BS: You Brits have gone too far

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 12:07 AM

Spelling made easy---Where I come from they are known as flies graveyards.Currants raisins and apple between two thin pieces of short pastry.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Peg
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:57 PM

the version of that joke I have heard:

In Heaven:

British = Police, Italians = Cooks, French = Lovers, everything run/organized by the Germans.

In Hell:

French = Police, British = Cooks, Germans = Lovers and everything run/organized by the Italians...

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 08:40 PM

Swan, thank you for that edifying explanation of the Eccles cake. I had no idea they nested along the Manchester Ship Canal. Are they pretty, blue birds or cute little rodents?

Serious nature news: we had a birding High Alert today. Three hummingbirds are taking a rest in our mid-city back yard. This only occurs this time of year, as they head south from their nesting grounds, and it has only occurred four times in 25 years. Last night, after the first one was spotted ("Are you sure it wasn't a hawk moth?" we washed and set up the feeder, and today they are our honored guests, helping themselves to the sugar water like pro's.

Don Firth: ground lamb for Shepherd's Pie may make sense etymologically speaking (see, I can spell), but it is so fatty. Ground beef is more healthful.

Have you ever read the part of Bridget Jone's Diary where she tries to make Shepherd's Pie? It's funny.

I admit that Americans have come up with some ugly names too. Shoofly pie and dump cake. Also Mississippi Mud cake, which I believe contains every known form of chocolate.

However, "shit on a shingle" is military. Soldiers, while still humans, are in a different class.

The British "frog spawn" sets some kind of record, however. It's so ugly, but creative, too. That's the beauty of it.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: andymac
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 08:08 PM

I hope Ewan won't be too insulted. He's probably still chuffed at being called "the young Ewan"! As for odd food names, well what about the Danish "baby-heads soup" a clear consomme style soup with small dumplings floating around. PS I can spell semetery (sic) correctly swo there!

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:57 PM

HEAVEN and HELL EUROPEAN STYLE

HEAVEN is where:

The French are the cooks

The Germans are the mechanics

The English are the policemen

The Italians are the lovers

And the Swiss are the organizers

HELL is where:

The English are the cooks

The French are the mechanics

The Germans are the policemen

The Swiss are the lovers

And the Italians are the organizers

I've told this to hundreds of Europeans, and the only people who disagree with the above are the Swiss......

MEN!

robo

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: firínne
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:55 PM

You've all forgotten bubble and squeak! Also, the Irish are as bad with odd-sounding names - take colcannon, gubeens and coddle for example!

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:17 PM

"Kidneys are one of the parts that generally goes directly to the dog-food factory."

Why on earth is this horror allowed to go on???

Them dogs are lucky buggers. Kidneys are reet gradely fare!

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: artbrooks
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:14 PM

In the States, "shit on a shingle", or SOS, means chipped beef on toast...a mainstay of Army cooks. Kidneys are one of the parts that generally goes directly to the dog-food factory.

BTW, herself ran across a cookbook linked to the Patrick O'Brian sea story series that apparently has receipes for many of these things, but now we can't find it agaain. Anyone have the title?

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:59 PM

Are you still in the area then, Swan? Do you frequent the hallowed halls of the White Lion? Make yourself known and we will join forces in the ECHS ranks.

Stand fast against the ways of the evil Bath bun though...

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:50 PM

In America, there is a snack with the brand name POPPYCOCK®. The English word poppycock, meaning nonsense, comes from the Dutch word pappekak, meaning "soft shit."

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: The Walrus
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:43 PM

Ewan,
If you are still reading, lighten up. Certainly there is a bit of good natured sniping, but nobody gets hurt and everybody ends up in the barrel at some point, so it all evens out.

Rara,
"...cooked cereal for a pubic wig? Surely not! (merkin = pubic wig)..."
Ah, but merkin also = Citizen of the USA as in "My fellow 'merkins..."

Regards

Walrus

By the bye: British food names are bad?
Who was it invented the name "Shit on a shingle"?

