Bonum Annum (accusative of exclamation)!

It's been a good year, all. I thank you all, and wish you luck on Thursday :")

The Banquet of Doom

Black birds at a Roman dinner? They only called the Brits, the Gauls, etc., barbarians for wearing pants; there's a nursery rhyme about baking blackbirds in a pie.
All kidding aside, the Romans had some peculiar delectables on their (banquet) tables. I of course detest garum; I don't think I'd be overly keen on anything else at the dinner, though I'd eat the boar if it weren't served with two types of radishes, fish guts, and wine dregs.
I guess you eat what's available.

Cibus Pessimus!!

If anyone can define a "skirwort" for me, I would be immensely grateful!
This feast served some pretty interesting dishes, even by Roman standards (they ate peacocks). I know this is the point of the satire, but I didn't even know what some of this was.
There was, of course, my old friend garum in there. I don' know why, but garum just...ew! Fermened fish guts and small fish...I actually have threatened to feed my cat garum as punishment...because I think it sounds that bad. Ironically, garum may be the ancestor of Worschestire sauce, so I learned in Roman Civ.

 My favorite bird

My least-favorite condiment

Credat Iudaeus Apella...

The notes say that the Romans saw the Jews as very superstitious. That may be true, but if the Romans had met Medieval Brits, they would have changed their minds. We aren't a really superstitious people, especially now, but we have our fair share of interesting superstitions.
Here are some interesting British superstitions:

• Seeing a black cat is good luck; white cats are bad luck. (So, what does this make mine and my brother's cats: gray with white markings?)
• It is unlucky for a girl to wear a ring on her right hand before she gets her engagement ring. My mom says that one was started by cheap fathers.
• It is bad luck to cross on the stairs...especially in medieval castles with the high, narrow, and steep spiral staircases.
• Saying "white rabbit, white rabbit" on the first of the month was started in Britian, but I didn't grow up saying it or hearing my dad say it. I saw that on Wikipedia last night.

That is all.

Translations, Jessica, and My Thoughts on Satire 1.5

So...where's everyone's translations? What's wrong with Jessica?
I like this satire, though I feel sorry for the mule (and the sailor...a little).

1.5 34-42 Translation

Freely we abandon the fields for the praetor Afidius Luscus, the lauging rewards for the insane scribe, and the toga praetexta and the broad purple stripe and the chafting dish of hoar frost. Then we, weary, remain in Mamurrarae, we remain in the house with the eel offering, we remain in the kitchen with the fraud. Afterwards the very graceful night rises; for Plotius and Varius of Sinuessa and Vergil come here, their minds, the nature of which neither brighter the earth brought forth nor any other who may be more bound than me.

Minime!!

I kind of like the basic idea of satire 1.5, but I don't like having to look up the vocab; it's very difficult on a computer. In addition, does anyone know what meter it's in? I want to take a leaf out of K Roache's book.
Gratias vobis ago!
~AngelaCatulli1119