So I need a bit of help from any Americans on my flist. I don't think there are many of you, but I need your lingustic skills my friends
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Everyone has already chimed in, but no, we don't have the same sort of Christmas cake (I lived in the UK for a while).
We do traditionally have fruitcake, which is sort of similar, but most people joke about not really liking it. It has no icing at all and can be more of a bread, but if you throw lots of rum in, it's moist. It comes commercially in round tins or in loaves, and if it's homemade it's generally a loaf shape or in a Bundt pan:
It's an elderly aunt whose sending them the cake, would it be at all feasible to have marzipan on a cake from your Great Aunt Ruth? I'm kinda set on the idea, but I can probably change it if I need to... Do you have marzipan fruits in the US? People have been saying you do have marzipan, so if you don't have it on christmas cake, where do you get it? Sorry to bombard you with questions! :S
Marzipan fruit... the shaped, colored decorated fruit candies? You know, my older aunt used to have these, and people do buy/make them, but marzipan on a cake is definitely unusual. Maybe not, though, depending on the family's ethnicity/traditions. My family always has Slovenian nutbread and Italian pizzelle cookies and my husband's family has Jewish apple cake, and people coming to our house for a holiday party might be totally unfamiliar with the desserts we grew up eating.
You're more likely to see that sort of icing on a wedding cake. (Ours are not dense or fruity - they're traditionally white cake with layers.)
I know I'm not American but I need to point out that *I've* always differentiated between a piggy-back ride and a shoulder carry. If you can't work out what a shoulder carry is then you fail. Also the important part of a shoulder carry is steering your grownup by the ears.
I'm here from apiphile. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, southeastern US.
Pram/etc: stroller is the catch-all
I couldn't access the carseat picture, but "car seat" is basically what we use.
Bassinet: anything like this is going to be called crib, generally, though I have heard bassinet used.
Cot: Again, crib. It's sort of a catch-all.
Piggyback ride is used when you're riding on someone's back, sitting on their hips. When you're riding on their shoulders, it's just called that, "riding on his/her shoulders."
Farley's Rusks: sorry, no help here.
Typically, we called them the Power Rangers, or just Power Rangers. God I loved those things.
Marzipan isn't unheard of, but I only heard about it from The Nutcracker. I think it's well within the realm of possibility.
Ah, I too am the eldest, but I got hand-me-downs from all of my older cousins, and then when my siblings hit their growth spurts long after I'd stopped growing I ended up getting hand-me-back-downs from them. Which sucked...
Del is an awesome for sending so many people my way with great advice. Thanks for all your help, and I also want to say I love your icon, it's brilliant!
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Everyone has already chimed in, but no, we don't have the same sort of Christmas cake (I lived in the UK for a while).
We do traditionally have fruitcake, which is sort of similar, but most people joke about not really liking it. It has no icing at all and can be more of a bread, but if you throw lots of rum in, it's moist. It comes commercially in round tins or in loaves, and if it's homemade it's generally a loaf shape or in a Bundt pan:
US fruitcake: http://gonzogastro.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/fruitcake.jpg
Smooth marzipan icing on cakes is pretty rare. We normally have frosting on ours.
If you'd like me to American-pick your fic when you're finished, I'm happy to!
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It's an elderly aunt whose sending them the cake, would it be at all feasible to have marzipan on a cake from your Great Aunt Ruth? I'm kinda set on the idea, but I can probably change it if I need to... Do you have marzipan fruits in the US? People have been saying you do have marzipan, so if you don't have it on christmas cake, where do you get it? Sorry to bombard you with questions! :S
Thanks for the help!
Reply
Marzipan fruit... the shaped, colored decorated fruit candies? You know, my older aunt used to have these, and people do buy/make them, but marzipan on a cake is definitely unusual. Maybe not, though, depending on the family's ethnicity/traditions. My family always has Slovenian nutbread and Italian pizzelle cookies and my husband's family has Jewish apple cake, and people coming to our house for a holiday party might be totally unfamiliar with the desserts we grew up eating.
You're more likely to see that sort of icing on a wedding cake. (Ours are not dense or fruity - they're traditionally white cake with layers.)
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Agreed.
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Also, YES! It is the POINT of riding on people's shoulders. To steer them by the ears I mean.
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Pram/etc: stroller is the catch-all
I couldn't access the carseat picture, but "car seat" is basically what we use.
Bassinet: anything like this is going to be called crib, generally, though I have heard bassinet used.
Cot: Again, crib. It's sort of a catch-all.
Piggyback ride is used when you're riding on someone's back, sitting on their hips. When you're riding on their shoulders, it's just called that, "riding on his/her shoulders."
Farley's Rusks: sorry, no help here.
Typically, we called them the Power Rangers, or just Power Rangers. God I loved those things.
Marzipan isn't unheard of, but I only heard about it from The Nutcracker. I think it's well within the realm of possibility.
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Thanks for the help!
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Zyuranger, sliced and diced into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
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Thanks for the help!
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I see you've already got loads of answers, but also of interest might be brits_americans. AIUI there are a few writers there.
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