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Roughyed
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:40 PM

Eccles cakes are definitely not known as fly cemeteries, and originating from Eccles, I should know. The Eccles cake is in fact a delicate and sensitive creature which nests in small holes on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal. Unfortunately some cruel people still hunt them and when I was a child it was not unusual to see piles of their pathetic steaming little corpses being paraded up Church Street towards Parker and Bradburns cakeshop.

As a founder member of the Eccles Cake Hunt Saboteurs I am proud that our actions led to their nesting grounds being now protected and whilst there is limited culling, the mass slaughter is a thing of the past.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:36 PM

I did a google search for shepherd's pie recipes and I think I get the general idea. I always thought it was supposed to be fairly simple fare, but some of the recipes seem to go absolutely berzerk! A lot of them use hamburger instead of minced lamb, some say use any old kind of meat (lamb makes sense to me--shepherd's pie, after all), and some go in for all kinds of exotic spices (probably a bit hard to find in the average shepherds panty). They don't seem to draw any distinction between shepherd's pie and cottage pie, they call them all the same. I, however, am devoted to the pursuit of authenticity.

But my vegan friends notwithstanding, I'll draw the line at "shepherd's pie" made with tofu!!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Jock Morris
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:34 PM

Don't forget the Royal Navy speciality "shit on a raft", for devilled kidneys on toast.

Scott

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:32 PM

Well, living two miles from the birthplace of the (in)famous Eccles cake I can honestly say I have never heard it called a fly cemitury (CORRECT spelling). There is a rumour of a tunnel between the original Eccles cake bakery and the church - running right under the churchyard. Now there's a thing!) Now then, Chorley cake (15 miles from Swinton), that's a whole different kettle of insect resting places...

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: specky
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 04:17 PM

the dogs bollocks = yucky ale

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Jim McLean
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 04:09 PM

Shepherd's pie in Scotland is know as Tatties an' Mince! Jim mcLean

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 03:32 PM

elucidate please Chantey.....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 03:22 PM

As Celtic Soul mentioned, we have a few dishes in the U.S. with names worthy of this thread. "Shoo-fly pie" comes to mind. Names of Yorkshire ales and beers might have to be a whole 'nother thread. But...first prize in my book goes to "Bishop's Vomit."

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 03:00 PM

Shepherd's pie. First peel two shepherds.....

Seriously, it's minced lamb with gravy and peas with a mashed potato topping. Cottage pie is the same but with beef mince and carrots. Don't know if there is a minced pork equivalent... probably Cottage Sty.

Our school did a good line in spunk pud and period.... tapioca with a blob of strawberry or raspberry jam in it. Revolting, disgusting name to go with a revolting, disgusting dessert.

Well you did ask!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 02:08 PM

Inviting the Vicar to Tea on a Wensday is one thing, but then offering the nice fellow a plate of breaded roasted bangers and calling that Spotted Dick must be British secret communication - sorta like Masonic hand signs ... well vaguely like.

Perhaps the British use food names as a secret means of sorting out who next to invade?

If so Americans better watch out I see some very strange names being applied to the Mc Donalds gobsmacker.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: DMcG
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 02:07 PM

Robert Burns was German??? Mudcat is a mine of information :-)

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 02:07 PM

Touchy touchy, there Ewan! Jeez, lighten up!

I watch a fair amount of British television, courtesy of PBS (Masterpiece Theatre, various Britcoms, etc.) and, for me, the imaginative and intriguingly descriptive names of various foods has created a real interest in British cuisine (or is that an oxymoron?).

Anybody got a good recipe for shepherd's pie?

Don Firth (despite the derivation of my last name, I think I'd have to sneak up on haggis. . . .)

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Rara Avis
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 02:05 PM

"What about "Frog Spawn" = Semolina (Cream of Wheat for 'merkins?)." Walrus, cooked cereal for a pubic wig? Surely not! (merkin = pubic wig) One of the most unappetizing names I've ever heard was "Dump Cake". Apparently, all sorts of fattening ingredients are "dumped" in the baking pan, mixed together, and popped in the oven. It wasn't too bad - in a prepared cake mix sort of way - but the name needs improving.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 01:52 PM

Ach zo

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Jim McLean
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 01:52 PM

The Selkirk Grace
Robert Burns
Some ha'e meat, and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it:
But we ha'e meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

When Burns was on a visit to St. Mary's Isle, the Earl of Selkirk requested him to say grace. He obeyed in the above words. Jim McLean

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Hippie Chick
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 01:40 PM

Some hae meat.....Robert Burns, ja?

