I'm not sure which part of Scotland this dialect represents, except that I got the recipe from someone who came from Midlothian. I don't recall Edinburgh folks speaking this way, and certainly not anyone from Glasgow! Is it southwest Scotland? The only thing that stumped me was Egon Thingmys. Egon Thingmys? For the unintiated, no one of my generation ever had a special cake made for his/her birthday with birthday candles. The highlight, the joy, was for your mother to make a clootie dumpling (a flour/fruit/spice mixture boiled in a clout---cloth ---cloot), with threepence or sixpence coins wrapped in wax paper mixed throughout, as well as wee "tokens" such as a porcelain "doll" about the length of a fingernail, a thimble, and other tokens that I can't remember now. Each token represented something, the doll maybe for spinsterhood! The most delicious thing about a clootie dumpling was when there was a "fry" the next morning of leftover dumpling slices fried along with bacon and black pudding. With this "diet" my mother lived until she was 92! I tried to make a clootie dumpling once, but as I couldn't get any suet...not "allowed" to sell it here in California ... it was stodgy and "lifeless." On this, my middle-aged children and their grown children have never heard of suet, yet they were very involved in the Future Farmers of America and had to know all about the innards of the animals they raised to show in competition. Right or wrong, I have never tried to instill my Scottish culture in my children, so as the clootie dumpling was a disaster they never enjoyed this culinary delight from the Land o' Cakes. However, on another "note," I was flabbergasted and highly amused when my U.S. Navy grandson phoned the other evening to tell me he has bought a set of bagpipes so that he can play them at my funeral. I requested "Ae Fond Kiss." I hope he has plenty of time to practice! Maisie ----------------------------------- Recipe for a clootie dumplin' Punna self-raisin flour Punna currants an' a haunfa o' raisins Quarter punna suet Hauf punna granulatit sugar Fower wee teaspoonfu' o' mixed spice A big pincha saut Some mulk Rummie up the hale jing-bang in a boul, addin' a wee tate mulk so's ye get a dough that's stiff an' no' runny. Tim some bilin' watter oot the kettle inty the fit o' the basin an' spread the cloath (or cloot) oan tap o' the watter. Coup the hale o'yur dough oot the boul an' oan tae the cloot in the basin. Draw the coarnurs o' the cloot the gither an' tie wi' string. Dinnae tie the string too tight or the dumplin might burst efter swellin' up an ye'll be in a helluva mess. Noo, ye've a big bag o' dough aboot the size o' a fitba'. Nixt ye pit a plate in the fit o' the big poat. Then, gently, ye lower the dumplin' oan tae the plate. Efter that, poor as much bilin watter inty the poat as will cover yer dumplin'...............When yer feenished wi' a' this cairry-oan, ye'll mibbe wannt a cuppa tea an' a fag, or even a wee lie-doon. Onyway, whatever ye dae, dinnae let the dumplin' simmer fur mair than three-an'-a-hauf oors. Efter that time, wheech it oot the poat an' oan tae a plate. Peel aff the cloot an' therr ye huv a dish fit tae set afore a dizzen Egon Thingymys'!!

Coincidentally I had my first clootie dumpling last week! While visiting friends in Northumberland, we enjoyed a celebratory meal over the border in Kelso on Valentine's Day (which the restaurant didn't seem to know about, so we had a lovely meal at non-inflated prices). Our clootie dumplings had certainly never seen a cloot, having corners as they did, but they were very tasty and light. No tokens either, though a few silver hearts would have been a nice touch. Thank you Maisie and Len for your recipe suggestions, and for all your wonderful contributions which I so enjoy reading - I might even have a go. (Egon Ronay, I imagine.) Warm wishes to all Diana in soggy Hampshire UK, but Spring is coming.