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