Mumsnet Talk

This is not actually pendantry, but I thought I would have most luck if I put it to the Pedants' Corner squatters.

Two separate questions:

1. This morning I called my daughter a "daft bessom" and then realised that I have only ever read the word 'bessom' and don't know it's literal meaning. Not wanting to unwittingly use an offensive word, I looked it up... and can't find it anywhere. There is a word bessom isn't there? What does it mean?

2. Years ago I had a 'Word of the Day' calendar. It gave me a word that means a collections of jams, marmalades, honeys etc. It was the breakfast equivalent of 'condiments' I loved this word and used it as often as I could poncily shoe-horn it into conversation. Now I have forgotten it completely. Anyone know?

PS apologies for any spelling or grammar mistakes. I'm not really literate enough to post here, I know .

1. only guessing here but besom

Would be equivalent to daft as a brush maybe?

2. preserves?

Ahh, I had found besom meaning broom but hadn't thought that could be what it meant. Daft as a brush - good!

And it was a MUCH better word than preserves. It was the sort of word that Impresses People, and no one knows what it means and they have to ask.

I know the word as besom (pron: bee-zum), meaning a kind of brush - the kind that witches sit on. So you called her a 'daft brush', which I think my gran used to use as an affectionate insult. Look here for details on the brush.

Can't help you with the collective term for jams, sorry. A sweetness of jam, perhaps?

confit? ~shrugs~

I know nothing of these things, I'm just googling

no idea... someone will be along soon who is much more poncey that I

A spread of jams?

I always thought that Besom was a Scottish word? My mum used to call me a cheeky besom

Confiture?

Besom. Almost certain now that I spelled it wrong and was in fact calling her a daft brush.

Now, jams, it wasn't a collective noun, it was a word that meant all the breakfast gubbins you put out for guest breakfast.

"Darling, I've put the eggs on, could you ask everyone if they'd like more coffee while I put the XXXXXX on the table?"

thesaurus.reference.com/browse/confiture

XXXXX = bill?

Condiments?

Like confiture. But even poncier .

Rofl @ bill.

It was one of those calendars of words which are all but obsolete. It is really irritating that I can't remember.

For heaven's sake, it's condiments!

It is not condiments. It is the breakfast equivalent of condiments.

It was such a good word.

Condominiums?
Condolences?
Conquistadors?
Colonoscopy?

Sorry - think it really is condiments..

For heaven's sake, it's not condiments - if you read the OP properly you'd see she's already said it's not that!

Preserves,sweetmeats?

I think she may have misremembered.

I haven't misremembered. I can't have done because condiments is a word my dad uses all the time and always has. Condiments is not an obscure, exciting word. I distinctly remember rolling out this word when my parents were staying and they leaped on it and agreed that it was a good word.

Not comestibles or collation? Although collation would normally be lunch rather than breakfast?