just thought you might like to know that there is a completely concise online english-american dictionary. if you have anymore questions, give the online forum a buzz and we’ll try to answer you as best we can
Link: www.effingpot.com/
An except from an article on traditional English puds:
"Take comfort
by Sudi Pigott
Like it or not, big, bad-for-you British puds are back…
Hot sponge puddings oozing with syrup or treacle, nursery food like bread-and-butter pudding made extra indulgent with lashings of double cream, even school-dinner jam roly-poly served with masses of reassuring proper custard …
The sweet British pudding had its heyday in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and enjoyed immense popularity in Victorian times – Queen Victoria, herself, was a great fan. Up at the Palace kitchens the royal chefs got busy creating sweet and steamy temptations for the most discerning palate: two of them – Empress Pudding and Queen of Puddings – are still popular today, but whither Prince Albert Pudding? The eighteenth-century monarch, George I (known as Pudding George or the Pudding King – hence the nursery rhyme Georgy-Porgy), was particularly partial to the boiled variety.
The real beauty of steamed puddings is that they are pretty undemanding to make. Once you’ve mixed the ingredients together and put the pudding on to steam, it requires very little attention, and won’t be ruined by a dinner party that’s run an hour late. Traditionally, cooks used linen cloth to cook the pudding in. These days there’s no need to ruin your best Irish tablecloth or napkin – a double layer of buttered foil pleated in the centre (to allow room for the pudding to expand while cooking) will do the trick. If you’re serious about your puddings, a proper modern steamer with a tight-fitting lid that seals in steam and water is a good investment.
The traditional British pudding seems to be enjoying a sustained revival. In restaurants all over the country the vogue for lusciously retro, naughtily decadent puddings continues unabated. Our very own Gary Rhodes has become something of an ambassador for the British pud: his marmalade sponge has proved a great hit on the menus of his Rhodes & Co restaurants in Manchester and Glasgow. Chef Anton Mosimann’s much-imitated bread-and-butter pudding has elevated an irresistible yet simple dessert to the realms of haute cuisine. Achingly hip London restaurants are giving these reassuringly simple puds star billing on their dessert menus. Sheekey’s, the luvvie favourite in the heart of theatreland, has even made spotted dick – no sniggering, now – popular again. Camden’s ultra-contemporary Pie2Mash serves sticky toffee pudding with dates and a chocolate and caramel sauce to well-heeled media moguls. And apple crumble and vanilla ice cream is a regular fixture at Geoffrey Moore’s (son of Roger) Mayfair restaurant, Hush.
‘I have fond memories of tucking into fabulous apple crumble with lots of cloves whilst watching my father on the set of Live and Let Die at Pinewood Studios. It’s been a favourite ever since,’ he says. Such puddings are heady reminders of a rose-tinted childhood, even if, in reality, they were rare treats. "
If you want an eye-opening display of how many types of puddings there are (both sweet and savory) go to www.google.co.uk and type in pudding and see what comes back. Puddings have been evolving since about the 13th century and the variety now recorded on recipe pages every where is quite extensive.
Thank you Wendell Wagner (I feel as if I should peform an elaborate curtsy after saying your name). Thank heavens it’s not the awful lounge.
More tea, Vicar?
Believe me, it wasn’t a compliment.
Can you not just acknowledge that you got the quote wrong? I’ve never seen that attributed to Wilde.
Nope. by pointing out that Shaw made the quote, I am not saying that you speak any better English than anyone else.
You’d make a good spin doctor.
You brought patriotism up first.
I’m not even going to dignify that with a proper response, other than you are a supreme spreader of disinformation. If you want to start a thread about this, by all means do. I’ll correct you there.
Its available as an ascii code, but unfortunately my laptop is acting up when I select Alt. I’m sure someone will be able to answer me soon.
Alt-Gr + a. And there should be a fada over the “i” in tírghrá as well.
And after last evening, I can definitely confirm that Balor doesn’t live in the Dublin I do.
RedDevil,
I don’t understand what point you’re trying to make. I wasn’t claiming that I thought that there was anything better about using the term “living room” instead of “lounge.” You asked what term Americans use for what’s called the “sitting room” in the U.K. and I answered that they use the term “living room.” I certainly wasn’t claiming that there was something more posh about saying “living room” rather than “lounge” or “sitting room.” In fact, many of those Americans who know that “lounge” or “sitting room” are the British terms for this room would be thrilled to hear someone call the room by one of those words. The Americans who know British culture very well are often very anglophilic and are really turned on by hearing someone speak with a British accent. Usually, that sort of person is more thrilled with an upper-class British accent, although some of them can’t accurately judge a Brit’s social class by their accent. Personally, I don’t care either way. I would never judge a person by their accent, anymore than I would judge someone by their social class. I would never judge someone by their nationality, either. (And, incidentally, I grew up in a struggling working-class family.)