Saturday, March 8, 2014

Pudding or pie?

Ximenes was the source for this pudding word and a pie led me there after much meandering. The clue was more cryptic than most.

Fish-pie for Falstaff or Aguecheek (11)

Say what? I had heard of Falstaff with just a vague idea of his literary whereabouts. Aguecheek was unknown to me but not for long. An act of two of Shakespeare left me blissful but with no better idea of the word in question. At least I knew that these gentlemen had their zaniness in common.

There the matter rested for a few days. After enough crossing letters were filled in, I pulled up Collins and looked up jackpudding. Nada, zilch, nullity ensued. My plaisir gave way to momentary consternation but a search revealed that Jack Pudding did exist and was in fact Merry Andrew!

"A buffoon is called by every nation by the the name of the dish they like best: in French jean pottage, and in English jack pudding.Guardian.

I was left with the jack-fish and pudding-pie combo that sated my need for words to please me. Most pleasing of all is the right answer to the topical question: pudding or pie? Both, naturally!