I came across an interesting word in one of the books I read recently – snickerdoodles. From the context I guessed that they are something you eat, but wasn’t sure what. I now know that a snickerdoodle is a type of cookie made with butter or oil, sugar, and flour rolled in cinnamon sugar that is characterized by a cracked surface. They are possibly German in origin and their name may come from the wonderful German word Schneckennudel (“snail noodles”), a kind of pastry. Alternatively snickerdoodle might be a nonsense word from the New England tradition of giving cookies whimsical names [source].
Do you know of any other whimsical names for cookies or other food?
I made these when I was 12, for 4th July celebration at my school in London, instigated by a teacher that had spent a year in the US on a teaching exchange. My mother found the recipe in one of her many cookery books.
The word could, I suppose, be connected with schneckennudel, but there is little resemblance between them and snickerdoodles. Schneckennudel looks to be similar to what the Danes call kanelsnegl (‘cinammon snail’) – or what Brits call ‘cinammon Danish’ ;-).
It is just possible, that the snicker- part of the name is a corruption of German Zucker (which could be Zücker in some dialects).
I wonder whether the name of the peanut- and caramel-filled chocolate bar Snickers (formerly Marathon) is inspired by snickerdoodle.
Always thought “ladyfingers” was an amusing name, and was interested to learn that in some places it means a spear of okra (often as “lady’s fingers”) rather than a cookie.
Does ‘Scotcheroos‘ qualify?
Scotcheroos certainly do count.