Elbow Grease

I remember doing the dishes once during my early teen "indentured slave" period and I was encountering a particularly hard scum on the bottom of a cooking pan. As any self-respecting teenager would do, I started to whinge about how hard it was and why do I have to do it and Ben doesn't do anything etc etc.

Dad said to use "Elbow grease". Now I wasn't savvy with this term so I had visions of a cool cleaning chemical thing that sprayed acid-soaked steel wool under high pressure. So I started to go through the cupboards looking for a spray bottle with a logo of an elbow on it - like Mr Muscle has a bicep on it. While I type this I realise that it wasn't that stupid of me at all - the jump from "Elbow grease" to the picture on the Mr Muscle bottle is quite easy to make, I think I have just removed one of those embarrassing flashback moments that make you bury your face in a pillow. Anyway I could not find it and Mum and Dad thought I was being smartass when I asked where the Elbow grease was kept so I just persevered and cleaned it (or I might of just "let it soak", meaning leave it in the skanky water so Mum has to do it later).

I would just like to make it clear that I now know that "Elbow grease" is a term meaning to scrub at it harder similar to other stupid sayings like "Blanket party" for sleep. I was probably thoroughly disappointed when I discovered this "blanket party" had no cake, lollies or soft drink at all but was actually quite the opposite of a party, words can be so cruel.

Was it normal to sacrifice the bottom half of the roast chook and all the veges to the bottom of the pan and just be happy with the non-charcoal stuff on the top?.