Richard Wright wrote:
On Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:23:27 +0200, "Opinicus"
wrote:

Just came across this, looking for something else:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2249273.stm

"Hospital managers thought patients would be too embarrassed to ask for
it"

Given my name, I thank heaven I was never at risk of having to order
"Spotted Richard" in a Gloucestershire hospital.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives a citation from 1849 for the
earliest use of the phrase Spotted Dick:

1849 A. SOYER Modern Housewife 350 Plum Bolster, or *Spotted Dick.
"Roll out two pounds of paste.., have some Smyrna raisins well washed
[etc.]."

Here is the mouth-watering recipe from the Google books version of the
1851 edition:

"832. PLUM BOLSTER, OR SPOTTED DICK.- Roll
out two pounds of paste (No. 746), have some Smyrna raisins
well washed, and place them on it here and there, roll over, tie
in a cloth, and boil one hour, and serve with butter and brown
sugar."

Not to be confused with Plum Duff which is a pudding bowl shape and contains
no plums. Origin of the saying "up the duff" IMO

By the way, a traditional English meal of faggots followed by spotted
dick must innocently cause offence to some in the USA.

Are there any American dishes whose titles would cause offence to the
English?!

Twinkies and Johnnycakes would get them rolling in the aisles