Talk:Spotted dick

Spotted Richard

I've never heard it called "Spotted Richard". Is this maybe an obsolete usage? -- Lee M

I think Spotted Richard" is nonsense. there was some talk about M&S or someone renaming it "Spotted Richard" a while ago, but I think it was one of those straight Euro-Banana type stories. Mintguy 14:51 24 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Dont get started on the Bananas. What are these PC people going to make of Banana split with crushed nuts? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.14.18.164 (talk) 06:33, 14 September 2009 (UTC)

The BBC link is useful as it includes a picture of the untinned article, but I have removed also referred to as Spotted Richard in some locations from the article itself as that is based on what was never anything more than a silly filler / PR stunt type story. It's very misleading to suggest that anyone ever seriously calls this dish "Spotted Richard". -- Picapica 9 July 2005 17:07 (UTC)

I was once served a "Spotted Richard" in a far-from-brilliant "gastropub" in Wiltshire. When I asked if it was just another, "PC", word for Spotted Dick, I was snootily informed that Spotted Richard is not made from Suet. Crabsoneyes 23:06, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

"Spotted Richard" may make sense. "Dick" is short for "Richard". Perhaps its either the long version of the food's name, or "Spotted Dick" is the shortened/slang version? 74.124.35.177 04:43, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

"Spotted Richard", if it exists, is clearly a backformation from "spotted dick", which is the original. The OED traces usage to a kind of cheese and later a kind of pudding all called "dick" (mid-1800s) -- when accompanied by treacle, it was "treacle dick", and when somebody decided to add currants or raisins, it became "spotted." By the time the "dick" became "spotted" it was no longer connected to "Richard" (if it ever was). "Spotted Richard" appears to be a neologism.

Where the "dick" part came from isn't discussed in the OED, although it is under the main entry (i.e., the nickname for Richard, which gave birth to various meanings, from "Tom, Dick, and Harry" to the course slang meaning which is often heard today). Other sources theorize a formation from a contraction of the word "pudding"... "-ding" > "dick"... I'm not sure how reasonable this is, but the current reference to a derivation from "dough" in the article seems rather unbelievable. Where in England would the morphological change exist to make "dough" into "dick", especially in the 19th century? And why would anyone call it "spotted dough" in the first place?? -- it's a bread pudding!

I have therefore changed the reference to "pudding", but retained the need for citation. Please feel free to add appropriate citation info.... 85.178.13.88 16:57, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

• It's used by prudish people to avoid saying 'dick' - there's no real etymological connection though, it's just desperation. This PC stuff should have its own section in fact - in the UK schools have been renaming it because of all the associated jokes.Malick78 09:00, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I've heard old wives' tales that the pudding Spotted Dick might have been named in honour of King Richard. Has anybody else ever heard of anything like this statement KoopaCooper (talk) 14:15, 21 August 2016 (UTC)?

Peel?

What is "peel"? sanders_muc (not a native speaker) 14 Mar 2004

Fruit peel. Orange and or lemon, lime peel. Citrus fruit peel I suppose. Mintguy (T) 18:06, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Thanks. sanders_muc 14 Mar 2004

Is it the same as zest? If so, maybe it should be changed. Peel usually includes the white bitter part, which is not used for cooking. Prometheus^-X303- 21:28, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

No, it's not the same as zest. The citrus peel used in puddings like this does indeed include the white part. The peel is usually candied before being used in the cooking though, rather than fresh, so it's sweet, not bitter. -dmmaus 00:35, 14 April 2006 (UTC)

Ok. I guess if anybody questions it, they can see your comment. Prometheus^-X303-

Picture

If someone could find a picture, it would add more than a thousand words into the article, especially for non-Brits like poor me. I must confess I read this article thrice, and I have absolutely no idea what a "Spotted Dick" would really look like. Deeply confusing. --Oop 22:49, Oct 1, 2004 (UTC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2249273.stm has a photo of this delicious, if rather unhealthy, English pudding. Richard W.M. Jones 14:08, 7 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Can anyone tell me the origin of "Spotted Dick?"

Coming to you from the United States, I am searching for the origin of the British culinary dish known as "Spotted Dick." Is there anyone who knows the origin of this unique dish? If not, is there anyone who may be able to point me in the right direction so that I may obtain this info? There are brief tid bits mentioning this British dessert but that's about it. Many thanks for any and all assistance anyone can give. Peace. . . MZA

The Spotted Dick is From England. I am English. :) Does anyone have the recipe?

