As for muffins. I don't think the term was used much in the UK before the American fast food chains came along, being referred to as a cupcake instead.
Muffins in England (I don't know about the rest of Britain) are a sort of flat bread roll, not a cupcake (a term I've never used - we used to say fairy cake).
The cake type muffins are an American import (and very delicious, too).
Muffins have lots of regional variations - barm cakes, oven bottoms, pikelets (I think, though these may be different).
There's an old nursery rhyme about the muffin man, so they have been known and eaten and sung about for a couple of hundred years at least.
You can probably guess what trivial thing has annoyed me this morning, can't you?
Oh, and while we're on the subject why do Americans call non-metric units "English Units", we don't use them here anymore (except for the mile on the roads, and miles per hour for cars, and that's only because we can't afford to replace all the signs).
I was visiting a US customer in mid-90s and he said "I suppose you'll need those in English Units" and I said "no, please metric if possible" and was flabbergasted to know that I wasn't taught the old units at all in school
But back to the breads, I think the American-style-what-they-call-English-muffin is pretty much most commonly found under the golden arches at breakfast time, again much joviality in the USA when I, an Englishman, had to explain to the waitress that I had never seen an "English Muffin" before and didn't know what it was.
Muffins in England (I don't know about the rest of Britain) are a sort of flat bread roll, not a cupcake (a term I've never used - we used to say fairy cake).
I use all of these terms, as I view them as different things. A fairy cake is a little cake in casing, with not much icing, and decorations, and a cupcake is a larger version of the fairy cake, usually with substantial amount of icing on top but minimal decoration. For Muffins, there are muffins which to me, are the cakey version but with no icing at all, but either with fruit or chocolate chips in the batter, and the other type, I call breakfast muffin, which are the rolls.
But back to the breads, I think the American-style-what-they-call-English-muffin is pretty much most commonly found under the golden arches at breakfast time, again much joviality in the USA when I, an Englishman, had to explain to the waitress that I had never seen an "English Muffin" before and didn't know what it was.
Is this an age thing or a regional thing?
We always called muffins "muffins". If I was in America and I was offered an "English muffin" I would guess what it was.
Do people nowadays really only think of the cup (or fairy) cake thing when they hear the word muffin?
This has gone far beyond trivial annoyance. I'm totally outraged by the loss of this useful, attractive and historical descriptive word for a bread roll, which now apparently is only extant in America. >:(
We always called muffins "muffins". If I was in America and I was offered an "English muffin" I would guess what it was.
Do people nowadays really only think of the cup (or fairy) cake thing when they hear the word muffin?
This has gone far beyond trivial annoyance. I'm totally outraged by the loss of this useful, attractive and historical descriptive word for a bread roll, which now apparently is only extant in America. >:(
If you're of faint heart, do NOT look up English Muffin on Urban Dictionary. I've certainly lost my appetite.
And I think cupcake as being the iced small buns or fairy cakes, the muffin is never iced.
As a child in Manchester, before anyone had TV, we used to sing a song about a muffin man, and everyone knew what a muffin was, so I don't see how it is a NI variant.
Anyway, that map has "Lardy cake" in Cornwall, which is not remotely the same thing, so I take it with a pinch of salt. ;-)
I'm on the same border as you, but I bet you're on the wrong side of it.
You are correct, the American muffin is never iced. But I still don't remember the term cupcake being used here until fairly recently.
And I think cupcake as being the iced small buns or fairy cakes, the muffin is never iced.
Like plucky said a cupcake is not a small iced bun it's more muffin cake sized and has frosting not icing on the top. What you are describing is a fairy cake.
Also I live in NI and an English muffin is not the same as a bap or roll or whatever else it might be called.
I'm on the same border as you, but I bet you're on the wrong side of it.
That's a huge debate in itself. I am a Yorkshireman who was forced to live in Lancashire due to them moving the boundary on us when I was 2. (The area was moved out of the west riding of Yorkshire into the Pendle borough of Lancashire.)
I'm still living in Lancashire but working in Cumbria on the edge of the lake district, so on the wrong side of a different border now.
That's a huge debate in itself. I am a Yorkshireman who was forced to live in Lancashire due to them moving the boundary on us when I was 2. (The area was moved out of the west riding of Yorkshire into the Pendle borough of Lancashire.)
I'm still living in Lancashire but working in Cumbria on the edge of the lake district, so on the wrong side of a different border now.
Ha! Earby and Barlick! Will they ever accept being in Lancashire?
