pudding

[Victor Steinbok]

OED has a very long article for Pudding. But neither OED nor other
sources appear to mention "finger(s) in the pudding" in any of its
metaphorical connotations including, 1) getting caught with a hand in a
cookie jar (or getting caught red-handed), 2) finger in a pie (taking
part in a venture or taking a bribe or getting a cut, e.g., for
protection), 3) "too many fingers in a pudding" in the same meaning as
"too many cooks in the kitchen", 4) sexual connotations (i.e., touching
the vagina--occasionally as "hand in the pudding). There is a lot of
evidence for the first two, going back into the mid-1800s; only a
handful of printed evidence for the last two, although (4) is becoming
an increasingly common vulgar expression.

     VS-)

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