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prettygoodwordristra (REE-stra) - n., (chiefly SW US) a string on which chiles, onions, or garlic are threaded or tied and then hung for storage.
Both decorative and functional: we keep a chile ristra in the kitchen (an 18" one lasts about six months) plus a one for the look in the living room and another on the porch:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
(Usage note: chile is the pepper, chili is the stew. Other spellings sometimes used for both of these, but I am a regional bigot on this matter and do not recognize them as proper.) Taken in the 1890s from Spanish ristra, string, originally a string of garlic or onions, later (as of 16th cent.) also of chiles, from Old Spanish riestra/rieste, from from Latin restis, rope/cord/ristra -- the Romans hung ristras of onions and garlic as well.
---L.
Both decorative and functional: we keep a chile ristra in the kitchen (an 18" one lasts about six months) plus a one for the look in the living room and another on the porch:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
(Usage note: chile is the pepper, chili is the stew. Other spellings sometimes used for both of these, but I am a regional bigot on this matter and do not recognize them as proper.) Taken in the 1890s from Spanish ristra, string, originally a string of garlic or onions, later (as of 16th cent.) also of chiles, from Old Spanish riestra/rieste, from from Latin restis, rope/cord/ristra -- the Romans hung ristras of onions and garlic as well.
---L.
