While I agree with most of what the Word Detective said, I have to take issue on one point: Toad-in-the-hole. It has nothing whatsoever to do with mashed potato and everything to do with yorkshire pudding batter. Take one large dish, butter liberally, fill with yorkshire pudding batter and insert sausages. Cook until the sausages are done and the batter rises up around them. Wonderful! (Unless made by school cooks who always manage to make the pudding bit taste like shoe leather)

Later Edit: PS. Apologies for the food post, but he's maligning a great British dish, so I felt it important to set the record straight!