Mignon FogartyMar 29, 2023

Dear British friends,

Someone left a message on the listener voicemail line recently with an aside that said a biscuit in British English is both a cookie and a cracker.

I've always thought a British biscuit is the same as an American cookie (and nothing more).

I've checked some dictionaries, but I still don't feel sure.

Please help: What is the meaning of "biscuit" in British English?

only a sweet cookie
40.8%
a cookie or a cracker
44.8%
other
14.4%
Poll ended at .
Show threadJohn Howes

@grammargirl As a Brit, I've never heard biscuit used to describe a cracker. A biscuit is a small, hard shortbread enjoyed with tea (coffee is an abomination to be avoided at all cost).

A British "cookie" is a gigantic doughy confection with ten thousand calories sold in shopping malls.

Classic biscuits include the digestive, rich tea, ginger nut, and Garibaldi. Then we have posh biscuits like the bourbon, custard cream and jammy dodger.
Let's not talk about hobnobs😀.

Mar 29, 2023 at 11:54amWeb