Petra X > Status Update

I haven’t heard it’s been called 99 although I know it’s because this used to be the price of it (not relevant any more 😂). Where I live it’s been called Mr Whippy.

I looked it up online, 99 in Bournemouth. Seems to be quite common. Mr Whippy is a brand. But I don't live there so...

You are right, it is the name of the brand, but that’s what people around me were using to describe the ice cream. I haven’t lived in Bournemouth my whole life, so I cannot speak for everyone. Possibly older generation was saying 99 🤔

I had one once in London, it was quite tasty (especially the chocolate bit) 8)

Dorota wrote: "Possibly older generation was saying 99 ..."

That's me! But I did a little poll on my business site - Mr Whippy or 99 which is the one with the flake. And got 100% right response (only 14 people but that's something). Maybe they were all old!

The other day the BBC website ran a story about ice cream vendors being unhappy because flakes are now being made to be more crumbly than they were. The article had a quote-title saying "You can't serve a 99 with a broken flake". I did think that any non-Brits who saw the article would wonder what on Earth they were talking about. 😄

I hadn't known the term had derived from Italy. When I was a student in Glasgow 40 years ago it was quite common for Glaswegians to refer to a portion of chips from a chip shop as "a poke of chips". The word "poke" was apparently derived from the Italian word "poco" meaning "small" or "a small amount". In Glasgow a lot of the fish and chip shops were run by families with Italian origins.

I didn’t know that’s where the word ‘poke’ came from, Ian, but it makes perfect sense. Fascinating, thank you!

Ian wrote: "The other day the BBC website ran a story about ice cream vendors being unhappy because flakes are now being made to be more crumbly than they were. The article had a quote-title saying "You can't serve a 99 with a broken flake". I did think that any non-Brits who saw the article would wonder what on Earth they were talking about. ..."

Yes I saw that too. The flakes are now being made in Egypt apparently. I didn't know that about 'poke' though, but then I've never been to Glasgow and didn't know that's what they asked for. There are quite a few foodie words that I think would mystify non-Brits, like chippy, caff, bangers, bevvy, builders' tea and offy. I don't know where off-licence came from anyway.

"all Brits know what a 99 is"

Very true. I wonder what other shibboleths (in the original sense) would be useful for a deep-cover spy to know if they were faking a British childhood. Something about Blue Peter pets, perhaps, though that might be more linked to class than a 99.

Fiona wrote: "I didn’t know that’s where the word ‘poke’ came from, Ian, but it makes perfect sense. Fascinating, thank you!"

😀😀

Cecily wrote: "I wonder what other shibboleths (in the original sense) would be useful for a deep-cover spy to know if they were faking a British childhood. Something about Blue Peter pets,..."

I don't know about Blue Peter pets. I hated Blue Peter so I didn't watch it. I went to a party on John Noakes' yacht in some Spanish marina in my sailing years. He was really miffed that I didn't know who he was. He was not a gracious host and my friends and I jumped into the dinghy as soon as was polite, leaving our captain on the boat to try to get back to ours any way he could. We all went to a bar.

Maybe a better question would be "What's the connection between Blue Peter and Magpie?" For added difficulty, remove the capital letters!

Cecily wrote: "Maybe a better question would be "What's the connection between Blue Peter and Magpie?" For added difficulty, remove the capital letters!"

I googled it, "It was a magazine format show, intended to compete with the BBC's Blue Peter, but it attempted to be more "hip", focusing more on popular culture." Never heard of it, was it any good?

I don't know: I wasn't allowed to watch Magpie because it was on ITV, which was "common" and had advertisements!

Cecily wrote: "I don't know: I wasn't allowed to watch Magpie because it was on ITV, which was "common" and had advertisements!"

LOL. That's given me the best laugh all day. My family were very common - parents were Coronation Street addicts.

For Ian and Fiona: in Southern Appalachia, a poke is a term old timers used for a bag. If you went somewhere overnight, you didn't need a suitcase, you just put your things in a poke. And you were warned not to buy a pig in a poke! Maybe your chips were served in a little paper bag?

Renee wrote: "a poke is a term old timers used for a bag. If you went somewhere overnight, you didn't need a suitcase, you just put your things in a poke. ..."

I had read that use of the word 'poke' in US stories as a kid. I thought it came from the French 'poche' but I looked it up and it was British English in 1555, pig in a poke

I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke. Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke

means pig (or anything) concealed in a bag. So it seems that use got preserved in Southern Appalachia.

I wonder if many people outside of the United States know what a whoopie pie is? First time I had this was in Maine and just ordering it from the menu put a big smile on my face.

Bonnie E. wrote: "I wonder if many people outside of the United States know what a whoopie pie is? "

I have been going to the US for years and I have heard the name but didn't know what it was - I just googled it, sounds really delicious (but I'm on a diet!)