Something New

Last night I was laying in bed reading a book that was written about 60 years ago. In this section of the book, the main characters were in Arizona, and were talking about having guacamole with their dinner. One of the characters asked what that was, and another said, "Oh you know - it's mashed alligator pears, onions, spices, and tomatoes."

I lay there wondering what I have been eating and calling guacamole this whole time since I most certainly have never eaten anything called an alligator pear. So I looked it up and found out it's an alternative name for avocados. WHO KNEW!? Not me. Not even this guy:

I guess it makes sense - I mean, avocado skin is pretty scaly, and it's shaped somewhat like a pear. Have any of you ever heard that expression?

Next time you're out to dinner with your friends, ask the server if you can have alligator pears on your sandwich. When everyone looks at you with baffled expressions, look at them very condescendingly and say, "Or as some people call them, 'avocados.'" But say it like you were using the more correct term and it's exhausting having to dumb down your vocabulary. Then report back to me.