spotted dick
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of spotted dick
C19: perhaps from the man's name Dick (short for Richard ), or from dialect dick pudding. The dried fruit gives it a speckled appearance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Buttery says there are some we probably recognise the names of but probably couldn't describe in detail and wouldn't really cook any more - like spotted dick.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Tops in the Rueful Britannia class was a 1965 Wolseley Hornet, which raked in a box of tea, warm beer and a can of spotted dick.
From Reuters ● Aug. 22, 2016
"Things like trifle look hilarious to outsiders that don't grow up with it. Other really sweet, gaudy puddings, like arctic roll, blancmange and spotted dick, to insult them is to insult our own childhood."
From The Guardian ● Aug. 4, 2014
Other than universal health care and spotted dick, they’re what I miss most about England.
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2012
I wanted to lose myself in a musical chorus of British accents and have a reason to say things like "loo" and "may I have some spotted dick."
From Salon ● May 12, 2011
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
