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I actually think stop Swiss cheesing is a pretty succinct way of what you are saying in your second paragraph.

sschueller 6y ago
Odd that the phrase "Swiss cheesing" is used. As it implies all Swiss cheeses have holes yet only a few do. Especially odd that in the United States "Swiss Cheese" refers to one specific cheese which is the Emmentaler [1] when there are so many different kinds of cheese in Switzerland. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese
- WoodenChair 6y ago
  > Especially odd that in the United States "Swiss Cheese" refers to one specific cheese which is the Emmentaler [1] when there are so many different kinds of cheese in Switzerland. I don’t think it’s anymore odd than “French Fries” or “Greek Yogurt”. People like simple connections. Somebody long ago (perhaps unintentionally) did some good branding.
  - HenryBemis 6y ago
    > “Greek Yogurt” I have eaten yogurt all over the world. The "Greek" yogurt (or in some countries they call it "Greek Type" - to avoid 'lying' about the country of production/origin) is thicker/less of a liquid. It must be in the process. Most yogurts (plain, not sugary with fruites and other stuff) I've had are semi-liquid. The only 'good' yogurt I truly enjoy is the original Greek by "FAGE" called "Total" (not affiliated). I assume that similar yogurt-making process must be a regional thing (Greece, Balkans), and perhaps Greece had the industries/factories to support exports on great volumes that helped them conquer/define this type of yogurt in the 80's, 90's and establish that name.
    - masklinn 6y ago
      > Most yogurts (plain, not sugary with fruites and other stuff) I've had are semi-liquid. Semi liquid sounds excessive for actual yogurt, but what you may be looking for specifically is strained yogurts, which have a lower amount of whey (liquids) and are thus drier and thicker. Greek yogurt is indeed a common type of strained yogurt.
    - nucleardog 6y ago
      Amateur yogurt maker here. What you think of as "Greek" style yogurt is literally just normal yogurt run through cheese cloth or another similar filter (at home, I assume industry has a much more efficient method) to allow liquid to drain out. The difference in the process is simply that once you're done making "normal" yogurt, you strain it to remove some liquid whey. You can take this to varying degrees. While I was still dialing in my process, I made some yogurt so dry I questioned whether it was actually cheese. It made you thirsty to eat it. I've since reduced the time I spend straining it to something a little more moderate so it's still kind of creamy but not wet or runny.
      - ebiester 6y ago
        Past “Greek yogurt” is labneh. Add a little salt, top with olive oil, and eat with good bread.
      - HenryBemis 6y ago
        As masklinn commented below, that process of removing the excessive water should be (logically) slowing down the process, reuquiring extra machinery (lease/purchase, maintenance, contracts, spare parts, time) thus increasing the cost of the yogurt. The FAGE-Total, wherever I find it, it costs around £3, while the "Greek type" costs £1 is is significantly more muddy/wet. I can taste the differce in quality, and they definitely make for a different outcome in any sauce you are trying to make.
    - quietbritishjim 6y ago
