William Chops Westfield wrote:

>A bristish "Cracker" is a pyrotechnic novelty device. A small
>friction-initiated explosive device inside a thing that looks like a big
>paper taffy.  You pull on the two ends, set off the explosive (which is
>usually pitifully weak (fortunately, since the things are pretty much
>designed such that it goes off right in front of your face)), and it bursts
>open (more as a result of the pulling than of the "explosion".)  There is
>usually a small toy and a silly hat inside.  See:
>http://www.absolutelycrackers.com/
>
>Interestingly, there IS no american word for the same thing, because
>americans (except for anglophiles) just don't DO "crackers" - the closes
>equivilent is probably the "grab bag" WRT the prize, or the "champagne
>popper" from the pyrotechnic perspective.
>
>(The Germans have "Kinder eggs", which seem to be similarly local...)
>
>BillW
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
>email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body
>
 From your description, we've always called those crackers. Sometimes
just the noise,
sometimes streamers or somesuch inside.

Jim (Here in the USA, grew up in Virginia)

--
http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body