A quick search of my library's virtual reference collection turned up
the following:
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755 - 1826), The Physiology of Taste, 1825
Cheers,
Deb
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Deborah Brian
Administrative Officer - Research & Innovation
Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences
The University of Queensland
Brisbane Q 4072 AUSTRALIA
T: +61 7 3365 6744
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www.uq.edu.au/sbs
-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janice Light
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 8:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] etymology
Hallo Peter
The first time I heard this phrase a good few years ago (?15), it was
Barbara Cartland, of all people, but she may well have been quoting a
much older source! However I have consulted 2 dictionaries of
quotations and neither contains this quotation which might mean that the
phrase is not that antique after all. Certainly when I heard Cartland
say it, on a TV programme, she meant that what you are is made up of
what you eat, hence, be mindful of what you eat. Jan In message
<[log in to unmask]>,
Peter Popkin <[log in to unmask]> writes
>Hi Zooarch,
>
>Does anyone out there know the etymology of the familiar phrase "you
>are what you eat"? I've googled without much luck. I'm interested in
>its antiquity and its original context - that is to say was it designed
>to mean "WHAT you are is what you eat" or "WHO you are is what you eat"
>- or perhaps it encapsulated both meanings.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Peter
>
>
>
>
>
>Peter R. W. Popkin
>Institute of Archaeology
>University College London
>31-34 Gordon Square
>London, England
>WC1H 0PY
Jan Light
Janthina Consultants
88 Peperharow Road
Godalming, Surrey
GU7 2PN, UK
email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: ++44 (0)1483 417782
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