Esther’s limerick prompt has driven me into a controversy that may mean me having to shut my blog. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest divides in England today. The prompt is Scone.
For some, jam first is just not done,
While cream first, and you’re all alone.
The bigger dilemma
Is really whether
You call it a ‘scon’ or a ‘scone’.
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About TanGental
My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline.
I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy.
I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere.
These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
TanGental 
😻🥹
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Scon; and cream (though I don’t like the stuff) first.
Fun ditty!
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I’m glad you aren’t sure…! Mind you, I’m with you on both (though I like the cream if it’s clotted)
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Wouldn’t it be lovely if that was the most divisive issue! So many rows going on, seemingly insoluble (Brexit; NHS; strikes; Covid/masks)…
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It’ll still rumble on when the rest are history
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I like the limerick, but have ‘gone off’ scons as they stick to the roof of my mouth…(jam then cream.) x
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The scone/scon recipe is such a delicate one. Mind you if it’s hanging on like a demented cake-bat I understand why you’d move on to other tea time treats
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Personally I prefer real butter to jam and cream, and I don’t care what they’re called as long as they’re light and fluffy and not over-worked 🙂
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It’s truly amazing how everyone has a strong view on the subject! I should have included a poll!
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Ooh, a proper scone research poll… what fun that would be! To be honest though, Geoff, I think the whole scone debate is more English than Scottish, I was just wading in with my views for comic effect 🙂
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Ah, but you have the Stone of Scone to agonise over, haven’t you
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We do indeed…! 🙂
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Or, for Diskworld fans the Scone of Stone
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As to the Stone. I understand the Scots call it Scoon.
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I imagine if the publi voted it would be cakey mcscone face
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And then what, if anything, should you put on a cheese scone?
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There is always a debate whether the cheese scone should be allowed to be called scone given the importance of the tea scone in the history of civilisation.
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But what about a fruit scone?
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a shocking abomination… well, maybe that’s a bit rich
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Just butter on a cheese scone.
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Yep can’t argue with that
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A cream of a poem
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That was jammy
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Thanks a lot, Gordon
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whipping up controversy as usual
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🙂
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you’d be much loved in Devon with those preferences
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If you need to go into hiding let me know. I know someone!
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Let me throw in one more. Who put the blueberries in the scone batter and thought they could get away with it? Jam then clotted cream. Now and then lemon curd is tasty. These are issues that haunt the soul.
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It’s good to know they cause pain and anguish across the pond
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Scone and jam first, but then I live on the other side of the pond!
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Oh! Please we have had this discussion before…
In didn’t end well 💜
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jam on the carpet…
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Eeeeeek!!
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I don’t see that it matters. It would depend on the texture of the jam and the body of the cream if one is to be practical. As for scon and scone, I read once that the word scone came from the Gaelic sgonn, and that looks like it might sound like scon. But I’ll only have to worry about that if I ever get back to the UK.
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If you end up in Devon and Cornwall, you had really better educate yourself on the whole issue. It can lead to all sorts of consequences to get it wrong
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Haha, great!!!
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I take it the cream goes first and then the jam?
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In Cornwall. In Devon it’s the other way round and it matters, boy does it matter…
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No! The jam goes first. Ever tried spreading jam onto cream? A messy business.
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Depends I guess on the viscosity of the cream against the flow dynamics of the jam
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Look, I don’t care of the order, as long as you say it like it is… ScOWn!!!!!
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You are sooo posh, you know.
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🤣🤣🤣
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There is no controversy, just people who are wrong (which rhymes with scone).
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Everyone has a view!
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lol -to those who bicker, my reply is “just put a scone in it!”
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Now I approve heartily of that solution. Though of course not in the office if we are to be banned from sharing anything cake-ish.
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Cheese scon. And butter.
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I’m not going to deny I love me a warm cheese scone but there is a school that suggests a savoury scone is the chimera of scones
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That school knows nothing!
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I’m not going to get involved!
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Very wise.
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Well, Geoff, it has an e on the end, which by the rules mean the o is long. (As exemplified by your spelling in your last line.)
Funnily enough, the discussion came up with a friend yesterday. We both agreed that if you put the cream on first, how the heck do you spread the jam?
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Clot it dear Viv, just clot it
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My New Year resolution is to write a poem a day. You inspired me for today’s poem, Geoff, but not about the cream jam controversy, important as that is, but to write about the pronunciation. Here’s my effort.
Today I heard a great debate
About a simple, little cake.
I wonder now how it is named.
Get it wrong and you’ll be blamed.
Is it scon, with a short o?
Someone’s sure to tell you so.
But then, of course someone will moan
That it is really called a scone.
In Scotland there’s a little town
Where Scottish kings were always crowned.
It is called Scone, but pretty soon
We learn the Scots folk call it Skoon.
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Terrific. I’m touched my trite ditty inspired this.
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Glad you like it
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Scon no E. Scone with an E is posh yorkshire. We drop E’s where I come from and save them up fir saying things like EEE lad.
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Yes, I did wonder what you chaps were hoarding ees for. And I have been to Harrogate which made my mother’s snobbery seem amateurish. Played cricket there; the only tea I ever had in a cricket match were doilies were in use. And we were offered fancies. I wasn’t entirely sure how to take that
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Over here they call ’em ‘biscuits’! My ghast had never been so flabbered when I found out! 😀
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Odd. A biscuit is a flat crunchy thing.
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That’s what I thought too. Everywhere except North America, that is. 😀
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Shocking; yes, I recall biscuits alongside gravy and squeaky cheese. Culinary nirvana.
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Mmmm, gravy and squeaky cheese. 😀
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