I live in Pendle, and therefore, of course, think it was a huge honour for the people of Craven to be accepted therein. ;-):D
I seem to be way off topic, sorry - except I could say it's a trivial annoyance that some Lancastrians still refer to themselves as Yorkshiremen. :D
Cupcake isn't a new term as far as I'm concerned, but it referred to a different thing when I was young (early 1970s London). It was usually something in a packet of four or six, made by Mr. Kipling (or similar) - a sponge topped with a flat solid chocolate (or lemon) icing, in a corrugated paper cup.
Cupcake isn't a new term as far as I'm concerned, but it referred to a different thing when I was young (early 1970s London). It was usually something in a packet of four or six, made by Mr. Kipling (or similar) - a sponge topped with a flat solid chocolate (or lemon) icing, in a corrugated paper cup.
Cupcake isn't a new term as far as I'm concerned, but it referred to a different thing when I was young (early 1970s London). It was usually something in a packet of four or six, made by Mr. Kipling (or similar) - a sponge topped with a flat solid chocolate (or lemon) icing, in a corrugated paper cup.
Don't know how well this one will come across but...
Had an email from a manager forwarding an email from a client asking why something hadn't been done. The CC included other people (projects managers etc) and the client as well as me.
I replied to all, removing the client from the conversation so we could figure out where it went wrong. Turns out one of the project managers had not updated the database.
Email then goes out to everyone with the client included again but specifically addressed to me saying something along the lines of "Hi, as discussed, please can you ensure that the database is up to date..." as though it was my responsibility all along and now the client will think it was my fault >: (
Email then goes out to everyone with the client included again but specifically addressed to me saying something along the lines of "Hi, as discussed, please can you ensure that the database is up to date..." as though it was my responsibility all along and now the client will think it was my fault >: (
Reply to All
"Hi, as discussed, I have updated the database. If you wish me to take over responsibility for this, from now on, I am happy to do so. Please advise."
Don't know how well this one will come across but...
Had an email from a manager forwarding an email from a client asking why something hadn't been done. The CC included other people (projects managers etc) and the client as well as me.
I replied to all, removing the client from the conversation so we could figure out where it went wrong. Turns out one of the project managers had not updated the database.
Email then goes out to everyone with the client included again but specifically addressed to me saying something along the lines of "Hi, as discussed, please can you ensure that the database is up to date..." as though it was my responsibility all along and now the client will think it was my fault >: (
Yep, I used to get that sometimes too when I ran a mailing list. It's my responsibility to make sure changes are made when I know about them, but it isn't my responsibility to know what data needs to be changed, I need to be told that.
What you could do is send an email (maybe even automatic) out on 1st of the month every month "Does anybody have any updates for the database", certainly send it out before you plan to run anything off from the database.
But even then I'd get back "oh, the manager at this customer has changed, why are you still sending it to the old guy" and the reply "what part of can you please let me know about changes did you not understand?" was deemed too sarcastic.
Whatever happened to baking butterfly buns, current buns, etc., eh?
Now they're all lumped in as sodding cupcakes. I've never put bun mixture into a cup - always ever into bun cases.
Americanisms annoy me intensely.
The muffin man lived down Drury Lane according to the rhyme, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up on Fifth Avenue at some point. >:(
Whatever happened to baking butterfly buns, current buns, etc., eh?
Now they're all lumped in as sodding cupcakes. I've never put bun mixture into a cup - always ever into bun cases.
Americanisms annoy me intensely.
The muffin man lived down Drury Lane according to the rhyme, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up on Fifth Avenue at some point. >:(
It annoys me when people don't read the thread.
A cupcake is not a fairy cake, they are two different things. One is small and usually covered in icing and one is large and has a large amount of frosting on the top.
Comments
Muffins in England (I don't know about the rest of Britain) are a sort of flat bread roll, not a cupcake (a term I've never used - we used to say fairy cake).
The cake type muffins are an American import (and very delicious, too).
Muffins have lots of regional variations - barm cakes, oven bottoms, pikelets (I think, though these may be different).
There's an old nursery rhyme about the muffin man, so they have been known and eaten and sung about for a couple of hundred years at least.
You can probably guess what trivial thing has annoyed me this morning, can't you?
I use desktop at work, phone at home, however this very nice person may have helped improve my manners by not ignoring unanswered questions
Thank you, didn't know that was a thing
I was visiting a US customer in mid-90s and he said "I suppose you'll need those in English Units" and I said "no, please metric if possible" and was flabbergasted to know that I wasn't taught the old units at all in school
But back to the breads, I think the American-style-what-they-call-English-muffin is pretty much most commonly found under the golden arches at breakfast time, again much joviality in the USA when I, an Englishman, had to explain to the waitress that I had never seen an "English Muffin" before and didn't know what it was.