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 01:04 PM

Still on the same diet as me then Liz? *BG* ;-{)>

Some hae meat but cannae eat
Some wid eat but want it
We hae meat, an' we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Failte.....Giok

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 12:51 PM

Recently ate so called French cuisine on a French owned ship. Thank the Gods the final destination was Belgium.... the chicken resembled a cold, boiled tennis shoe, the frites were equally cold and the mayonnaise lay there like a blob of something you deposit in a tissue. If I was that sort of girl I'd be able to tell you if it tasted the same as it looked....

In Belgium the mayonnaise was creamy butter yellow and so garlicky it practically ate the steaming hot frites for you!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: DMcG
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 12:43 PM

Ewan: I'm a Brit and I don't feel patronised. Are you calling me insensitive???? :-)

(This reminds me of the Stan&Ollie joke where Ollie throws every insult he can think of at Stan with no effect then eventually fades out with "You ... You" - at which point Stan is insulted - "Don't call me a Youyou")

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 12:35 PM

ah, poor Ewan....I wish he had stayed long enough for me to assure him that tweaking and taking little pot-shots is a healthy sign of respect!..*grin*...it shows ME that we care!..Some cultural differences will always be there, and in the joking and smart-alec fun-poking, we LEARN!

We have an expatriot Brit or two here who sing about "Spotted Dick"...and we laugh and tease and come away knowing more...*grin*

I could go find all the threads where Brits, Aussies and Canadians have poked and teased about we poor Americans and our eccentric ways...but...*smile*..they will all come back anyway in time.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 12:08 PM

We have family recipe for "Spion Kop Cake" So called after the house name of the lady who invented it. The house itself was obviously named in honour of the Boer War battle. Funny name for a cake though!!
Failte.....Giok

P.S. Goodbye Ewan, please feel free to come back when you can't stay so long.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: The Walrus
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:58 AM

I'm with Lady P on "Fly's graveyard"[1], it's an Eccles cake.
What about "Frog Spawn" = Semolina (Cream of Wheat for 'merkins?).
Then there's "Corned Dog" or "Fanny Adams", both old (service) names for Corned Beef (oh and "Choke dog" for hard tack biscuits)
As for the French "Croque Monsieur", there is a similar "Croque Madame" (this one has cream and eggs added to the mix, I believe).

Regards

Walrus

[1] I can't spell cemetery either.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:49 AM

S'Mores are a Girl Scout invention. Toast a marshmallow in the campfire; place a square of Hershey's chocolate on a graham cracker; add the hot marshmallow; cover with another graham cracker;
Supposedly, you have a taste treat so wonderful you just have to have SOMEMORE!
I would worry more about my teeth than my arteries with this one.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:32 AM

Re: "FER CHRISSAKES WHY CAN NOBODY ON THIS THREAD SPELL "CEMETERY" CORRECTLY ????????????"

1.I ask why someone has to take Christ's name in vain and to start shouting and to waste precious resources such as question marks over the simple and natural tendency to spell something the way it's pronounced.

2. Thanks for the contributions. I had forgotten spotted dick, and I'd never heard of boiled babies. Clearly people are proud of these names.

A verbal collection like this, derived from language, is a good kind to have when you live in a small place. It only takes up room in your mind.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:25 AM

Murray, I suggest you re-read my thread, you will find I did not commit the grave mistake you mention!!
Anyway never mind crazy English/British names for food, what about a Croque Monsieur, where do they get that from?
Failte....Giok

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 11:05 AM

While the States does not sport as many strange names for food, our very own Southern cooking does have one of the weirdest concoctions, and it is aptly named:

The "Montecrisco"

A ham and cheese sandwich, deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar, then covered with grape jelly.

Can't you just you hear your arteries hardening just by listening to the description?

