Posted by Alan Hakim on October 25, 2006 at 18:39:07 from 212.137.166.37 user awhakim.
In Reply to: Re: Vanilla (Was ICE CREAM was...was... was... whatever... posted by Jenny Berki on October 25, 2006 at 15:13:58:
In the 30s when AR was writing, British ice creams came in two colours: white (Vanilla) and very luxurious pink (Strawberry), which I think cost more. There were even more luxurious choc ices, but they were vanilla bricks with a chocolate coating. For the average child who could afford ice cream at all, it was rare to have anything other than vanilla.
I don't remember whether the flavours were remotely correct, but what it meant was that when I met 'vanilla' in the computer industry, it was obvious at once that it meant the ordinary standard level.
It will annoy Jock, but there is a similar usage for 'steam'.