      I'm not sure what you're getting at: That all seems to be consistent with the parent comment's point. No doubt it is indeed made and eaten in Greece, but so are other types of yogurt, so "Greek yogurt" is an overly broad name for that type of product. Just as Emmental is indeed made and eaten in Switzerland, but so are other types of cheese, so "Swiss cheese" is an overly broad name for that type of product.
    - AdrianB1 6y ago
      Not just in Greece, also in Romania the traditional home-made yogurt is thicker. The one you buy from stores is either thicker or "drinkable yogurt" of it is more liquid. My grandma's test of a yogurt was to eat it with a fork.
  - glandium 6y ago
    Note that "French Fries" is not about origin, but cut: French cut, aka Julienne. Frenched potatoes, fried.
- mssundaram 6y ago
  It's a common for cuisines/food items e.g. "Chinese" food - there are many cuisines in China, and what is called "Chinese" food in America is not what you'd find in China. I think every culture and country probably has some oversimplification or stereotype of a far off place. E.g. for Italy, the "Americano" coffee.
  - IndrekR 6y ago
    Also China is a very big country with very different people and cultures. Including cuisine. Same for India and Europe. "European kitchen" is also a very wide term. Can not really put what people eat in Sicily and Lapland to the same pot.
    - anticristi 6y ago
      There is a concept "European cusine"? I guess it's only fair to be punished for buying "Asian food" or "Africa food".
      - vinay427 6y ago
        I would argue that "European cuisine" is closer to "Chinese" or "Indian" cuisine in scale of diversity as the parent comment mentioned. The other two are just far less discoverable, at least internationally and possibly domestically as well.
      - skyyler 6y ago
        There is a Vietnamese sandwich chain that calls their sandwiches with cheese and mayo "European". So, yeah, I do think some people have a concept of "European cuisine".
      - pdpi 6y ago
        That's precisely the point. China is about twice the area of the EU and three times the population, so talking about "chinese cuisine" makes about as much sense as talking about "european cuisine", which, to western eyes, is obviously nonsense.
- KineticLensman 6y ago
  > Odd that the phrase "Swiss cheesing" is used. The phrase we used to use a lot at work is 'Salami Slicing'. This was used to refer to time but more often to budgets, especially with the connotation that a budget proposed by a bid team would be reduced in lots of small ways before it went to the customer- e.g. to make the bid competitive, increase profit margins, increase the risk budget and many more. The salami slicing almost always made it hard to produce a good solution within the eventual budget available to the engineers.
- NovemberWhiskey 6y ago
  ... and yet every single hit on the first page of a Google Images search for "Swiss cheese" is of a firm, yellow cheese with large holes. I completely accept the premise that there are many different kinds of cheese made in Switzerland, however it also seems pretty clear that the kind with holes is the one that has achieved a critical mass of global mindshare.
amelius 6y ago
> I actually think stop Swiss cheesing is a pretty succinct way of what you are saying in your second paragraph. Perhaps "Defragment your calender" is more appealing to a CS audience. It's clear, and not a double negative.
- karmakaze 6y ago
  I like the visualization of the holes in Swiss cheese. The 'negative space' is actually the important aspect. It's a reminder to manage the gaps between meetings.

