OK. This is a food thread, but I think it's within the framework of words, too.

My mom is making what she calls "punch bowl cake" today. When she described it, I said, "You're not making punch bowl cake; you're making trifle."

What she's making is layers of cake and whipped cream and custard and fruit in a bowl--and she's drizzling liqueur in it. And that's trifle--right? It just so happens that whoever wrote the recipe said to put all the layers of sweet ingredients into a punch bowl.

So I told her, "Mom, somebody saw trifle in a punch bowl, figured out the ingredients, and then called it 'punch bowl cake' when writing out the recipe for the Rocky Run Church cookbook. But it's really trifle."

Now my question after all that jabberwockying:

Why is trifle called trifle? If it's really great trifle--with farm fresh ingredients and nothing fake...everything made from scratch--it's really close to being ambrosia!

So, why is trifle called trifle? I don't get it.

Best regards,
WordsMouthWatering