Except that there isn't any 'list of words that everybody knows' that we all have to refer to. It's no more reasonable, and possibly less so, to expect the author to (a) know whether you and all her other readers know what a lollipop is and (b) lose the cultural significance of her question, which is tied to the brand name, than it is for you to ask somebody what a Tootsie Roll is. I ask my UK friends what their words and brand names mean all the time; it's not that hard to do, and it's interesting besides.
Re: Tootsie Pops
Except that there isn't any 'list of words that everybody knows' that we all have to refer to. It's no more reasonable, and possibly less so, to expect the author to (a) know whether you and all her other readers know what a lollipop is and (b) lose the cultural significance of her question, which is tied to the brand name, than it is for you to ask somebody what a Tootsie Roll is. I ask my UK friends what their words and brand names mean all the time; it's not that hard to do, and it's interesting besides.