Hello there,
I got this email from an American mother :
>Benjamin goes through pancake mixes like crazy and it's just not as good make from scratch. One of those few things that's better from a box.>
I know the meaning of 'from scratch' and I fully understood what my American penpal meant but I would like to know what exactly 'from scratch' in this context means.
Thank you for your help.
Zi
There's a mistake in the sentence. It should read:
Benjamin goes through pancake mixes like crazy and it's just not as good MADE from scratch.
Although if the hand-made ones are better it should be:
Benjamin goes through pancake mixes like crazy and it's just not as good AS MADE from scratch.
According to Cambridge:
scratch (CUT)
verb
1 [I or T] to cut or damage a surface or your skin slightly with or on something sharp or rough
scratch
noun
1 [C] a mark made by scratching:
I think the idiom "from scratch" rose from a metaphor. A "scratch" (a mark or line made by grinding a sharp object over a surface) is often used to indicate the start of something (like a race). So do something "from scratch" means do it from the very begining.
Any native speaker comments?
To Tom and Tremmert
Sorry the mistake is mine. My friend had written "made" not make.
Anyway, I understood that pancake boxes are better than hand-made one's because she asked me to bring one box for her. Did I get her right ?
She said :
>this is going to sound weird, but if you could bring back a box of pancake mix - for my son......he would be forever grateful. If you have room in your things that would be wonderful.<
To Brazilian Guy
Thank you for your help. I know 'from the scratch' means to begin at the very beginning without advantage or preparation. e.g, he lost all his money and had to start again from scratch.
But in my friend email I don't see exactly what "not as good as made from scratch" mean.
<it's just not as good made from scratch. One of those few things that's better from a box.>
So what does exactly mean "from scratch" in the obove sentence ? does it mean from the very beginning ? can we say then :
<it's just not as good made from the beginning>
This sentence doesn't make any sense for me.
Please help.
We also have "scratch my back, I'll scratch your back". What does it mean exactly ? Does it mean if you help me, I'll help you in return or I'll help you too ?
Learner,
Yup. That's the meaning.
"Benjamin goes through pancake mixes like crazy and it's just not as good make from scratch. One of those few things that's better from a box."
"But in my friend email I don't see exactly what "not as good as made from scratch" mean."
Zi, your two posts are contradictory. Did she say the mixes aren't as good AS made from scratch or pancakes aren't as good made from scratch?
Anyhow, made from scratch in this context means it was prepared from the very beginning (flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, milk, vanilla extract, etc. thrown into a bowl and mixed all together), as opposed to ready-made or instant mixes straight out of a box.
Delia Smith
Maybe my friend's email is contradictory. In one hand she says :" it's just not as good made from scratch" meaning that home-made pancakes are better than the ready-made ones.
in other hand she says : "One of those few things that's better from a box." meaning instant mixes are better than home-made.
What's more, she asked me to bring one of those boxes for her.
So finally, what did she mean ?
What exactly that American woman meant in her email ? Did she say that the instant mixes are better than made from scratch ?
Hi, Zi, these
>it's just not as good made from scratch
>One of those few things that's better from a box.
are not contradictory at all. I'm not sure exactly where your confusion is, but rest assured when she says "it's just not as good made from scratch" what she means is "pancakes made from scratch are not as good as pancakes made using a prepackaged mix."
"Make from scratch" doesn't mean "make, starting from nothing," but rather "to make, starting from the very most basic ingredients, doing all the work oneself."
Jacob
Many thanks
I finally got the idea. English is not that easy...
Thanks Jacob
Now, I see what she's getting at.
Are you a teacher ?
