The Great Scone Debate – How to say it, how to eat it!

Never let it be said that I don’t tackle even the toughest subjects on my blog.  Tpday it’s one of those questions that have divided people through the ages, even more so than Brexit, Turmp Vs Clinton or brown sauce and red sauce.  It is of course, how do you pronounce that most English of delicacies, the humble scone.

There are two basic options and you can either pronounce scone to rhyme with ‘gone’ or ‘bone’?

A poll by YouGov has settled the debate once and for all with the revelation that most Britains pronounce it to rhyme with ‘gone’.

YouGov said: ‘Those living in the North (60 per cent) and Scotland (80 per cent) overwhelmingly use the ‘gone’ pronunciation, while those in the Midlands (56 per cent) and London (50 per cent) are much more likely to go with the ‘bone’ option.’

The difference in pronunciation usually changes across regions, but it can also be affected by social grade.  However generally speaking, even if in the South and your pronounce it with the elongated ‘bone’ sound, the chances are that you are in the minority.

Coming from the North, I’ve alwaye gone with the ‘gone’ method or speaking and I’m not sure anyone in my social circle goes with the other way of speaking even though I now live in the London area.    Or perhaps contrary to popular beliefe, British people don’t actually eat scones every day and I don’t think I’ve eaten one with friends…. ever so maybe they all are humouring me and when they order scones they speak differently!  I do hear most of my American tourists opting for the ‘bone’ method however.

So, that may well be the end of one argument about scones but will there ever be a resolution to the classic argument of which order the classic scone tippings of jam and cream should be administered to the scone.   In the county of Devon, the method is to spread cream on the scone and then the jam whilst in neighbouring Cornwall, jam is spread on the scone with cream on top.

Two of these scones are in the Cornish style and two are from Devonshire. As the blog where this photo comes from http://www.toadhallcottages.co.uk/blog/the-cream-tea-debate-devon-vs-cornwall/ states, two of these scones are correct and two are just wrong apparently err obviously.
Two of these scones are in the Cornish style and two are from Devonshire. As the blog where this photo comes from http://www.toadhallcottages.co.uk/blog/the-cream-tea-debate-devon-vs-cornwall/ states, two of these scones are correct and two are just wrong apparently err obviously.

 

Nationwide it seems only 21 per cent of people use the traditional Devon method of spreading cream first, then jam.

Of course to me it is all a moot point as I like savoury foods more than sweet ones so the Cornish and Devon style scones both look quite disgusting to me. My preference instead of having fruit scones is to have grated cheese in my scones and that goes best with simple melted butter.  Yummy!

Yummy Cheese Scones - My favourite!
Yummy Cheese Scones – My favourite!

cheese-scones-59bbf547-f4ce-4f06-b033-12dc2ffabacb-0-700x466  How do you pronounce “scone” and how would you have yours?

By Stephen Liddell

I am a writer and traveller with a penchant for history and getting off the beaten track. With several books to my name including several #1 sellers. I also write environmental, travel and history articles for magazines as well as freelance work. I run my private tours company with one tour stated by the leading travel website as being with the #1 authentic London Experience. Recently I've appeared on BBC Radio and Bloomberg TV and am waiting on the filming of a ghost story on British TV. I run my own private UK tours company (Ye Olde England Tours) with small, private and totally customisable guided tours run by myself!

17 comments

    1. Do give it a go. You have to have very strong tasting cheese and my advice is to use considerably more cheese than in the recipe. However I am a bit of a cheese monster! Cheese scones go back as long as mince pies in our Christmas house traditions 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. My Grandma was from the Manchester area and she was the only person who I knew who said it like ‘bone’. I assumed it was because she was a lady of good taste!

      I’ve never tried chocolate ones, I guess they must taste nice perhaps like the pain au chocolates. I will have to give them a go.

      Like

      Reply
  6. Pingback: Visiting the table of King Arthur and his Knights at the Great Hall in Winchester | Stephen Liddell

Leave a comment