spotted dick
Definition
Noun: 1. A traditional British steamed or boiled dessert: "Spotted dick" is a classic British pudding. It is a sweet, dense cake made with suet (a type of animal fat) and flour, studded with dried currants or raisins. The "spotted" refers to the appearance of the dark dried fruit, and "dick" is a historical term for pudding or dough. It is typically served warm with custard.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- For school dinner, we had spotted dick and custard.
- Spotted dick is a staple of traditional British cuisine.
- He ordered the spotted dick from the menu of the old pub.
Advanced Usage
- The term is sometimes considered humorous or old-fashioned in modern contexts due to the secondary, informal meaning of the word "dick." However, in culinary contexts, it is used straightforwardly to name the dish.
- It can be referred to euphemistically as "spotted dog" in some regions or contexts to avoid potential misunderstanding, though "spotted dick" remains the traditional name.
Variants and Related Words
- Spotted dog (n): A regional or alternative name for the same pudding.
- Suet pudding (n): The broader category of puddings made with suet, which includes spotted dick.
- Roly-poly (n): Another type of suet pudding, often with jam, which is rolled up before cooking.
Synonyms
- Suet pudding: The general category.
- Boiled pudding: Describes the cooking method.
- Steamed pudding: Describes the cooking method.
Related Idioms
- (As) traditional as spotted dick and custard: Used to emphasize something is quintessentially British and old-fashioned.
- That village fete is as traditional as spotted dick and custard.
Noun
-
a suet pudding containing currants
