dum-de-dum

[capri0mni]

[Poll #1225851]

Comments

[trinalin.livejournal.com]

When I think of a mix of peas & carrots (yuck!) I think of succotash. Though I think that's supposed to be beans & carrots.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

I actually like peas and carrots together, but usually as part of something else, as in soup... and they need lots of garlic and freshly ground black pepper to bridge their flavors together. They're also really good with potatoes...

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

I tested the search terms I thought might be useful, and apparently "walla walla" is the technical term for background mutterings in theatre/radio/film.

For what it's worth, most of the non-food references when I didn't use something like "walla walla" or "foley" referred to peas and carrots as slang for things or people that work well together. "They go together like peas and carrots."

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I forgot about "Walla, walla"

[jekesta]

I think 'rhubarb' is more common for mindless chatter, but you sometimes hear peas and carrots still. One person I knew was convinced it was cockney rhyming slang, "peas and carrots, parrots". I could never convince her that her grandfather had LIED TO HER. Grandparents should stop lying to people.

[ghost-light.livejournal.com]

I've heard 'rutabaga' used too.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure, but it might be an American thing to say "Peas and Carrots," and a British thing to say Rhubarb.

I learned that "peas and carrots" meant chatter from my father, and I actually did this poll to test whether or not he was lying to me, long ago...

[jekesta]

Ooh, I hadn't thought of it being a country difference, I just sort of assumed it was a different theatre/television company thing, but you might be right yes.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

It could be both, too...

Oh, and following indefatigable42's advice to put "Walla, walla" in the search term string worked, and I learned that Father was telling me the truth, in part -- "peas and carrots" is one thing (of several options) that background actors can say for word noise.

I think it only became a catchphrase for mindless talk just for the two of us, though -- a private joke...

[scarfman]

I think of what Hawkeye and Trapper John filled Frank's foxholes* with in There Is Nothing Like A Nurse.

* Master of unintentional alliteration!