Please raise your hand if you know what a frappe is.

Well, it’s nice to see at least one New Englander in the room. Because here in the U.S., that’s the only place you’re likely to come across a frappe on the menu of your local ice cream parlor.

For the edification of those not fortunate enough to have grown up in the northeast corner of the United States — also known as “God’s country” — a frappe is what the rest of you probably refer to as a milk shake: milk, syrup and ice cream, all whipped to a thick, frothy nectar fit for the gods on Olympus.

But not in New England. Oh, no. There, a milk shake is a simpler, thinner (though still frothy) mix of milk and syrup — usually chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or (my particular favorite) coffee. No ice cream.

If you add the ice cream, it becomes a frappe . . .

. . . except in Rhode Island, where it’s called a “cabinet,” and please don’t ask me why because I have no idea — nor, apparently, does anyone else. But having lived my first nine years in Rhode Island, I will say that nothing they do surprises me. They seem to enjoy being different just for the hell of it, possibly to avoid being overlooked because it’s the smallest state . . . much like the runt of the litter who barks the loudest.

Anyway, enough about that.

But speaking of “cabinets,” I see that the day after tomorrow — Wednesday, October 8th — is National Stop Bullying Day, which naturally brings to mind that band of bullies known as the Presidential Cabinet in the Washington White House. (Get the subtle segue?)

Don’t you agree that this would be the perfect time to bind and gag them all — together with their leader, of course — and ride them out of town on a rail?

Wow! That got a much bigger show of hands than the frappe question.

That’s it for now, folks. Feel free to applaud, and thank you for your attention to this matter.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/6/25