Le pouding de Noel
Sir: I have been eating pudding on Christmas Day for years. I practise this expiatory rite because I am guilty of latent anglomania and hope thus to be forgiven.
Yet I cannot agree with Geoffrey Humphrys's Christmas slogan of " Vive la pud de Noel!" (December 23), not only because I don't know what it means but also because I know what it sounds like . . . exactly like " Vive la pute (= whore) de Noel!" I knew you Englishmen were no longer Victorians but I didn't expect that.
The exact translation of pudding in French is in fact " pudding " or " pouding " which are masculine substantives.
I grant the benefit of the doubt to Mr Humphrys whose intention was perhaps to write: " Vive le pudding de Noel!"
Nevertheless, may I suggest the use of another EEC-language for next year: Gaelic would scandalise fewer people. R. M. van der Mensbrugglie Ave de Tervueren 46, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
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