DCHP-2

figgy duff Figgy Duff DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Newfoundland, Food

  a boiled pudding made with raisins.

  Type: 2. Preservation — The term is the name for a traditional Newfoundland dish; its use is focussed in that province (see Chart 1).
  The 1980 quotation refers to the pop group of that name, whose name was inspired by that dish.
  The history of the term seems clearly linked to Southwestern England. OED-3 (s.v. figgy adj. (2)) lists a quotation referring to "Figgie-dowdie, a west-country pudding, made with raisins, and much in vogue at sea among the Cornish and Devon men". Given the emigration from West Country England to Newfoundland, the connection is clear, especially since DNE quotations postdate that OED-3 quotation figgy duff (s.v. figgy adj., figgy duff). See also COD-2, which marks the term "Cdn (Nfld)".

  See also: fish and brewis  

  • 1890-1896  (2009)  Noel and I mended the canoe and the lads spread the seal and beaver skins. I tried my hand at making a figgy duff for dinner and succeeded first rate. 
  • 1909  Duff was a very solid dumpling made by mixing together flour and water. On Sunday's [sic] 'figgy duff,' which was the aforesaid plain duff, with a sprinkling of a few currants. With "figgy duff" was given a sauce called "coady," which was, at that time, made by boiling together molasses and sweet oil. 
  • 1918  "Straight-bake," "pheasant," "schooner-on-the-rocks" - these are joints roasted with or without potatoes around and under them, or served with boiled "spuds" - the real "figgy duff" or Christmas pudding, solid with raisins, peel, and currants, and other good things [...] 
  • 1934  All the world excepting their own desolate bays and "down Nort' ", was "up-along" to them. Montreal, Pernambuco, London, Oporto, Boston, Halifax - all were included in up-along to them; and up-along was a grand, rich place where all men were gentlemen wearing collars and coats, eating figgy-duff every day and smoking all they wanted to. 
  • 1955  They had previously dined on a flavorful meal of corned beef and cabbage, peas-pudding and figgy duff and thus entered the ballad-singing in the required spirit of repletion and conviviality. 
  • 1967  After breakfast of good roasted salt herring we would go in the woods; dinner would be four or five rabbits with figgy duff and a plain duff, and of course plenty of vegetables. 
  • 1980  The pop group Figgy Duff (the name comes from a Newfoundland pudding) makes successful tours across Canada 
  • 1997  "Figgy duff or figgy dowdy is a boiled fruit pudding. In the Shropshire dialect its name was figgetty dumpling, a boiled pudding made with figs. Figgy dowdy seems to have originated with seamen from England's west country in the 19th century. It may have been introduced to North America by them." 
  • 2002  Figgy Duff hails from Newfoundland and is a boiled pudding with raisins. 
  • 2008  Saturday we treated our audience, during the break between Parts I and II, to a full Newfoundland/Dickens Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings, including figgy duff for dessert! 
  • 2015  At last count, the riding contained one Timmy's and zero Starbucks. Avalon is about old tea kettles and Figgy Duff on the kitchen table.