Posted by Mike Berro on January 13, 1999 at 16:32:31:
In Reply to: Beer and Sausages posted by Jimi Fallows on January 13, 1999 at 16:14:28:
: Beer and Sausages: in how many of Vance's books do the characters not settle down and enjoy this fine meal?
Both beer and sausages are pretty generic and ubiquitous. I think it's one of Vance's gifts; to be able to choose non-connotative words for most everything ("viewscreen", "conveyance", "space ship"). After all, who cares what's in the sausage, or what makes the space ship go?
However, I suspect this particular choice may be based on his experiences in the merchant marines.
---Mike