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What is a radial scratch?

Why do people use the phrase “made from scratch”? What is scratch?

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    This use of scratch derives from a line or mark drawn or scratched into the ground to indicate a boundary or starting-point in sports, especially cricket and boxing. That meaning of scratch goes back to the late 18th century. From there it came to apply specifically to the starting point, in a handicap, of a competitor who received no odds: "Mr. Tom Sabin, of the Coventry Bicycle Club, has won, during last week, three races from scratch." (Bi</font>cycle Journal, August 18, 1878). It was later applied figuratively with the meaning "from nothing", and it was used thus by James Joyce in Ulysses (1922): "A poor foreign immigrant who started scratch as a stowaway and is now trying to turn an honest penny." Thereafter it was taking up in cooking once boxed mixes and prepared foods became widely available. Today it is a badge of honor to be able to say one made a culinary delight from scratch.

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Good question. don't know the origin of the phrase, but it means, of course, made from original ingredients - you make your own bread, grind your own whatever - nothing pre-made like spaghetti sauce or anything

All hat

Homemade.......not bought from a package or carton, it contains fresh ingredients.

Common_Sense2

Not pre-made something you make with basic ingredients,

Looking for the REAL answer!

(your name "Diva" is one of those appropriations that several countries notable for opera interest want to locate and correct.) One source could be from "chicken scratch," a folk term for nothing to work with. Chickens claw the ground, when there is no feed. Made from scratch is a compliment intended to let the baker know that his creation is much greater than the ingredients. The expression "made from scratch" has come to mean anything that is a product made by one using his own set of materials, as opposed to "store bought" or from a mix or box.

Wally

I have always heard differently about "made from scratch". I believe it was started with plaster, because you start with a scratch coat. "The first coat is called the scratch coat and is applied at 3/8-inch thick then scratched or scored with a comb to give it a rough texture. The second rough coat is made of the same mixture and is called the "brown coat". The brown coat is applied directly to the scratch coat, also at a 3/8-inch thickness, but left unscored. The sand provides a rough texture that gives the light, 1/8-inch finish coat a surface to grip onto."

Paintballer77

The reason people use the phrase "made from scratch" is because it is a shorter way of saying "it is home made I made it myself". Scratch means home made.

purplelisticcutie

a darn dent in my pan!!! it's an old catch phrase from 19th centrury when betty crocker and other pre-made or mixes came on to the shelfs, menaing if its made by scratch it means you cooked it yourself scratching your pans or bowls utensiles were made of metal and scratched things, but more modern supplies also changed and scratching ment to blend up the food you made instead of defrosting it or other

Juleette

I think it's funny how such a simple question gets such serious replies , like you dont really know the answer .I get that alot my self .Good "Q" .

Looked Down and I was Smoking

starting from scratch means you start with the basic ingredient just like the Betty Crocker has to start from scratch with flour eggs oil etc. ( Its the way your grandma use to cook)

suzi m

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