Pavlova

See also: pavlova

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian Па́влова (Pávlova), feminine form of Па́влов (Pávlov).

Proper noun

Pavlova (plural Pavlovas)

1. A transliteration of the Russian surname Па́влова (Pávlova), the feminine variant of Pavlov.
   • 1984 January 16, Take 1 of Several -⁠- Commentary List: Moscow Consolidated (LD171148), page [11]:

     "YOU WRITE TO MOSCOW": NINA PAVLOVA REVIEWS LISTENERS MAIL. […] LISTENER IS TOLD THAT THERE ARE TWO PAVLOVAS IN BRITISH SECTION -⁠- NINA AND GALINA, AN ANNOUNCER.

   1. Anna Pavlova (Russian ballet dancer).
      • 1923 July 6, “Incomparable. Mlle. [Suzanne] Lenglen Wins Again. Miss [Kathleen] McKane’s Pluck. Ladies’ Doubles ‘Pavlovas.’ […]”, in The China Mail, number 18,922, Hong Kong, published 1923 July 7, page 1, column 2:

        LADIES’ DOUBLES “PAVLOVAS.” […] The winners, who literally danced their way into the final, were dubbed the two Pavlovas.

      • 1932, V[ictor] Dandré, “Theatrical Costumes and Shoes”, in Anna Pavlova in Art & Life, London; […]: Cassell and Company Limited, →OCLC, page 228:

        “Don’t you understand what an honour it is for you that the great Pavlova has her shoes made by you?” he asked. The old man thought awhile and then answered: “Yes, it’s a great honour that she is my client.” And reflecting further, he added: “Yes, but if I had two Pavlovas, I’d be done for.” Pavlova was often approached by shoemakers of all nationalities and in all parts of the world with an offer to supply her regularly, undertaking to provide her annually with any number for her own use free of charge, on condition that she would allow them to advertise that she had found their shoes to be the best.

      • 1952 July 8, H. T. Matson, “Once a Week”, in The Daily Colonist, 94th year, number 175, Victoria, B.C., page 2, column 1:

        Bad as they were, one perforce felt masculinely behooven to admire their courage . . . conversely, one could not refrain from meanly wondering just where and for how long they’d been secretly practicing . . . however, applause and many encores (from bilge to crow’s nest) greeted all antics from our two Pavlovas . . . and reflectively, their presentations were far less hurtful than having to listen to the amateur squeakings of scrawny, self-imagined sopranos and contraltos who habitually appeared at well-remembered ship’s concerts in bygone years.

      • 1978, Eric Malpass, chapter 11, in The Long Long Dances: More Hilarious Adventures of the Outrageous Pentecost Family, London: Corgi Books, →ISBN, page 115:

        Every detail entranced her: the leotards, the tutus, the entrechats and pas de deux, the names: Pavlova, Diaghilev, Fonteyn; […]

      • 2010, Daphne Kalotay, chapter 7, in Russian Winter, London: Arrow Books, The Random House Group Limited, published 2012, →ISBN, book I, pages 199–200:

        “Yes, a toast!” Gersh says, lifting his glass of Ukraine vodka. “To our two Pavlovas,” looking to Vera and Nina with his healthy eye, “and of course,” now toward Viktor, “our next Annabelle Bucar!” They laugh; it’s the name of the author of the big best-seller The Truth about American Diplomats. […] Viktor, putting on a mock expression of competition, says, “To dance!”

2. A female surname from Russian, masculine equivalent Pavlov.

Noun

Pavlova (countable and uncountable, plural Pavlovas)

1. Alternative letter-case form of pavlova.
   • 1972, “What to Do When—a Calendar of Freezing”, in Good Housekeeping Institute, compiler, Good Housekeeping Home Freezer Cook Book, London: Ebury Press, →ISBN, part 2 (What You Need to Know about Freezing), page 220:

     What about making and freezing one or two Pavlovas topped with an orange curd filling for a simple dessert?

