The Term 'Housemade' Is the New 'Homemade'
By many definitions, a house doesn't have quite the cozy appeal as a home. House sweet house just doesn't have the same ring to it. But more menus are advertising "housemade" this or that, instead of the generic homemade. As Newsweek points out, the artisanal adjective has yet to appear in Merriam-Webster (so technically, it should be house-made until baptized a real word), but homemade will no longer suffice.
"The word has lost its meaning," said Brian Bistrong of Braeburn in Manhattan, who argues that it sounds either amateurish (Aunt Edna's homemade pie) or hokey (Chevy's homemade ranch dressing). "Housemade has more cachet," he says. When you read "housemade" does it fill you with rustic backyard porch warmth and feel-goodness? Or are you over the linguistics? Can we just settle on dwelling-made?
Related
Origin of the Term 'Foodie'
Why Is There No 'N' in 'Restaurateur'?
New Food Words in 2008 Merriam-Webster's Dictionary
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Hot Topics: Technique of the Week | The Food Lab
Today's Specials
Philadelphia: Roast Pork, Cutlets, Meatballs and More Sandwiches You Should Eat
For our final installment of the Philadelphia sandwich tour we present our roundup of the lesser known (but equally awesome) sandwiches that fall outside of the cheesesteak and hoagie realm. But first a little background info on these unique-to-Philly styles.
Continue reading »
Comments: