So long, and thanks for all the Swiss

← Hair-raising indignation Pissed off (but ever-so-polite) →

January 12th, 2013 · 45 comments

At Westside Market in New York City, a cheesemonger gives his final two (hundred and ninety-nine) cents:

extra credit: Meet The Mysterious Cheesemonger Behind The Quotable Fromage [gothamist.com]

extra extra credit: A Collection of Curiously Eccentric Cheese Labels [nymag.com]

FILED UNDER: cheese · don't blame us · New York

45 responses so far ↓

#1 JdotPav

That is the cheesiest thing I’ve ever seen.

Jan 12, 2013 at 12:45 am rating: 90

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#2 Red Delicious

Quotes about what, exactly? The cheese? Is he putting philosophical quotes from Kierkegaard on there? What?

Jan 12, 2013 at 12:47 am rating: 90

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- #2.1 FeRD
  
  I think they’re just saying they can no longer use “quotation marks”. Perhaps that key is “broken”?
  
  “Air Quotes” will still be “implied”.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 1:00 am rating: 90
- #2.2 Hillary
  
  As the second picture shows, he was putting pop culture (and probably inspirational) quotes on the cheeses.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 1:14 am rating: 90
- #2.3 NonnyMus
  
  It was mostly snippets of song lyrics and crap sayings from “the Doctor” himself. Most were pretty dumb and some were misspelled.
  
  I would’ve probably complained, also, since he put on violent lyrics and used the word “ass” on at least one occasion. Who wants to associate ass and cheese?
  
  I don’t.
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 7:35 am rating: 90
- #2.4 Slerte
  
  Mmmm, ass cheese!
  
  Jan 14, 2013 at 4:59 am rating: 90
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#3 FeRD

“THE DR.”?

THE DR…unk with a deli label printer, presumably?

Jan 12, 2013 at 12:59 am rating: 90

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- #3.1 NonnyMus
  
  He was the only one who could unjam it, so the other workers promoted him to Doctor.
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 7:36 am rating: 90
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#4 unhingedness

Having followed the extra extra credit link, my only complaint would be about the spelling! ‘Recieve’ and ‘decieve’?! I find these particularly offensive!

Jan 12, 2013 at 1:11 am rating: 90

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- #4.1 Seanette
  
  Maybe that’s what the complaint was about, all the spelling errors. I don’t think I saw one of his labels that didn’t have some error.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 2:28 am rating: 90
- #4.2 Jitty
  
  Oh, cheez, let the guy be. He’s a deli guy having fun.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 1:46 pm rating: 90
- #4.3 Kiki
  
  He also doesn’t know the difference between loose and lose, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. I’d have complained, too.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 10:39 pm rating: 90
- #4.4 FeRD
  
  “recieve” and “decieve” don’t offend me, they just make me saaaaaaaaad.
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 2:31 pm rating: 90
- #4.5 Kc
  
  your right!
  
  oops *you’re
  
  Jan 14, 2013 at 7:36 pm rating: 90
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#5 Kc

this complaint is what kills creativity and fosters the movement (or non-moooovment in the case of cheese) towards the pasteurization of our society thus creating a homogenized people which is so vanilla

Jan 12, 2013 at 1:30 am rating: 90

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- #5.1 Roto13
  
  I hate you so much.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 1:35 am rating: 90
- #5.2 Lil'
  
  I love you so much.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 8:44 am rating: 90
- #5.3 joech
  
  Pasteurized Process cheese food?
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 11:58 pm rating: 90
- #5.4 FeRD
  
  This comment subthread is stinky fromage. P.U!
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 2:33 pm rating: 90
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#6 Roto13

Who complained and what exactly were they complaining about? “Hey! This cheese you sold me says ‘Love and work… work and love, that’s all there is’! I disagree with Freud’s simplified take on the things that drive us to live! I much prefer Jung’s comparison of life to a shoe, in that the shoe that fits one foot pinches another, and there’s no single way to live a life!”

Jan 12, 2013 at 1:32 am rating: 90

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- #6.1 spoko
  
  He made the mistake of putting on a quote that bore tangentially onto religion: “Jesus, Jew, Mohammed, it’s true, All sons of Abraham” (which you may recognize as a U2 lyric). You can’t mention Jesus and Mohammed in the same sentence without someone’s undies wadding up. And heaven forbid they just be silently offended and go about their day. Oh no, a stop must be put to this.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 7:36 am rating: 90
- #6.2 Jami
  
  Or reminding them that Jesus was Jewish. I’ve gotten into some major trouble before – sometimes even with people who claim they don’t even believe – by reminding them that Jesus was circumcised and if alive today you wouldn’t see him eating a bacon double cheeseburger.
  
