Food Terms We Loathe/Misuse

[johnsmith45678]

which food words/phrases make you wince?

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Any that emanate from Rachael Ray's mouth! (And, yes, "yummy" is one she uses often -- double whammy.)

edit - "scrumptious" is a word I never liked.

Edited July 28, 2006 by johnsmith45678 (log)

[Taubear]

Nigela Lawson always uses the term "Voluptuous" when referring to cream sauces. I usually like the word but I really can't stand the term when it's used to describe food. Quiver

Edited July 28, 2006 by Taubear (log)

[xdrixn]

I 2nd "to die for", I cringe & growl every time. In fact, I'm cringing & growling right now.

Edited July 28, 2006 by xdrixn (log)

[johnsmith45678]

BAM is kind of annoying, which makes it fun to say. ;P

[johnsmith45678]

Oohhh yeah, the word foodie!

[JanMcBaker]

'Sammie' for sandwich. It's not even saving any syllables. It's one of those things that's kind of cute when you're 5 but just sounds really juvenile when a grown person says it.

[KOK]

Excellent topic!

I'll 3rd "to die for". Those people should remember that actions speak louder than words.

Also yummy and foodie.

On a reverse note, I loath when people use delicious for anything other than food or drink (except for The Joker on old Batman re-runs).

Thanks,

Kevin

Edited July 28, 2006 by KOK (log)

[JetLag]

Yummo! Makes me sicko.

[Hector]

"EVOO"

Why does that word even exist? It's unnessecary Can't imagine simillar abbreviations.

Just imagine if it would be like this:

Black Perigord Truffles = BPT.

San Marzano Tomatoes = SMT

Buffallo Mozzarella Cheese = BMC

Brunoised shallots = BS

Would be pretty strange if we would be talking/writing about food like that.

[chefpeon]

Regarding EVOO........

I thought I was the dumbest foodie (oops! bad word!) on the planet when I could NOT for the life of me figure out what that abbreviation stood for! When I finally figured out it meant "extra virgin olive oil", I too, said to myself, "why not just olive oil"?

My answer, because people want you to know that they're not just using plain ol' olive oil!!! No sir!

They're using the extra virgin kind! And well, EVOO, is much shorter than typing "extra virgin olive oil". My theory, anyway.

Nigela Lawson always uses the term "Voluptuous" when referring to cream sauces. I usually like the word but I really can't stand the term when it's used to describe food. Quiver

At first when I read that, I thought, "How can a sauce be voluptuous?" So I looked it up in the dictionary. First definition: "of, relating to, or characterized by luxury or sensual pleasure". So I guess a sauce CAN be voluptuous......but in my general use of the word, I would be more apt to say, "This cream sauce can make you voluptuous".

Really though, as far as I'm concerned, baby words and colloquialisms don't bother me at all.

It's the misuse of food words or poor terminology that bothers me.

[moosnsqrl]

Reading the morning paper I was just wondering if the word "vegetable" is going to become extinct - at least in US English. The annoying "veggie" seems to have almost universally displaced it, even in semi-formal usage. Yet another sign of the dumming down.

Count me in on all the other baby talk words, 'to die for' and bam.

And after a bout of watching TFN for a while, I would almost llike to add the word "perfect." Have you ever tried to count how many times that word is used in a half-hour (really 23-minute) segment? The guiltiest are probably Giada, Tyler and Ina but really nearly everyone oversuses it.

[alanamoana]

dumming down

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or dumbing down?

[Chris Amirault]

Resto.

[Sneakeater]

"Lovely"

[Cleo]

I completely agree on many that have been mentioned here: cukes, veggies, sammie, delish, resto. They make me cringe -- particularly delish and resto.

The only time I feel that yummy is acceptable is when I am having a conversation with my 21 month old. Thankfully, to her lots of things are yummy.

[Megan Blocker]

I can't think of any major peeves off the top of my head, but my friend Miles hates (HATES) the word "garlicky." I actually kind of like it, though.

[Sneakeater]

I wish I could find an electronic version to link, but since I can't, I direct all your attention to Henry Alford's piece about Bryan Miller's repeated use of the word "nubbin," which is collected in Alford's book Municipal Bondage. I laugh out loud just thinking about it.

[tommy]

"EVOO". Can't we just call it olive oil?

i would not want to confuse "olive oil" for extra virgin olive oil. the latter i go through gallons of, the former i've never once bought.

Edited July 28, 2006 by tommy (log)

[alanamoana]

on another tack: food words that make me cringe because they sound like something they aren't...for example, i don't like "clafoutis" because it sounds like some sort of infection.

"I have a bad case of clafoutis, it's got me itchin' real bad"

[patti]

I've never thought of "cukes" as babyish, just a nice short-hand. None of the other words bother me, either.

The "sammie" thing is mostly used by Brits, so I would only be annoyed by it if someone tried to affect a faux British accent or attitude by using it. Like, say, Madonna.

I wouldn't mind if the word "amazing" were never used again, unless singing "Amazing Grace," or discussing "The Amazing Race."

[TongoRad]

...The "sammie" thing is mostly used by Brits, so I would only be annoyed by it if someone tried to affect a faux British accent or attitude by using it. Like, say, Madonna. 

...

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Similarly- only people who grew up with 'Sunday Gravy' should be allowed to use the phrase. And even then, I think it's about time to start phasing it out.

[The Hersch]

I wouldn't mind if the word "amazing" were never used again, unless singing "Amazing Grace," or discussing "The Amazing Race."

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I wouldn't mind if "Amazing Grace" were never sung again.

[esowchek]

I second the objection to "amazing" and would like to add the word "awesome" to the list. I cringe whenever I hear this word used, which seems to be about every 15 minutes!

Also, I know it is pretty inoffensive, but I hate it when "mac" is used for macaroni.

Ellen

[The Hersch]

The "sammie" thing is mostly used by Brits

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It is? Sarnie, perhaps.

[Jaymes]

Funny, but very few words set me on edge. Guess my life has too many real problems to get all worked up about something like an overly-cute term used by someone that means no offense.

But "cooked to perfection" seems a little over-used.