Jonathan Turley

In an act of utter Parliamentary pusillanimity, members have declared that the traditional pudding served in the Stranger’s Dining Room would be stripped of its name, “The Spotted Dick.” For generations, ordering the Spotted Dick has been the subject of good-natured chuckles and teasing. However, the current members appear constantly on the lookout for any term or practice that can sanitized as socially or culturally offensive. So, the pudding will now be called “Spotted Richard” – a change that is entirely divorced from any connection to the original meaning of the dish. The proof is in the pudding, but Parliament does not give a wit for the historical meaning of eating a dick.

“Dick” was simply an old English term for pudding. Thus, the change to Richard is based on the false pretense that Dick as nickname for Richard.

That simply does not matter to language police. We have seen the same sanitation of terms at colleges and universities. As we previously discussed, various schools like Harvard have dropped the term “master” even though it has absolutely no connection to slavery. The term “master” was originally derived from words like “schoolmaster” and “headmaster” and have long been a tradition at such esteemed institutions as Oxford and Cambridge. Nevertheless, students and faculty have objected to possible connotations of racism and slavery.

I fail to understand why there is a refusal to simply educate people on the meaning or origins of such terms. In this case, the confusion by some can be met by the welcomed news that the term is a reference to pudding.

The Telegraph and other newspapers however report that members were discomforted by the menu item. MP Andrea Jenkyns is quoted as saying that she had “to bite on my lip to stop myself from laughing” when ordered the dish. How terribly inconvenient. So to avoid the lip biting, the Parliament changed history and ignored historical meaning – a curious move for a nation that attracts tourists with the appeal of historical sites and relics.

Link

Fish assholes are probably out also.

Re: “That simply does not matter to language police.”

Same with the word “niggardly”. Which means “not generous; stingy.” A D. C. councilman was forced to resign after using the word in that sense.

I always thought “Moby Dick” sounded like some venereal disease.

Yes

Yes, many years ago, when watching a baseball game on TV, I heard the name “Rusty Staub”. At first I thought they were talking about an ailment of some kind.

I'll admit I read this as The Strangler's Dining Room,

and at first wondered when the band got a dining room,,,,,,,

What of Lumpy Dick? Lumpy Richard?

What's next? Cockles?

"Cockles and mussels,
Are atavistic remnants of an exploitative patriarchal society,
Alive, alive-o"

That oughtta put somebody's kids to sleep at bedtime.

So was he puffing on a fag when he ordered the spotted dick?

quote:

Originally posted by Ozarkwoods:
So was he puffing on a fag when he ordered the spotted dick?

Now that, right there, is funny!

quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Yes, many years ago, when watching a baseball game on TV, I heard the name “Rusty Staub”. At first I thought they were talking about an ailment of some kind.

Watching tennis as a kid, I heard "Vitas Gerulaitis" mentioned and thought it was kind of a "tennis elbow" type of ailment.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Re: “That simply does not matter to language police.”

Same with the word “niggardly”. Which means “not generous; stingy.” A D. C. councilman was forced to resign after using the word in that sense.

I always thought “Moby Dick” sounded like some venereal disease.

I wrote a short story for the local village magazine, and in it I wrote that the 'hero' had 'sniggered'.

The story was returned to me for a re-write, as the editor found the word offensive. I sent it back, replacing the word with 'snegroed'.

It was never printed.

tac

It would appear that Richard Cranium thinking was involved in this decision.

Seems only halal foods are acceptable in London now.