I use all of these terms, as I view them as different things. A fairy cake is a little cake in casing, with not much icing, and decorations, and a cupcake is a larger version of the fairy cake, usually with substantial amount of icing on top but minimal decoration. For Muffins, there are muffins which to me, are the cakey version but with no icing at all, but either with fruit or chocolate chips in the batter, and the other type, I call breakfast muffin, which are the rolls.
Is this an age thing or a regional thing?
We always called muffins "muffins". If I was in America and I was offered an "English muffin" I would guess what it was.
Do people nowadays really only think of the cup (or fairy) cake thing when they hear the word muffin?
This has gone far beyond trivial annoyance. I'm totally outraged by the loss of this useful, attractive and historical descriptive word for a bread roll, which now apparently is only extant in America. >:(
Being on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border I always though of them as "baps or tea cake", the term "Muffin" seems to be more into Lancashire.
This is interesting...
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/food/516026/British-regional-names-for-rolls
.. their map puts Muffin into N.I. and not England.
And I think cupcake as being the iced small buns or fairy cakes, the muffin is never iced.
If you're of faint heart, do NOT look up English Muffin on Urban Dictionary. I've certainly lost my appetite.
As a child in Manchester, before anyone had TV, we used to sing a song about a muffin man, and everyone knew what a muffin was, so I don't see how it is a NI variant.
Anyway, that map has "Lardy cake" in Cornwall, which is not remotely the same thing, so I take it with a pinch of salt. ;-)
I'm on the same border as you, but I bet you're on the wrong side of it.
You are correct, the American muffin is never iced. But I still don't remember the term cupcake being used here until fairly recently.
Oh God, did you have to post that? It's enough to put you off your baps.
Like plucky said a cupcake is not a small iced bun it's more muffin cake sized and has frosting not icing on the top. What you are describing is a fairy cake.
Also I live in NI and an English muffin is not the same as a bap or roll or whatever else it might be called.
That's a huge debate in itself.
I'm still living in Lancashire but working in Cumbria on the edge of the lake district, so on the wrong side of a different border now.
Ha! Earby and Barlick! Will they ever accept being in Lancashire?
I live in Pendle, and therefore, of course, think it was a huge honour for the people of Craven to be accepted therein. ;-):D
I seem to be way off topic, sorry
I've googled and can't really find an accurate (or authentically 70s) picture, but it's similar to this:
http://www.britishshopabroad.com/product_images/c/951/bs__79958_zoom.jpg
Oh you wonderful person, just reminded me about Lyons chocolate cupcakes! https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lyons+chocolate+cupcakes&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQsARqFQoTCPfYutuz2sYCFUYr2wodetAFpA#imgrc=_
You should post these on the Tackling Obesity by Taxing Sugar thread, to remind people why we don't all eat healthily.
Is there Canada/America antagonism?
If so it probably makes the Lancashire/Yorkshire stand-off look a bit parochial.
Had an email from a manager forwarding an email from a client asking why something hadn't been done. The CC included other people (projects managers etc) and the client as well as me.
I replied to all, removing the client from the conversation so we could figure out where it went wrong. Turns out one of the project managers had not updated the database.
Email then goes out to everyone with the client included again but specifically addressed to me saying something along the lines of "Hi, as discussed, please can you ensure that the database is up to date..." as though it was my responsibility all along and now the client will think it was my fault >: (
Reply to All
"Hi, as discussed, I have updated the database. If you wish me to take over responsibility for this, from now on, I am happy to do so. Please advise."
Born in Skipton, so I do consider myself to be a Yorkshire man :cool:
I'll let you off, then (I was born in Manchester, myself, so that's a whole other story).
Yep, I used to get that sometimes too when I ran a mailing list. It's my responsibility to make sure changes are made when I know about them, but it isn't my responsibility to know what data needs to be changed, I need to be told that.
What you could do is send an email (maybe even automatic) out on 1st of the month every month "Does anybody have any updates for the database", certainly send it out before you plan to run anything off from the database.
But even then I'd get back "oh, the manager at this customer has changed, why are you still sending it to the old guy" and the reply "what part of can you please let me know about changes did you not understand?" was deemed too sarcastic.
Did my degree there, Manchester in the early 1990s was a decent place to be, I have a lot of fondness for the city.
Now they're all lumped in as sodding cupcakes. I've never put bun mixture into a cup - always ever into bun cases.
Americanisms annoy me intensely.
The muffin man lived down Drury Lane according to the rhyme, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up on Fifth Avenue at some point. >:(
It annoys me when people don't read the thread.
A cupcake is not a fairy cake, they are two different things. One is small and usually covered in icing and one is large and has a large amount of frosting on the top.