in Yiddish, which is based on German, a person is "ferklempt" ("verklempt") when she is so overcome with emotion that she is speechless, choked-up. Her mouth is stuck closed (involuntarily "clamming up").

Clams are important. The shells have been used for jewelry and currency. Dollars are called clams. People can be "happy as a clam." When we refuse to talk, we "clam up" and become "quiet as a clam."

Clambakes -- even if they feature lobster -- are called clambakes. Lots of restaurants are called Clam House and Clam Shack and Clam Bar. Pants that reach mid-calf are "clam diggers."

Packaging and buildings and construction equipment use "clamshell" designs. Clams can grow pearls, like their classier cousin, the oyster. Clam juice can be drunk by itself, or mixed with tomato juice to be sold as "Clamato."

Clamato plus vodka, a twist of lemon, some celery and pepper is a "Bloody Caesar."

Clams can be kept as pets (leave them in a saltwater tank -- DO NOT attach a leash and try to walk one around the neighborhood).

Horror movies show people being devoured by giant clams, (not giant shrimp; sorry, Forrest Gump). And many men spend much of their lives in pursuit of the elusive bearded clam.

Clam Dip & Other Delights is a 1989 record from Minneapolis rockers Soul Asylum. The title and cover art are both parodies of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass's album Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Bassist Karl Mueller sat in for the original album's model, Dolores Erickson (and unlike her, he was not pregnant at the time. Dave Ayers, the band's first manager, said that Mueller had to sit for hours in a foul-smelling combination of sour cream, paint, whipped cream and seafood. (from Wikipedia)

It's hard to get drunk from drinking too much clam liquor. Clam liquor is not usually served at bars. It's just another name for the juice that comes from clams. It's also called clam extract.Undiluted it is called clam broth. When concentrated by evaporation it's called clam nectar.

(from Wikipedia) Clam City is the sixteenth level of Donkey Kong Country and the second underwater level in the game. At the beginning of the level, the Kongs swim into an area that progressively becomes wider as they move forward. They can find a Clambo at the bottom corner of the area under a thin passage leading upwards. This passage takes them into another wide area, where the first DK Barrel in the level is located. Another passage leading to the south branches off of this area. As the heroes swim through it, they come past a Bitesize and a Clambo shooting pearls at them. A small channel under a coral wall is at the bottom of this passage. An area full of Bitesizes is on the other side of the passage, containing a small alcove with the letter O in it. After traveling into a slightly smaller area at the end of here, the Kongs come up to a Clambo, who shoots two pearls at once. Another passage is to the north of it. The passage becomes wider after the primates swim slightly higher, giving them more space to avoid the pearls of the many Clambos found throughout it.

Raw clams may not be good for your health. Clams eat by filtering up to 20 gallons of water each day, and they can accumulate bacteria and viruses if they live in polluted water. People with diabetes or impaired immune systems, or chronic liver, gastrointestinal or kidney disease, or alcoholism, have a

high risk of serious illness from eating contaminated clams. Cooking clams to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit will kill nearly all bacteria. Steamed clams are often cooked for only a minute or two, and don't get hot enough to kill bacteria. Steam them for at least six minutes. (From
BestOfHealth.com)