old cold, white, sweet stuff (idea)

New England slang. This is a very popular phrase, thought to have originated in Reinhart, Mass. where it is an integral part of the local dialect ("Reinerwaffle", as the denizens like to refer to it). It can be freely substituted into a variety of sentences and expressions, indeed the usage is so prevalent in some areas that it can become near impossible for outsiders to follow the conversation, and many humourous misunderstandings can ensue!¹

Meanings include:

• Death. Local folklore pictures death as a tangible substance that enters the body at the moment of passing away.

• The flesh of soft fruit, especially imported pears.

• Snow that falls during the night, which is thought to be sweet with the taste of night-bred illusions.

• The fluid contained within the human eye.

• Horse semen.

• Fire. As in "O flame that danceth deep wythin thyne eyes/Come shaire thyne old cold, whyte, sweet phlegm/And thou shalt blynk no more" (Trad.)

  _{1. This is as their black faiths demand.}