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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Grammar discussion in cockpit...

0Unusual debate in a USAirways Express cockpit this morning. I told the captain that I'm "going to 01b00icing02b00 the cake when I get home today." He looked at me funny and said that was incorrect. It should be "I'm going to 01b00ice02b00 the cake ..."02br
02br
00Which is correct? I thought "icing" is a sweet substance like frosting. "Ice the cake... " sounds like Im going to pack ice on it like a swollen ankle! 02br
02br
00Please help settle our dispute! Thanks.0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi,02br 00"To ice the cake" is quite common in the UK. 02br 02br 00For instance:01blockquote 01cite 10BBC12cite 10For the icing, place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beattogether until light and fluffy. uk&btnG=Searchcthis search

— Tanit

  • 0 Hi,02br 00"To ice the cake" is quite common in the UK.
  • 02br 02br 00For instance:01blockquote 01cite 10BBC12cite 10For the icing, place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beattogether until light and fluffy.
  • uk&btnG=Searchcthis search
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7 Answers
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0 Hi,02br
00"To ice the cake" is quite common in the UK. Have a look at the results of 05300, especially those dealing with recipes.02br
02br
00For instance:01blockquote
01cite10BBC12cite10For the icing, place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beattogether until light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with cling fi
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0 This is one of those regional differences in AE. I believe those in the South say "icing." In the North, or maybe it's the Midwest, or both, they say "frosting." Naturally, "frosting" is held to be correct, while "icing" is quaint and backwards. I'll be happy to tell the next person who laughs when I say "icing" that it's British usage; 01i00that 02i00trumps everything.
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0Hi Del02br
00I gew up in the Northeast (New Jersey), and I also say '01b01i00icing02i02b00'. 02br
00Now I live in southern New England, and people around here also say '01i01b00icing02b02i00' (noun) and '01i01b00i02b00ce 00a cake02i00' (verb). 02b
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0I'd say the captain was right. 02br
00If 01b00icing02b00 is used, the 01b00be02b00 is necessary as per Yankee's version: 02br
02br
01i00 "I'm going to 01b00be02b00 01b00icing02b00 the cake when I get home today".02i0-
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0 Well, Yankee, according to 05100, your new neighbors have got it all wrong: 01blockquote
02br
10 Although both 11i10frosting12i10 and 11i10icing12i10 are widespread, people in New England, the Upper Midwest, and the Western U.S. tend to put 11i10frosting12i10 on cake. In Pennsylvania, New Jer
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i am going to do icing on the cake.
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Hi,

I can't imagine a native speaker saying that.

But one might say 'I'm going to put icing on the cake'.

Clive
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