   • 1978, Eric Malpass, chapter 10, in The Long Long Dances: More Hilarious Adventures of the Outrageous Pentecost Family, London: Corgi Books, →ISBN, pages 109–110:

     ‘[…] May,’ he called, ‘you can find Miss Thompson some lunch?’ / ‘Of course,’ said May, doing mental arithmetic with prime steaks and slices of Pavlova, and wishing her headache would go away. […] Now if she could get it across to Jocelyn that he really much preferred biscuits and cheese to Pavlova—? ‘Say you don’t want any Pavlova,’ she hissed. ‘It won’t go round.’ / ‘Eh? What’s that, old girl?’ / ‘Pavlova. Say you don’t want any.’ / ‘What’s—? Oh, I know. That meringue thing. No, that’s all right, May. I’ll have cheese and biscuits.’ […] ‘Pavlova, Jocelyn?’ May stood, cake-slice in hand, a noble Brunhild. […] Gaylord said, ‘Henry likes Pavlova better than anything in the world except baked beans on toast, don’t you, Henry.’ […] May said, ‘After you with the cheese, Jocelyn.’ / He looked at her in astonishment. ‘Good Lord, you not having Pavlova?’ […] Gaylord said, ‘If you did Henry some baked beans, Momma, he’d give you his Pavlova. Wouldn’t you, Henry?’

   • 1978 January, Caroline Bates, “Spécialités de la Maison—California”, in Earle R[utherford] MacAusland, editor, Gourmet: The Magazine of Good Living, volume XXXVIII, number 1, New York, N.Y.: Gourmet, Inc., page 11, column 1:

     I considered a rum […] with glossy yellow icing, then […] to a slice of Pavlova, a […] specialty of baked meringue, […] kiwis, and whipped cream. The combination of crunchy meringue and the cool, fruity flavor of the kiwis was sensational.

   • 1988, Jilly Cooper, chapter 11, in Rivals, London: Bantam Press, →ISBN, page 106:

     At that moment Freddie Jones rolled up with two overloaded plates of Pavlova. ‘’ullo my darlings; brought you some sweet.’

   • 1995 November 6, Noeline Thomson, letter; published in Helen Leach, “The origin of the Pavlova Wars”, in The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand’s Culinary History, Dunedin, Otago: Otago University Press, 2008, →ISBN, section 1 (The Pavlova Wars), page 24:

     Dear Professor Leach, I was very pleased to get your name and address from "Talk of the Times", as I have been very interested in the origin of the Pavlova since reading some years ago, in an Australian magazine, claims that an Australian chef Henry Sachse had invented it in 1935, when I knew perfectly well that my mother had made them when I was at Otago University (1928-32) and that I'd eaten a slice of Pavlova, peaked at the corners with the centre filled with mulberries and cream at a 21st birthday party at Napier in Jan. 1932.

   • 1996, Freya North, chapter 14, in Sally, London: Arrow Books, Random House UK Limited, published 1997, →ISBN, pages 96 and 100:

     The fridge hid from view the two Pavlovas, one raspberry, one strawberry, both a foot high. […] They found each other in the corridor, they shared a mound of Pavlova.

   • 2002, Rebecca Reilly, “Cakes”, in Gluten-Free Baking: More Than 125 Recipes for Delectable Sweet and Savory Baked Goods, Including Cakes, Pies, Quick Breads, Muffins, Cookies, and Other Delights, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, pages 112–113:

     A Pavlova is a meringue shell filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Legend has it that a chef in Adelaide (located in south Australia) created the Pavlova after he saw famed ballerina Anna Pavlova perform, saying that he wanted to create a dessert that was as light and airy as her dancing. Here are three Pavlova recipes using meringue shells. […] Pass a pitcher of the raspberry sauce, or pool the sauce in the middle of each dessert plate before placing the slice of Pavlova on it.

