A Word For Britain

With my second home of Scotland having to decide on whether it wants to go it alone, it seems Britain is in danger of losing a significant chunk of what makes it Great.  There's lots of talk about what unites us and that got me to thinking about language.  I, hereby nominate the word 'puddin' as a truly unifying, great, British word.*

I've left the 'g' off on purpose because this is how I would say it, but with or without, puddin is a word for all.  It's a warm, soft word that brings comfortable thoughts to mind.  Round here there is no debate about is it a desert or is it not and custard is not a defining threshold?  In school dining halls and round kitchen tables the cry will always go up "What's for puddin?". Its the part of a meal that truly satisfies.  Puddin is classless though and even those of a posher persuasion get the same satisfaction from fruit, summer or game!

But puddin travels.  North of the border it's best associated with colours at supper.  The smell of batter and vinegar offering a tantalising clue as to the satiation brought about by a choice of black puddin, red puddin or white puddin supper.

My favourite use of the word though has nothing to do with eating.  It's when I call one of the kids a puddin for doing something silly or for acting daft.

So let's hope we can all avoid acting like puddins and stay united behind my word for Britain.

*before anyone pulls me up on it I know the word might have a French origin but let's not mention that!