> It honestly sounds like a figure of speech.
I think you're right. I think it's a flowery euphemism for an unobtainable exotic meal that would presumably be difficult to cook and/or prohibitively expensive. Or, in the case of the one link you posted, it can double as a sarcastic remark to shut up an overly curious child. I think it's intended to be humorous in an ironic way because it pairs something strange that nobody would bother trying to eat except maybe the impossibly wealthy (the hummingbird wings) with something mundane that common people would eat (the toast).
The first usage fits the context in which I heard it used.
Here's a book description from your Alibris link that kind of supports the euphemism idea:
Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery Volume 10
Description: Very Good. Woman's Day Magazine has been around as long as I remember, it used to cost.35 it is still a magazine for the average cook that would like to serve something different but not humming birds wings on toast. This is an Encyclopedia in 10 volumes, they are $5. each buy the set for $40.
GroovyMAME support forum on BYOAC
Edited by krick (10/03/10 08:40 AM)
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