Puddings?

[ladyofastolat]

Someone at work lent me a bizarre Wii game called Cooking Mama, in which you have to "cook" various world dishes. The game is very clearly Japanese. The first example of national British cuisine is something unhelpfully called a generic "pudding", and it consists of egg, milk, sugar, grand marnier and vanilla. It's put in small pots, then tipped out into a plate, where it keeps its shape, and is yellow, with a brown top. What on earth is this supposed to be? The second British dish is "cream puffs", which, if I remember correctly through the slightly alcoholic haze of last night, contain salt.

As you play, "cooking mama", in a very strong Japanese accent, tells you how you've done. When you do well, she says something that sounds like "good dog." If you do pathetically, she says "don't mind." Your final ratings are either "very good", "good" or "try hard." I like "try hard" as another way of saying "you're hopeless" and plan to use it.

I'm at work today, getting driven mad by the constant beeping of the events team's answer phone. Grr! Still, I've taken Monday as leave, so after today, don't need to be at work until January 2nd. Yay! We're off to The Mainland tomorrow, so if I don't post again, I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas / winter festival of their choice.

Comments

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd like to see a proper update, too. The wikipedia entry, which is all I've read, claims that while very few people today still eg. looking-glass, the majority of differences are still useful as curent social markers. I'd like to see research/proof of that - your theory about shifts over time always sounded more likely to me. Actually, if anything, I might guess that the aristocracy on the whole, being relatively small, inbreeding, and secure in social position (generalisations, of course) might retain the same word use as generations ago, but that the general mass of non-aristocracy would see considerable change - and probably with more Americanisms creeping in to, to bring another thread in.

I have to consciously tell myself that this is, in fact, right in America (and, in some cases, was considered right over here four hundred years ago, too.) I suppose 'gotten' is the prime example there.

If I could draw, one day I would get round to doing some pages from my imaginary UK-US picture dictionary, including such pictures as what a Brit would visualise for a man going out wearing vest and suspenders, and for balance, what an American would visualise for a man going out wearing a jumper. Hmmn, I might have to have a go at those anyway.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I once did a silly quiz for someone at work - an American who'd lived in Britain for ten years. "Are you British or American?" the quiz asked. I then set up scenarios, like "Your boss comes into work wearing a vest and suspenders. How do you react?" and "Your child's teacher asks them if they need a rubber. Are you outraged?"

By the way, re. the reply I've just posted: It's probably a good idea for you to remind me about Watching the English nearer the time of the banquet.