  Some people are too freaking sensitive when it comes to being reminded of the facts.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 11:29 am rating: 90
- #6.3 Will
  
  The pharisees hassled Jesus because he and his disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating (Matthew 15:1-20). It’s not clear that he would keep Kosher: “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 12:56 pm rating: 90
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#7 JdotPav

8.99 for Polish-Swiss?!? Who’s zoomin’ who?

Jan 12, 2013 at 2:27 am rating: 90

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- #7.1 H for Toy
  
  I’m not surprised. This is NYC, and it’s not just Kraft Singles.
  
  Jan 12, 2013 at 9:06 am rating: 90
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#8 Cyllan

Come on, it’s just stupid fun.. I didn’t realize there were some people able to go anal over cheese! XD

Jan 12, 2013 at 5:03 am rating: 90

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#9 Poltergeist

“Heavens defend me from that Welsh fairy, lest he transform me to a piece of cheese!” -William Shakespeare

Jan 12, 2013 at 6:01 am rating: 90

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#10 Joe+G

Based on the quote, I think the person complaining is Paul McCartney.

Jan 12, 2013 at 6:34 am rating: 90

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#11 Adriana

I cannot believe anyone would go out of their way to complain about this. Talk about not having enough to do with your time.

Jan 12, 2013 at 7:35 am rating: 90

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- #11.1 Daniel Xerxes
  
  I work in a supermarket bakery, and this morning I had someone lecturing me for 5 minutes straight because I put almonds on top of some of the danish (two thirds of them I leave plain.) He then spent 5 more minutes standing in front of my danish case, polling people about whether or not they like almonds and drawing their attention to the blasphemy of the almonds on the danish if they said no. Only when I started to lose it and get loud did he FINALLY go about his morning and get the hell out of my store.
  
  tl;dr- People are douchebags. Believe it.
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 12:09 pm rating: 90
- #11.2 valerie
  
  Daniel… that just seriously makes me go O_o
  I can’t believe someone actually took the time to do that. No, I can, but you get what I’m saying.
  
  Jan 13, 2013 at 6:01 pm rating: 90
- #11.3 Name
  
  Daniel, you should submit that to not always right.
  
  Jan 14, 2013 at 1:37 pm rating: 90
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#12 H for Toy

Based on what I’ve learned from PAN, I think the one that caused the problem was this:

“I have never understood the human need to become irrational.”

Directly under the quote: Suitable for vegetarians.

Jan 12, 2013 at 9:02 am rating: 90

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#13 Smokey

Who cut the cheese?

Jan 12, 2013 at 9:38 am rating: 90

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#14 Smokey

The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath.
W. C. Fields

Jan 12, 2013 at 9:40 am rating: 90

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#15 mouse

This post ruined my day. Why do people hate fun so much?

Jan 12, 2013 at 2:42 pm rating: 90

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- #15.1 wright1
  
  Either jealous at not thinking of it themselves, or their idea of fun is ruining others’. Sadly, there are people like that.
  
  Jan 14, 2013 at 5:33 pm rating: 90
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#16 So

What is so annoying about this is that one person complains, so they stop it for everyone.

Jan 13, 2013 at 6:12 am rating: 90

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#17 Dane Zeller

I feel so inadequate now. When the guys back on the assembly line ask me if I’ve read any good cheese lately, I’ll have to tell them “no.”

Jan 13, 2013 at 8:59 am rating: 90

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#18 Macca

That complaining guy better have been spending a fortune at the store for someone to justify this. One cutomer – who cares? It’s just a bit of fun, and probably made the cheesemonger’s day better, and therefore made him more productive and better at customer service to boot because of his good mood.

Jan 13, 2013 at 4:30 pm rating: 90

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#19 Gordon Edgar

I salute my fellow cheese professional. I am sorry that the crazy customer won this battle.

Jan 14, 2013 at 12:18 pm rating: 90

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#20 Lizzy

He also got a lot of the quotes wrong. It’s not “my motorcycle does 195, I lost my license, now I don’t ride”-it’s “my Maseradi does 185, I lost my license, now I don’t drive”

Jan 14, 2013 at 8:25 pm rating: 90

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- #20.1 Sir Puke
  
  The horror, the horror!
  
  Jan 14, 2013 at 8:38 pm rating: 90
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#21 Wilma Jo

I think if all you have to complain about is poor spelling on a cheese wrapper, your life is pretty good. Only the people who work with the public on a regular basis can fully appreciate this thread. The public is filled with nutters.

Jan 16, 2013 at 2:31 am rating: 90

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#22 Angel

Gouda news – he’s been given a reprieve.
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2013/01/westside-market-cheesmongers-labels-saved.html

Jan 17, 2013 at 2:59 am rating: 90

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