These Diets Are A Changin: Leftover Food Expressions

by Drew Martin
If you are the bread winner of a family, that means you bring home the bacon. And if someone says you are la crème de la crème or calls you la leche, then you should feel pretty good about yourself. For a society that lectures how these foods are out to kill you: gluten...pig fat...artery clogging cream, and lactose laden milk, we still hold on to a lot of frowned upon edible expressions.

The bring home the bacon expression reminds me of this Enjoli perfume commercial from 1980 I remember watching when I was 10 or 11 years old.



Which was derived from Peggy Lee's original version from 1963, which has no mention of bacon, though it does of lard.



The lyrics for the commercial and the original song are below:

Enjoli commercial:

'Cause I'm a woman! 
I can bring home the bacon! 
Fry it up in a Pan! 
And never let you forget you're a man! 

(male announcer voice) Give her Enjoli, the 8-hour perfume for the 24-hour woman.

I can work til 5 o'clock.
Come home and read you Tickety-Tock.

(husband's voice) Tonight I am going to cook for the kids.

And if it's lovin you want I can kiss you and give you the shiverin' fits.
(male announcer voice) Enjoli, the 8-hour perfume for your 24-hour woman.


Peggy Lee original:

I can wash out 44 pairs of socks and have 'em hangin out on the line
I can starch and iron two dozens shirts 'fore you can count from 1 to 9
I can scoop up a great big dipper full of lard from the drippins can
Throw it in the skillet, go out & do my shopping, be back before it melts in the pan
'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again

I can rub & scrub this old house til it's shinin like a dime 
Feed the baby, grease the car, & powder my face at the same time
Get all dressed up, go out and swing til 4 a.m. and then 
Lay down at 5, jump up at 6, and start all over again 
'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again 

If you come to me sickly you know I'm gonna make you well
If you come to me all hexed up you know I'm gonna break the spell
If you come to me hungry you know I'm gonna fill you full of grits
If it's lovin you're likin, I'll kiss you and give you the shiverin' fits
'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again 

I can stretch! a green black dollar bill from here to kindom come!
I can play the numbers pay the bills and still end up with some!
I got a twenty-dollar gold piece says there ain't nothing I can't do
I can make a dress out of a feed bag and I can make a man out of you
'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again 

'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, and that's all.