Sir John Falstaff was Prince Hal's sidekick in Shakespeare's play Henry IV. He was plump, witty, and self-indulgent. Because of this, the word falstaffian is used to describe a person with this sort of jolly personality.

But originally, the name had a different meaning.... In Shakespeare's plays Falstaff was not popular with the ladies; to emphisize this quality Shakespeare gave him a punish name, formed from the contraction of two words: 'false' and 'staff'. The word 'penis' did not come into use until 1693, so various euphanisims were used in its place; in this case, the flase-staff refers to a weak member.

Falstaff: an unpasteurized beer made in several places in the United States (e.g. New Orleans).

Sale and consumption are outlawed in several other states (e.g. Tennessee) due to the unpasteurized nature of this peculiar brew.

Pasteurization is, of course, the process by which germs (so called "spoilage organisms") are killed in such products as milk, wine, and beer. There are two primary uses for pasteurization: public health and product quality. Pasteurization removes many harmful bacteria and increases "shelf life."

Fermented beverages that are not pasteurized are therefore not allowed for sale in many states in the U.S. in the interests of public safety.

See also: Sewanee