Odd that the phrase "Swiss cheesing" is used. As it implies all Swiss cheeses have holes yet only a few do. Especially odd that in the United States "Swiss Cheese" refers to one specific cheese which is the Emmentaler [1] when there are so many different kinds of cheese in Switzerland. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese

WoodenChair 6y ago
> Especially odd that in the United States "Swiss Cheese" refers to one specific cheese which is the Emmentaler [1] when there are so many different kinds of cheese in Switzerland. I don’t think it’s anymore odd than “French Fries” or “Greek Yogurt”. People like simple connections. Somebody long ago (perhaps unintentionally) did some good branding.
- HenryBemis 6y ago
  > “Greek Yogurt” I have eaten yogurt all over the world. The "Greek" yogurt (or in some countries they call it "Greek Type" - to avoid 'lying' about the country of production/origin) is thicker/less of a liquid. It must be in the process. Most yogurts (plain, not sugary with fruites and other stuff) I've had are semi-liquid. The only 'good' yogurt I truly enjoy is the original Greek by "FAGE" called "Total" (not affiliated). I assume that similar yogurt-making process must be a regional thing (Greece, Balkans), and perhaps Greece had the industries/factories to support exports on great volumes that helped them conquer/define this type of yogurt in the 80's, 90's and establish that name.
  - masklinn 6y ago
    > Most yogurts (plain, not sugary with fruites and other stuff) I've had are semi-liquid. Semi liquid sounds excessive for actual yogurt, but what you may be looking for specifically is strained yogurts, which have a lower amount of whey (liquids) and are thus drier and thicker. Greek yogurt is indeed a common type of strained yogurt.
  - nucleardog 6y ago
    Amateur yogurt maker here. What you think of as "Greek" style yogurt is literally just normal yogurt run through cheese cloth or another similar filter (at home, I assume industry has a much more efficient method) to allow liquid to drain out. The difference in the process is simply that once you're done making "normal" yogurt, you strain it to remove some liquid whey. You can take this to varying degrees. While I was still dialing in my process, I made some yogurt so dry I questioned whether it was actually cheese. It made you thirsty to eat it. I've since reduced the time I spend straining it to something a little more moderate so it's still kind of creamy but not wet or runny.
    - ebiester 6y ago
      Past “Greek yogurt” is labneh. Add a little salt, top with olive oil, and eat with good bread.
    - HenryBemis 6y ago
      As masklinn commented below, that process of removing the excessive water should be (logically) slowing down the process, reuquiring extra machinery (lease/purchase, maintenance, contracts, spare parts, time) thus increasing the cost of the yogurt. The FAGE-Total, wherever I find it, it costs around £3, while the "Greek type" costs £1 is is significantly more muddy/wet. I can taste the differce in quality, and they definitely make for a different outcome in any sauce you are trying to make.
  - quietbritishjim 6y ago
    I'm not sure what you're getting at: That all seems to be consistent with the parent comment's point. No doubt it is indeed made and eaten in Greece, but so are other types of yogurt, so "Greek yogurt" is an overly broad name for that type of product. Just as Emmental is indeed made and eaten in Switzerland, but so are other types of cheese, so "Swiss cheese" is an overly broad name for that type of product.
  - AdrianB1 6y ago
    Not just in Greece, also in Romania the traditional home-made yogurt is thicker. The one you buy from stores is either thicker or "drinkable yogurt" of it is more liquid. My grandma's test of a yogurt was to eat it with a fork.
- glandium 6y ago
  Note that "French Fries" is not about origin, but cut: French cut, aka Julienne. Frenched potatoes, fried.
mssundaram 6y ago
It's a common for cuisines/food items e.g. "Chinese" food - there are many cuisines in China, and what is called "Chinese" food in America is not what you'd find in China. I think every culture and country probably has some oversimplification or stereotype of a far off place. E.g. for Italy, the "Americano" coffee.
- IndrekR 6y ago
  Also China is a very big country with very different people and cultures. Including cuisine. Same for India and Europe. "European kitchen" is also a very wide term. Can not really put what people eat in Sicily and Lapland to the same pot.
  - anticristi 6y ago
    There is a concept "European cusine"? I guess it's only fair to be punished for buying "Asian food" or "Africa food".
    - vinay427 6y ago
      I would argue that "European cuisine" is closer to "Chinese" or "Indian" cuisine in scale of diversity as the parent comment mentioned. The other two are just far less discoverable, at least internationally and possibly domestically as well.
    - skyyler 6y ago
      There is a Vietnamese sandwich chain that calls their sandwiches with cheese and mayo "European". So, yeah, I do think some people have a concept of "European cuisine".
    - pdpi 6y ago
      That's precisely the point. China is about twice the area of the EU and three times the population, so talking about "chinese cuisine" makes about as much sense as talking about "european cuisine", which, to western eyes, is obviously nonsense.
KineticLensman 6y ago
> Odd that the phrase "Swiss cheesing" is used. The phrase we used to use a lot at work is 'Salami Slicing'. This was used to refer to time but more often to budgets, especially with the connotation that a budget proposed by a bid team would be reduced in lots of small ways before it went to the customer- e.g. to make the bid competitive, increase profit margins, increase the risk budget and many more. The salami slicing almost always made it hard to produce a good solution within the eventual budget available to the engineers.
NovemberWhiskey 6y ago
... and yet every single hit on the first page of a Google Images search for "Swiss cheese" is of a firm, yellow cheese with large holes. I completely accept the premise that there are many different kinds of cheese made in Switzerland, however it also seems pretty clear that the kind with holes is the one that has achieved a critical mass of global mindshare.

amelius 6y ago

> I actually think stop Swiss cheesing is a pretty succinct way of what you are saying in your second paragraph. Perhaps "Defragment your calender" is more appealing to a CS audience. It's clear, and not a double negative.

karmakaze 6y ago
I like the visualization of the holes in Swiss cheese. The 'negative space' is actually the important aspect. It's a reminder to manage the gaps between meetings.