   • 2007, Catherine Dunne, “Maggie”, in At a Time Like This, London: Macmillan, →ISBN, page 79:

     I heard Claire sigh as we turned to watch Helly walk down the aisle on her father’s arm. She nudged me and whispered: ‘Wrong! All wrong! I steered her gently in the direction of the sleek, the tailored, the forgiving! And just look at what she chose: she looks like a slice of Pavlova.’

   • 2008, Siôn Scott-Wilson, chapter 11, in The Sleepwalker’s Introduction to Flight, London: Macmillan New Writing, →ISBN, page 84:

     ‘[…] If you and your delightful slice of Pavlova here were to take a little drive down Wallingford way, you would not consider it a wasted journey.’ My delightful slice of Pavlova quietly fumes while Brenda returns with the order.

   • 2009, Laine Cunningham, “Family”, in Message Stick, Sun Dogs Creations, →ISBN, page 52:

     And yes, you may have another slice of Pavlova. It’s named for a Russian ballerina, you know. Nothing more than egg whites and sugar. Sweet air, just like her jete.

   • 2012, Colette Caddle, chapter 22, in Every Time We Say Goodbye, London: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 247:

     ‘I’m by myself, I’ve just made a coffee and there’s some Pavlova in the fridge just begging to be eaten.’ […] Marianne cut two slices of Pavlova and put the largest in front of Jo.

   • 2013, Fiona Lowe, Boomerang Bride, revised edition, Toronto, Ont.: Carina Press, →ISBN, pages 302, 304, 307, and 340:

     Kyle had requested Pavlova, the Australian concoction of crunchy meringue on the outside and light-as-air fluffy meringue on the inside, and all of it coated in whipped cream and fresh fruit. […] He started eating a slice of Pavlova. […] “Hey, Uncle Marc! You punked me. There’s no present in the basement. You just wanted to get at the Pavlova first.” […] Kyle sat alone at the table eating Pavlova with another two plates lined up next to him, […] Everyone agreed there was nothing like Pavlova for dessert except Marc who preferred the rich and heavy fruitcake which tasted like solid vintage port.

   • 2013, Susan Aylworth, Zucchini Pie: Granny’s Recipe for Life: A Novel, American Fork, Ut.: Covenant Communications, Inc., →ISBN, pages 170 (Italian Bruschetta), 230, and 233 (Karen’s Coco-Nutty Pie):

     Within the next hour, she had dug up Judith’s recipe for Pavlova—a special baked meringue dish, the national dessert of Australia—that my late mother-in-law had made only for special occasions, including the annual family reunion. […] By the time another hour had passed, I had asked two more sisters to make huge triple batches of Pavlova, had found four more to bake coconut pies, and had asked two others to bring whipped topping for the pies. […] I recognized several of my coco-nutty pies, cut into eighths, and plates of Pavlova ready to serve. […] There was some Pavlova left for anyone who wanted seconds, so I didn’t feel too bad about getting our firsts.

   • 2015, Helen J. Rolfe, chapter 10, in The Friendship Tree, Crooked Cat Publishing, →ISBN, pages 93–97:

     When Tamara peered inside the fridge, she found the dessert – a Pavlova topped with whipped fresh cream, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. […] The men returned, and Katherine delivered the Pavlova to the table before easing out the slices of gooey-centred meringue. […] Jake graciously accepted a second helping of Pavlova. […] He scraped up the last of his Pavlova, along with two stray raspberries covered in cream. […] Bobby helped himself to another slice of Pavlova, the only person who had any room left to do so.

   • 2015, Margaret Cameron, “The Escapee Granny”, in Original Writing from Ireland’s Own: An Anthology of the Best Stories from the Annual Writing Competitions Run by Ireland’s Premier Family Magazine, 2015 edition, Dublin: Original Writing, →ISBN, section “Highly Commended”, page 180:

     He brings this cup of tea and a big slice of Pavlova. I plunder in my handbag for my purse but he says, “It’s on the house.” I was so glad of the cup of tea and lovely Pavlova. They are two nice big fellows and keep coming back and forth to talk to me. They ask me if I like Pavlova and the one called Sam says, “I made it especially for you.”