curd
- noun 1 (MASS NOUN) (also curds)
a soft, white substance formed when milk coagulates, used as the basis for cheese.
-DERIVATIVES
curdy adjective.
-ORIGIN
late Middle English: of unknown origin.
whey
- noun (MASS NOUN)
the watery part of milk that remains after the formation of curds.
-ORIGIN
Old English hwæg, hweg,
of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wei.
(thanks to dictionary.com)
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In simple terms, curds and whey is an old way of saying cottage cheese. The curds are the lumpy parts and the whey is the milky part.
* * *
Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider, who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away. Written by Dr. Thomas Muffet (who also wrote The Silkworms and Their Flies, lively described in verse), Miss Muffet is said to depict his daughter, Patience.