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: The Pooka
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 10:54 AM

A relevent point, MurrayMac. We should all be grounded, as it were. Or at least sent back to our dictioneries.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 10:54 AM

Though I fear 'twould add insult to young Ewan's injury, I remember a "definition" of Hell: "A place where the waiters are German and the cooks are British." Perhaps there is a connection. I think that Leeneia may be right about the Brtish penchant for giving their food unappealing names (to "prove they are not French"). On the other hand do we USAer's name our food plainly just to prove we're not British? Personally, saying 'bangers' or 'sausages' is of no consequence since they are tasty with either name and I think that the British idea of having a great buffet of food for breakfast is very civilized. Of course I'm writing this before breakfast. I think I'll go have some orange juice, toast, grits and coffee. (grits?) Say I wouldn't mind a couple of eggs (over easy) and biscuits and sausage gravy and slabs of melting butter and perhaps some Canadian bacon and a pair of piping hot blueberry muffins and a stack of flapjacks dripping with Vermont maple syrup.

Oh alright, grits it is.

CB

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 10:42 AM

FER CHRISSAKES WHY CAN NOBODY ON THIS THREAD SPELL "CEMETERY" CORRECTLY ????????????

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: The Pooka
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 10:34 AM

Haugh haugh haugh///Ohhhh, God Bless England is my prayer. Hurrah for fair Albion's haute cuisine, sez I.

So Fare thee well, Guest McVicar, fare thee well for a while...but a good-natured sense of self-deprecating humor can be beneficial, fair Ewan son of Clergyperson; so y'all come back, heeah? (I'm sick of all this talk about deprecation. Not even the English would name a dish in honor of deprecating. That's just a crock. Hmmrph?? Oh. Nevermind.)

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: lady penelope
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 09:52 AM

Fly cemetaries = Eccles cakes!!! A sort of pastry filled with currants in a syrupy sauce. Blech!

My mother still makes clootie dumpling, a large amount of suet and dried fruit which is then boiled. Once it has sat cold for a while ( leftovers the next day sort of thing ) you then slice it up, fry it and eat it with your breakfast......blech!

You can tell I don't like dried fruit.

For those who would like to "bulk out" or raise your blood pressure, there's always tablet. No, not small bits of stone, but essentially 2lbs of sugar, a large can of condensed milk and a couple of drops of vanilla essence. Boil for twenty minutes whilst stirring, pour into tray to set & then eat. It's kind of like very hard fudge. We used to live on it. ( Why was I not fat when I was a kid? )

TTFN M'lady P.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 09:39 AM

Yellow matty custard
Green snot pie
Mix it all together with a dead dog's eye
Slap it in a butty, nice and thick
Then drink it down with a cup of cold sick

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Shonagh
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 08:58 AM

I used to work in a bakers every saturday before the urge to go to festivals got too much! Fly cemetaries can either be garibaldi biscuits or sumtimes they are two garibaldi biscuity things with some sort of rasiny/curranty/datey kinda mixture in the middle. Kinda like a sandwich. Ive never had them, its probably the name that puts me off but my gran loves them!

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:50 AM

Fly cemetaries are also known as squashed fly biscuits, or barigaldis.

Lardy cake was one we always watched out for.... made with beef fat (lard) instead of butter, it was a bit claggier (heavier and stickier) than ordinary cake.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: John Routledge
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:38 AM

Ewan - At least we Brits are still considered worth insulting :0)

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 07:02 AM

Up around these parts a steak pudding was a 'babbies yed'. We had a name for a black pudding as well but it is to non-pc to repeat here...;-) (Figure it out yersen)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:37 AM

Oh, I should have added, look out for heavy patronising insults from someone else contributing here - which drove me off another list.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:35 AM

Sigh. This is the kind of mutually patronising semi-insulting, framed as humour, that means that anytime I start visiting Mudcat I last a week or so then quit. Bye bye. See you in a few months.

Subject: RE: BS: You Brits have gone too far
From: harvey andrews
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 06:20 AM

I've never heard of fly cemetary biscuits, but near here in the Black Country they have a delicacy called "Grorty Dick".