fudge

Everyday

1. Fudge is a soft, sweet candy made from sugar, butter and milk, often with chocolate. tree →
2. (informal) To fudge something is to avoid giving a clear answer, or to change facts or numbers a little to make them look better. tree →
3. (informal) A fudge is an unclear compromise that hides a problem. tree →
4. (informal, euphemism) "Oh fudge!" is a polite way of saying a swear word when something goes wrong. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and cooking, fudge is a treat sold at fairs and seaside shops. In maths and science, "fudging the results" means cheating with numbers, which is wrong. In stories, a character says "Oh fudge!" instead of swearing. Phrases: fudge the numbers, fudge the issue, chocolate fudge.

Examples

• Gran makes chocolate fudge for the holidays. tree →
• We bought fudge at the seaside shop. tree →
• Don't fudge your results; write what really happened. tree →
• He fudged the question and didn't really answer. tree →
• Oh fudge, I've dropped my ice cream! tree →
• The recipe needs 400 g of sugar for the fudge. tree →
• Cut the fudge into 24 squares. tree →
• The plan was a fudge that pleased nobody. tree →

Note

Fudge (sweet) is uncountable: "some fudge", "a piece of fudge". Regular verb: fudged. "Oh fudge!" is a minced oath, a polite stand-in for a rude word. Fudging data is dishonest in science.