I'm English and I have absolutely no idea where the term "spotted dick" comes from. It sounds like a medical complaint. I've come across a few sites that claim that "dick" is a dialect term for "pudding", but even if that's true (which I doubt), the only dessert I know that has "dick" in its name is "spotted dick". Anyway, whatever, this is one of my favourite British desserts, it's great with custard. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.25.65.120 (talk) 04:00, 3 September 2019 (UTC)

Euphimism?

{The common spelling is: euphemism}

Is this maybe a eupimism for something else? 69.218.230.181 01:53, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

Such as? PrometheusX303 01:58, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

Probably a chancre, a penis sore caused by an STD. --Damian Yerrick (talk) 04:25, 18 May 2014 (UTC)

I seriously doubt a dessert pudding would be named for the aftermath of a VD. The Brits are eccentric but not mad. The name is (I hope) accidental not euphemistic. For certain Bevis'n'Butthead are alive and well in America. -- Naaman Brown (talk) 12:39, 27 July 2017 (UTC)

Squeezed in the spelling.
Ping welcome, Steue (talk) 11:56, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

Add section?

Should this article contain a section on how many people who aren't from England (such as people from the US, Canada, etc.) are un-used to this particular usage of the word 'dick' and how intentional misuse of the words 'spotted dick' is a childish joke that is commonly seen/heard in groups of young-ish schoolchildren? Or am I forgetting that Wikipedia is not a repository for everything? Has anyone else heard of people making fun of the name of this food? Thanks :-) Ilikefood 02:15, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Most recipes

The most recipes part IMHO needs major work. A simple Google search reveals a number of recipes, most without many of the ingredients listed. Milk, suet, sugar, currants/raisins/sultanas, flour, salt and perhaps breadcrumbs seem fairly ubiquitious but the rest are less common Nil Einne 17:12, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Recipe

Please, it's not self-raising flour, it's self-rising. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.226.124.178 (talk) 16:41, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

In the UK it is called self-raising flour. If you were to say "self-rising" then people would not understand or would immediately correct you. A simple web search would have told you that much: http://www.allinsonflour.co.uk/rootpopups/p_flours_culin_whsrf.cfm —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.20.253.176 (talk) 20:52, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Actually, it goes either way. I don't live in the U.K., but I can't imagine anyone over there not understanding self-rising if they know the term self-raising, considering it's almost the exact same thing in terms of spelling. --Crackthewhip775 (talk) 01:03, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Fake Nicknames

Are a few of the nicknames fake? I'm not familiar with spotted dick, but "dick in a box" seems like vandalism to me, especially since the "dick in a box" page only mentions the Saturday Night Live sketch. 68.101.70.28 (talk) 03:20, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Looking back through the history, the majority (if not all) of the nicknames are vandalism. They are here for later reference if anyone can cite them. CITE ANY AND ALL "nicknames" to be included in this article due to the vandalism-prone nature of an article named "Spotted Dick": 66.183.69.201 (talk) 18:41, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

VANDALISM? CITE IF POSSIBLE: There are many nicknames for a Spotted Dick including "Spotted Richard", "Dick in a box", "Dotted Lloyd", "Mixey Dick", "Dick with a dot", "Le Dick Spots", "Creamy Brown Dick", "Dick con Motas", and "Dickie Burton" as well as many others.

Dickie Burton is interesting in that it suggests the Dickie shirt-front getting spotty with dribbled pudding. Burton is an ale or porter brand possibly used as a rising agent and both it and the spotted dick make for hearty English common but universally popular food. There were two Richard Burtons - the film actor famous for his tempestuous alcohol-soaked marriages to screen goddess Liz Taylor, and the Orientalist explorer of the Nile and scandalous translator of the Perfumed Garden and other pornography. Both seem relevant in their own way. 210.50.143.20 (talk) 10:10, 22 October 2009 (UTC) Ian Ison

Requested move

The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was not moved. Jafeluv (talk) 10:41, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

---

Spotted dick → Spotted Dick — A recent BBC article calls it Spotted Dick and not Spotted dick: Pudding renamed Spotted Richard. Thanks Smartse (talk) 18:05, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

• Oppose. This is not a proper noun, and "Dick" does not refer to a proper name. It was likely capitalized in the BBC article to highlight the connection between the given name "Richard" and the nickname "Dick". Good Ol’factory ^(talk) 08:07, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Every source used in this article calls it Spotted Dick though, why should we do things differently? Smartse (talk) 16:04, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

