Peanuts what?

Flickr / euromagic

Literally several emails have come flooding in, wanting to know how this site got its name.

Back in the day when air travel was glamourous--we're talking way before toothpaste became a weapon of mass-destruction-- the culinary highlight of any flight was the ceremony with which a small portion of peanuts (possibly even macadamia nuts, for the posh folk at the pointy end) was distributed.

Sadly, the twin-pronged attack of peanut allergies and de-frilling has largely cut off that particular avenue of fun. Passengers are instead asked to buy something from the laminated menu of delights to accompany their pouches of gin.

It's not all bad news, of course. Peanutless flights are cheaper flights, and that's what matters to the bottom line. Would you still want to be paying top-dollar for the sake of a few legumes?

But sometimes I yearn for the days when peanuts were still included. Reminisce, while you still can, courtesy of this classic routine from Jerry Seinfeld (the story starts at about 2:35).