Chapter Three: Pie-dioms

Language is full of statements that, frankly, make no sense out of the context of culture.  This is as true in other languages than my own. I didn't know the word for them until I was about twelve, but I learned when I bought a novelty deck of cards about idioms. Then I knew that "the check's in the mail" didn't actually mean that someone was sending you money. I admit I (am) was a little naive. The phrase "the proof is in the pudding" still befuddles me.

And pie is crumbled though idioms like fish are in a barrel. I'm happy to share some phrases, their meanings, and a little about where they come from.



Easy as pie indicates a task is very easy. This one puzzled me a bit because pie isn't exactly an easy thing to make due to its many parts and variables. However, the idiom refers to eating a pie rather than making one. The term "easy as pie" was first used in the Saturday Evening Post by Zane Gray in 1913.

To have a pie in the sky refers to a unique reward that is unlikely to be attained. The phrase originates from the parody song about heaven's riches, "The Preacher and the Slave" by Joe Hill in 1911. The chorus sings;

You will eat, bye and bye
In that glorious land above the sky 
Work and pray, live on hay 
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

To have your finger in the pie speaks to being involved in many pursuits. Before my research, what came to mind with this idiom was the nursery rhyme of little Jack Horner "... eating his Christmas pie... he stuck in a thumb and pulled out a plum." The origin isn't that far off. It likely comes historically from a guest's habit of tasting food by sticking your finger in it, referenced in British literature from the early 1600s. 

When someone calls you pie-eyed, hand over the keys. The term of inebreation is comparing the blank stares of the drunkard to the blank top of a pie, which dates back to early 1900s.

When angling for a piece of the pie you're trying to get a share of the whole. I wasn't able to discern where this idiom came from or when it started to be used. As far as I'm concerned, this one is face value.

The same logic follows with shut your pie hole. The hole to insert pie... the mouth. Improper words will also come out of the mouth, so "shutting your pie hole" is stopping the noise from coming out of that hole. Personally, I love the connotation that a mouth is better for eating pie than for talking. The phrase was likely adapted from the World War II troop's term "cake-hole," but the term "pie-hole" wasn't part of our lexicon until the early 1980s.

Humble pie is derived from an old French translation of "umble," which referred to an animal's, usually deer, innards. The medieval noble practice was to serve servants and those "less than" umble pie, made from deer heart, lungs, liver, and all the extra bits. In these days, a pie shell was more a delivery device than an edible part of the meal. Now, "eat humble pie" is a term used to admit mistake.

My intent with this post was to conclude by making a humble pie. Then I learned what went in it, and it seems fitting that I eat humble pie. Instead of shopping at the local butcher for all the "extra bits," I'll embrace the THEORY of humble pie and not go shopping. I'll be making this pie from items already in my possession.


Niki's Humble Pie

1 pre-made pie crust and a top crust
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 small gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cup brown gravy*
1/2 pound beef tips, bite-sized
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
egg wash

*I made gravy earlier in the week from prime rib drippings and just used the leftover gravy in the pie.

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Slightly sear the beef tips and remove from pan. Add water and spices to pan, creating a fond. Simmer down.

Toss the potatoes in the corn starch and mix together with the garlic, carrots, gravy, beef tips, and fond. Pile mixture into pie shell. Spread egg wash on outer edge and top with crust (Don't forget to cut a vent in the top crust. I used "H" for humble.) Crimp edges and spread egg wash on top as well.

Bake at 400º F for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º F and bake for 20 minutes. Cover crust with foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

What I learned from this pie:
I am rolling my pie crusts far too thick. They are crisp and flaky on the top and edges and are nearly raw on the inside, even though the filling is cooked well. I was apprehensive about a meat pie, but it was delicious and I'm definitely going to make more of these!