It was one of the few times in a person's life that he or she could loudly use the words "Spotted Dick" and not get into too much trouble.
At least until the canteen staff at the Flintshire Council in Wales started calling it "Spotted Richard" after some of their less mature customers had made childish comments. (In my defense, I have never actually been to Flintshire, Wales.)
In other words, they knocked their Spotted Dick in the dirt. They were Spotted Dickless. They had — um, never mind. I see their point.
But after the firestorm of hate mail that came from as far away as Canada, the canteen staff has reverted the menu item back to the original, proper name. But the BBC says they have warned that if any customers act in a "childish way," they will be refused food.
Spotted Dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit, originating in the middle of the 19th century. The "spots" come from currants, and "Dick" may have derived from the word "dough."
The Flintshire County Council had renamed the pudding, says the Beeb, to the less offensive name because they had received a number of immature comments, "at its headquarters in Mold."
Spotted Dick? In Mold? The heart quivers with comedic anticipation.
Klaus Armstrong-Braun, a councillor in Flintshire, said during several interviews, "It's all the more ridiculous when we now learn that only one person was responsible for making smutty remarks which led them to get rid of something which has been a tradition for more than 150 years."
Councillor Armstrong-Braun is right. There's no reason to end a 150-year tradition just because some childish twit makes a few stupid comments.
So congratulations to Flintshire, Wales, for allowing everyone to enjoy your Moldy Spotted Dick.
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At least until the canteen staff at the Flintshire Council in Wales started calling it "Spotted Richard" after some of their less mature customers had made childish comments. (In my defense, I have never actually been to Flintshire, Wales.)
In other words, they knocked their Spotted Dick in the dirt. They were Spotted Dickless. They had — um, never mind. I see their point.
But after the firestorm of hate mail that came from as far away as Canada, the canteen staff has reverted the menu item back to the original, proper name. But the BBC says they have warned that if any customers act in a "childish way," they will be refused food.
Spotted Dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit, originating in the middle of the 19th century. The "spots" come from currants, and "Dick" may have derived from the word "dough."
The Flintshire County Council had renamed the pudding, says the Beeb, to the less offensive name because they had received a number of immature comments, "at its headquarters in Mold."
Spotted Dick? In Mold? The heart quivers with comedic anticipation.
Klaus Armstrong-Braun, a councillor in Flintshire, said during several interviews, "It's all the more ridiculous when we now learn that only one person was responsible for making smutty remarks which led them to get rid of something which has been a tradition for more than 150 years."
Councillor Armstrong-Braun is right. There's no reason to end a 150-year tradition just because some childish twit makes a few stupid comments.
So congratulations to Flintshire, Wales, for allowing everyone to enjoy your Moldy Spotted Dick.
---
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