[HPFGU-OTChatter] American biscuits as British "cookies"? (Was: Tortillas and enchiladas )

[Janette]

>
> Carol:
>
> "Cookies" to an American are what you call "biscuits." For example,
> Ginger Newts would be cookies, as would "biscuits" made with chocolate
> chips. But I was unaware, and still am not sure, that the reverse is
> ture. You call a fluffy concoction made with flour, salt, and baking
> powder and served with butter (or jam or honey) a "cookie"? The
> closest thing I encountered in England to an American biscuit was a scone.
>
> You seem to be saying that the usage is exactly backwards in the two
> varieties of English: British "biscuit" = American "cookie" (which is
> certainly correct) but British "cookie" = American "biscuit" as well?
> I don't mean to be argumentative, but I really am not sure you're
> correct here. I was unaware that British English used the term
> "cookie" at all, but apparently, it's now being used for soft cookies,
> with "biscuit" reserved for hard ones. ("Cookie," btw, was borrowed by
> English colonists of North American from the Dutch settlers who
> preceded them.) But "cookie" for what we call a "biscuit" seems unlikely.


montims:

going off on a bit of a tangent here, why exactly are American non-sweet
scone siblings called biscuits in the first place?  Biscuit is a French word
meaning twice cooked, as is biscotto/i in Italian.  This is why the thing is
crispy and drier and lasts longer than the more airy confection known as
biscuit in America...  Also, I pondered why dog biscuits were not called dog
cookies here, but nobody I asked had a satisfactory reply...  I feed my cats
what I call "cat biscuits" and everybody else calls "kibble" - a bizarre
word I'd never heard before coming to Minnesota...


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