Pixies and pasties (was Ton-tongue toffies and other tongue twisters)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 157198

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at ...> wrote:

> First, there was all this talk of pixies (slightly more off list), 
> then I found myself watching a food related travel show. I saw some 
> sort of huge fried English breakfast that left no doubts where 
> Southern US cooking comes from.
> 
> Then the second host goes off to Cornwall---in search of the "famous" 
> Cornish Pasties. "Doesn't he mean Cornish Pixies?" I says to myself, 
> I says. Nope, he's holding up some gigantic fried pie (as we call 
> them)
> 
> So my question is, did everyone in the UK "know" that Cornish Pixies 
> was a play on Cornish Pasties? 

Geoff:
Sorry, there is no play on Cornish pasties.

Cornish pasties and Cornish pixies are two totally different and 
totally unrelated things.

Cornish pasties are not /fried/ pies. You will have any true-born 
Cornishman rising up in wrath against you. In passing, please note 
that I am not Cornish-born. I've just had a number of holidays in 
that county. My dictionary defines a pasty as 'a folded pastry case 
filled with seasoned meat and vegetables.' They are cooked in an 
oven. The Cornish variety is recognised by its distinctive shape and 
they are very tasty.

Cornish pixies on the other hand are mischievous little characters, 
often portrayed as men with pointed hats and possibly distant 
relatives of leprechauns.

I do wish you non-UK people would get up to speed.As Professor 
Kirke remarks in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', "I wonder 
what they do teach them at these schools." Mark you, Gilderoy 
Lockhart could probably cope with a room full of flying pasties 
better he did with the pixies....
:-)