In fact, the OED does not; the quotation in our text capitalizes all substantives in the names of foods (like Bolster), but the reference under dick (n1) is lower case. Septentrionalis PMAnderson 16:25, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

And indeed, I don't see the point of slavishly following the pattern of capitalization used in a single source when there is good evidence that it was incorrectly used in that instance. Good Ol’factory ^(talk) 22:19, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Other suet puddings

There are many variations on suet puds, of which Spotted Dick (aka as Spotted Dog) is only one. There are Boiled (or Drowned) Baby, Figgy-Dowdy or Treacle-Dowdy, and Jam Roly-Poly (or Dead Man's Leg). And those are just the dessert puddings. For an entree, there's Steak and Kidney Pudding, and Yorkshire Pudding, both made with suet.

Therefore, I would request that the page be retitled "Suet Puddings" and include information on suet, and on both sweet and savory puddings. Amaling (talk) 02:13, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Just to point out that Yorkshire Pudding is not "made with suet" or any other kind of fat. The only fat involved is what might be used to coat the pan it's cooked in. Twistlethrop (talk) 00:08, 12 May 2019 (UTC)

The timerous souls who cannot use the word Dick, and want to call it a Richard, actualy make the whole thing worse. In Cockney ryming sland a Richard, is a Richard the Third = a turd. It may not have a London origin, there are many other local languages in England. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.115.252.172 (talk) 20:12, 30 August 2010 (UTC)

Spotted dick and slang

The cited source, "Cupboard Love 2: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities", specifically covers the issue of the slang meaning - see [1]. It's worth including this point as it addresses the question of why the term "dick" did not have an alternative meaning when it was first applied to this dish. Just to emphasize, this issue is specifically addressed by a reliable source and it's categorically false to claim that it's "unrelated". The meaning may be unrelated but the issue of the overlapping terminology is clearly very relevant and reliably covered. There is no good reason to exclude it. Prioryman (talk) 20:01, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

That source is only applying that small additional detail which isn't really part of the topic. Just because its mentioned doesn't really mean it's related. the slang is only mentioned in the book because the dish as mentioned in the source includes an array of various topics, which for certain doesn't constitute the dish. This article is supposed to be the core info that constitute the dish, the slang is not one of them. Not to mention you did a complete revamp to the article which seemed unnecessary since the last version seemed equally adequate. (N0n3up (talk) 06:49, 8 January 2015 (UTC))

   Thanks for your attention to the content. You've no obligation to back up your judgment about the in-necessity of NOn's revisions, but if you choose not to do so, i'll probably offer a second opinion, either concurring with your overall conclusion or mentioning some diffs i find worthy of consideration.
--Jerzy•t 07:29, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

   I quite agree that it isn't pertinent to the accompanying article's topic, but even tho it's lexicographic in character, i'm going to try out a very short article (linked by a Hatnote Dab from this one) that puts it into perspective. I find it plausible there's info beyond mere lexicography, and there may also be a list article of similar expressions (e.g. similar in being a double entendre like schlang or shmuck that -- since not everyone can apply personal knowledge -- can be useful in providing perspective not available from all dicts).
--Jerzy•t 07:29, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Also a name for a Dalmatian

No big deal but I thought I should mention that. Maybe that is where the dish got its name. Cannot verify though. Not sure if this belongs in the article but I thought I would point this out.

Sunshine Warrior04 (talk) 01:10, 9 September 2017 (UTC)

Deeg

Why the reference to the Dutch word “deeg”? Its pronunciation isn’t even close to “dick”, except for the first letter. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.63.196.123 (talk) 20:43, 13 January 2019 (UTC)

Marly?

What does "marly" in "very marly species of plum-pudding" mean? Or is it supposed to be "manly"? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chuck Baggett (talk • contribs) 08:46, 23 April 2020 (UTC)

Is it a bag pudding?

I'm wandering because it is linked to in "See also" of Figgy duff (pudding).

Ping welcome, Steue (talk) 12:07, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

We "need" an article on "bag puddings"

See: Talk:Bag pudding #We "need" an article on "bag puddings"

Ping welcome, Steue (talk) 12:09, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

No, puddings in general started out as bag puddings, so it might as well be discussed in the pudding article. --Macrakis (talk) 00:37, 20 October 2022 (UTC)