Boil in the bag cod in cheese sauce
Reading a book I came across this one:
She keeps giving me the same tea. We had boil in the bag cod in cheese sauce three times last week. I had to put my foot down.
I don't know if these is an idioms' sequence, or if it is a fully figurative sentence. How difficult is for me to imagine the meaning of such phrases! Why the bag cod? Not to speak about cheese sauce! What does it mean?
My interpretation is: (probably wrong)
She continues to her guns . We have three quarrels last week.
I had to stand firm. ( Or I had to budge? )
¿tuve que dar el brazo a torcer, o todo lo contrario?
Any idea is appreciated. Thanks!
6 Answers
Cogumela:
Here is a picture of some food-in-a-bag. It is not fish, but the idea is the same.
Look Here 
Now imagine cod fish smothered in cheese sauce and perhaps even heated (by boiling) in the bag. No muss - no fuss - no odor.
As they say in France "Voila". But I bet in French cooking they would never do such a thing.
The figures of speech:
To "put your foot down" - this means to stop the motion, to bring the behaviour to a halt.
"She continues to her guns " is not quite correct. The better expression is 'She sticks to her guns' - It means she is steadfast like a soldier steady at his post not budging not giving way.
"I had to stand firm" may also be said as "I had to stand pat" - both mean maintaining a fixed or chosen position or stance.
All 3 of your expressions mean pretty much the same thing - taking a stand and enforcing and defending it.
Muchos saludos/Best regards,
Moe
When I was in University, I had a lot of boil-in-the-bag food. It wass really easy. Took it out of the freezer, put it into boiling water with your potatoes, then add your peas half way. When it was time, took the bag out, drained the peas and spuds, cut open the fish in sauce. Voila! Dinner was ready and plated. It brings back some nice memories of Cod in Parsley Sauce in a bag. Can you still get them nowadays...
Cogu,
Probablemente, debido a las otras respuestas (de los otras), ya lo has descifrado. A pesar de eso, aún deseo escribir mis pensamientos también, (si)aunque sólo sea para (nada más), para practicar mi español y para darte oportunidad de corregirme.
En este caso, la frase "boil in the bag" funciona como un solo (adjectivo) adjetivo que describe el bacalao (the cod) y que significa "lo que se hierve en bolsillo." Yo, (para) por mi parte, (solería escribir) (lo) escribiría/ suelo escribir con guión tales frases para que (deje) quede claro que funcionan juntas como una (solo)sola unidad. Es decir que yo mismo la habría escrito así: "boil-in-the-bag cod in cheese sauce." (En) De hecho, es muy común( para) escribirla simplemente como "boil-in-bag" (con guiones y sin la "the"). Pero, aunque son útiles en tales casos, los guiones no son requeridos.
"Cod in cheese sauce," por supuesto, significa bacalao en salsa de queso (¡que me (sueña) suena/resulta/parece repugnante!).
Sigue dándome la misma clase de té. Comimos bacalao en salsa de queso, el que se hierve en bolsillo, tres veces en la semana pasada. (Tuvo) tuve que plantarme.
Creo que esta mujer está (harto) harta de que la otra mujer (prepara)prepare siempre las mismas cosas para beber y para comer.
That's no idiom. They literally had fish that you boiled while in was in the bag in cheese sauce. She couldn't stand eating it anymore so she had to put her foot down (and say no more fish in the bag anymore!!!)
I think eating boil in a bag food is along the lines of the TV dinners of yore.Second rate cuisine!
Living as close to the sea as you do, it's no surprise that you have no familiarity with boil in the bag cod in cheese sauce.
Sounds absolutely ghastly, doesn't it?
(hi cogu!!!!!)
