What do these statements mean?

[gary]

What does "dine on cold grapes" mean?

What about "Johnny fill up the bowl" in the song?

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

To "dine" is to eat - so it means they were eating cold grapes.

Fill up the bowl refers to having an alcoholic drink of some sort - bowls or cups without handles were used in very early times. Same as a Christmas reference to "a smoking bowl of hot punch." So "Johnny fill up the bowl" is a drinking song in which the singer is saying give me a drink or give me another round.

 

[Stryker65]

@gary I assume you got that from the 52nd Massachusetts regimental history, which, based on context, I suppose would be something of a sarcastic comment directed towards the Union besiegers, i.e. something like the counting-chickens-before-they-hatch story. But that's just a theory.

 

[JackADriscoll]

Could that be a reference to grape shot?

 

[gary]

Stryker65 - I did read that in the 52nd Massachusetts regimental history and hence my inquiry.

 

[lupaglupa]

Interesting. Grapeshot could be a logical guess. That fits with the mention "as long as you live." Maybe cold grapes were something served in paradise? People of that era knew a lot of classical and literary allusions that we aren't familiar with.

 

[JOHN42768]

Cold grapes might also be wine

 

[gary]

bump for more views

 

[35th MA InfRegt]

Could that be a reference to grape shot?

This is as good a guess as any.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Cold grapes? Do they eat hot grapes where you come from?

Wouldn't fired grapeshot be warm? That might be the type of hot grape.

 

[lelliott19]

Stryker65 - I did read that in the 52nd Massachusetts regimental history and hence my inquiry.

View attachment 570833
@gary I assume you got that from the 52nd Massachusetts regimental history, which, based on context, I suppose would be something of a sarcastic comment directed towards the Union besiegers, i.e. something like the counting-chickens-before-they-hatch story. But that's just a theory.

I believe in the context of the 52nd Massachusetts regimental, @Stryker65 has identified the correct usage here - sarcasm. Counting your chickens before they are hatched kind of thing.

 

[Old Soldier]

Cold grapes? Do they eat hot grapes where you come from?

Wouldn't fired grapeshot be warm? That might be the type of hot grape.

Cold grapes. You do not eat grapes in Winter. Meaning - 'you won't get here until the Winter' but we will have eaten all the grapes by then'!!! IOW - Stuff you! - or NUTS (to quote Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe in 1944)