So today I have been asked to blog about Spotted Dick. I think this is just because of the odd name. Although as I’m a Brit, the name doesn’t seem odd to me. Well, not really.
First of all, the Spotted Dick is just really a sponge pudding with currants in it (I believe other small fruit is sometimes used) and often served with custard, although the ‘Spotted Dick’ is just the pudding. If you look up the meaning of this it says that the ‘Spotted’ refers to the currants – see – spots ? Get it ? Okay. The ‘Dick’ part isn’t known 100%. There is more than one explanation. Some say the word dick is from the word dough as some people do also call this ‘Spotted Dough’ although I’ve never heard it referred to as that. Some also say it comes from the German word for thick. Another explanation given was that the ‘Dick’ was a hard cheese, treacle was added to make it ‘Treacle Dick’. Then eventually currants were added to make it ‘Spotted Dick’. No, I’ve never heard of that either !
There were also some people, possibly immature and couldn’t use the word ‘Dick’ without sniggering, that renamed this pudding ‘Spotted Richard’. I don’t think it lasted long and they resorted back to the original name. Having said that, I’m sure when the pudding first got the name of Spotted Dick there weren’t any people expecting small children to run round the playground with a marker pen in one hand and their willy in the other shouting out ‘I’ve got a spotted dick’ !!! I’m equally certain that there have been no reports of men going to the doctors with a tin of spotted dick, putting it down on the doctors couch and saying ‘I’ve got a spotted dick’. I believe men going to the surgery with a spotted dick, really DO have a spotted dick and they’ve exited the doctors with a special cream for it. Not custard.
I hope this clears up the matter of Spotted Dick (which is probably also what the doctor said as he gave the men the cream). It might also be interesting to see which adverts Google decides to put on here for me now. Could be cream. Could be custard !!!
Thank you for responding to your fans though I am still going to snigger every time I hear it mentioned.
ReplyDeleteSo, maybe you can explain why there is no pudding in Yorkshire Pudding?
I'm starting to get confused. I'm sure a post on Yorkshire pudding won't clear that up.
ReplyDeleteIt probably won't. But ... if it's what the fans want, it's what the fans will get !
ReplyDelete