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In Mary Poppins (1964) Jane and Michael stipulate that their new nanny must:

Love us as a son and daughter, and never smell of barley water.

I've always wondered why they include this. If they mean actual barley water, which apparently is popular in various parts of the world (being from America I'm not familiar with it), then it isn't really clear why the children hate it so much. It's not just that they don't want to drink it; they don't want to even smell it.

Part of me thinks they didn't mean literal barley water at all. They could also be referring (in a tongue-in-cheek way) to:

  • Beer / ale. Usually made with barley, unpleasant to smell on someone, and of course means the person is drunk.

  • Scotch. Made with barley (otherwise it's a different type of whiskey), not an unpleasant smell but also means the person is drunk.

Adults in the room would also recognize that, if the children specifically request that their nanny not show up stinking drunk, it would mean that it's happened before (further showcasing their parents' ineptitude at nanny-picking).

Is the "barley water" reference ever explained?

PlutoThePlanet
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    I was made to drink barley water as a kid and, though I don't remember the smell, the taste was quite special, and I never came to like it. I understand that some people may enjoy it, but it is understandable that some people will not. It is like any food with special flavour/smell/texture. – Taladris Apr 08 '19 at 14:31
  • Pluto, it has utterly no connection to beer/ale. They indeed just mean "barley water" ! It's just that the old crappy Nanny would smell of the stuff. – Fattie Apr 11 '19 at 12:27
  • For foreigners who don't understand what the hell this is about :) the most famous commercial barley water is: Robinson's brand – Fattie Apr 11 '19 at 12:29

2 Answers2

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Barley Water is not, in fact, beer or scotch, although those are good guesses in the absence of context. Water in which barley has been boiled was considered a health drink dating back centuries, in the same way that cod liver oil was a healthful supplement for American kids in the '50s. The British version is made by boiling barley, straining, and then pouring the hot water over lemon rind. It's disgusting, kids know it's disgusting, and the Banks children wanted no part of anyone who was going to make them drink it.

Seneca
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    I think it's quite nice – Valorum Apr 08 '19 at 14:59
  • Ditto, I've got some in my kitchen cupboard – Danny Mc G Apr 08 '19 at 15:54
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    @Valorum Different strokes for different folks. I did not appreciate it growing up. My mother said it would keep me "regular". I would much rather have had Tang. – Seneca Apr 08 '19 at 16:20
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    It's also worth mentioning that tastes literally change as we get older, particularly bitter ones. We're genetically programmed to find bitter flavors somewhat distasteful due to them often being associated with poisons, but we taste it less as we get older (and presumably have learned what is and is not poisonous). – FuzzyBoots Apr 08 '19 at 17:47
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    I remember as a kid having a drink called 'barley water' which was quite nice. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't the same thing described by Seneca. For one thing my childhood was sixty years after the Banks'. – DJClayworth Apr 08 '19 at 18:53
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    I always assumed their objection was based on the association between barley water and old people (much like we now assume that if someone enjoys prune juice, they are likely elderly.) They also request that their nanny be "fairly pretty", so perhaps they are implying that they require a young woman as their nanny. – Meg Apr 08 '19 at 19:26
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    Barley water is also sold as a cordial, but that is not the same as home made barley water. – James K Apr 08 '19 at 21:05
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    Based on the number of upvotes this answer has gotten, it seems that not liking barley water is a pretty popular opinion... – PlutoThePlanet Apr 08 '19 at 21:57
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    There is an enormous difference between what is now sold as barley water and traditional barley water. The main supplier in England is now Robinsons and their product information suggests that, after dilution, you get 3.8% sugar, 3.4% lemon juice, other flavours and only 0.5% barley. I have tried it recently and you can't taste the barley. It is just slightly cloudy lemon (or other fruit) soft drink. – David Robinson Apr 09 '19 at 00:13
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    Nothing like boiling up barley and pouring over lemon rind. Tradtional recipes vary but are typically made with 10-12% barley, as here - over 20 times the concentration in Robinson's (no relation). – David Robinson Apr 09 '19 at 00:15
  • @FuzzyBoots I'm going on 50 and still can't stand bitter tasting foods. And even extremely sweet stuff tastes bitter to me... – jwenting Apr 09 '19 at 04:49
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    @jwenting: You've heard of the exception that proves the rule. :-D – FuzzyBoots Apr 09 '19 at 09:42
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    @David Robinson https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/barley-water-200128 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley_water I don't know what to tell you. The internet in general and my childhood memories agree with my recipe. – Seneca Apr 09 '19 at 18:20
  • @Seneca I'm not sure what your point is. You are saying that you remember something horrible from your childhood. The recipe you link to is 10% barley which accords with my comment and link. I haven't tried it but I am quite happy to believe your tasting notes. But I contrasted this with what is sold today as barley water. It contains 20 times less barley and tastes like a fruit-flavoured soft drink. I can't see the contradiction. – David Robinson Apr 09 '19 at 18:51
  • @David Robinson The recipe says to "discard the barley" so most of it doesn't end up in the final drink. – Richard Apr 10 '19 at 11:57
  • Yes, @Richard. I wasn't sure about that. But I think the starch will dissolve in the boiling water so you are only discarding the husks. But if you can find an estimate of the proportion discarded that would be great. And in the Robinson's it says how much is put in but it does not say if any is discarded. I get the impression they are trying to put in as little as possible whilst still calling it barley water so I guess they include the husks in the 0.5%. So I take your point but there is clearly several times more in one than in the other. – David Robinson Apr 10 '19 at 16:15
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Assuming the original Mary Poppins book by P.L. Travers is anything to go by, their objection doesn't seem to be the smell of barley water per se, but more that their old unliked nanny (Katie Nanna) stank of the stuff and they've associated the smell with her.

Well, Mr Banks went off with his black bag, and Mrs Banks went into the drawing room and sat there all day long writing letters to the papers and begging them to send some Nannies to her at once as she was waiting; and upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael watched at the window and wondered who would come. They were glad Katie Nanna had gone, for they had never liked her. She was old and fat and smelt of barley-water. Anything, they thought, would be better than Katie Nanna – if not much better.

They're keen for the new nanny to be the polar opposite, to whit; young, skinny and not smelling of barley water.

Valorum
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