An affineur is a ‘person responsible for maturing cheese in a cellar, climate-controlled room’ (OED) Yeah, like I was going to find one of those in SW3! However, I suddenly remembered the mouse sketch from Monty Python (extract below for those who have forgotten) and realised that the “mice” had to get their cheese from somewhere. So in keeping with the metaphor, I offer you the suspected affineur.
Interviewer: And when did you first notice these… shall we say… tendencies?
Confessor: Well, I was about seventeen and some mates and me went to a party, and, er… we had quite a lot to drink and then some of the fellows there… started handing… cheese around… and well just out of curiosity I tried a bit… and well that was that.
Interviewer: And what else did these fellows do?
Confessor: Well some of them started dressing up as mice a bit… and then when they’d got the costumes on they started… squeaking.
Interviewer: Yes. And was that all?
Confessor: That was all.
Interviewer: And what was your reaction to this?
Confessor: Well I was shocked. But, er… gradually I came to feel that I was more at ease… with other mice.
Day #53 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.