PrintOverused Food Words
Words or phrases that need to take a time out from food writing. I'd start with describing anything as "nutty" that doesn't have nuts and any reference to Riesling as the "best-kept secret" of sommeliers.
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52 Comments:
Except for "The Galloping Gourmet", I'm of the opinion the word "gourmet" should be outlawed in the English-speaking world. It implies a hautiness that's totally unnecessary where food is concerned.
LunaPierCook at 2:55PM on 07/27/07
Sweet
An onion should not be described at sweet when you just said your zucchini was sweet tasting.
Carosone at 2:58PM on 07/27/07
Decadent
JEP at 3:07PM on 07/27/07
Yummy & nutty.
JustNancy at 3:38PM on 07/27/07
yum-o and e-v-oo
Lilartist at 3:58PM on 07/27/07
amuse bouche - everywhere I go now days - enough already!
Livetotravel at 4:01PM on 07/27/07
The entire food as sex metaphor is completely played out.
TAPrice at 4:20PM on 07/27/07
I don't like the word Authentic because too often it is misused or outright abused.
Everything from cookbooks to grocery products get the word "Authentic" slapped on the front to give it credibility. e.g. Taco Bells' Authentic Mexican Burritos or Rachael Rays Authentic Olive Oil...oooh!
2qrs at 4:54PM on 07/27/07
I agree with TAPrice. food is food. people exalt it/sexualize it wayyy too much. food is to be enjoyed but let's not take "serious eats" TOO seriously :) to answer the question, i don't like it when food is described in relation to trends (like "ubiquitous" or "trite"). i dont care that tuna appetizers are overused or that molten chocolate cakes are "so 90s." food is for feeding not fashion.
stumbler02 at 5:07PM on 07/27/07
Flavor profile.
This is one term that I hear all the time on Top Chef and other cooking shows and it makes me insane.
GregWA at 5:11PM on 07/27/07
My top three are "to die for," "melts in your mouth" (especially when not referring to chocolate) and "sinful." But there are so many that it's hard to decide. I don't mind nutty at all, though.
I was thinking about this same thing not too long ago:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/05/one_mans_tooths.html
Krista at 5:28PM on 07/27/07
Rustic - If I hear or see this word, I'm done. Don't wanna know.
GTO at 5:57PM on 07/27/07
Any word that describes the food as being bad for you, such as 'decadent' , 'naughty' and 'sinful' (as mentioned above) etc etc. This just elevates the already HUGE problem people have in regards to food and guilt about eating. Just eat and enjoy it!
choc_puddin at 5:57PM on 07/27/07
"Natural" and "Organic." So much misunderstanding over these two words.
hatlady at 6:00PM on 07/27/07
"Toothsome"! WTF does this word mean? It drives me crazy.
AdamH at 10:49PM on 07/27/07
"Crispy"; what's wrong with just "crisp"? And "gross". You may not see it in menus, but you hear and read it enough.
lemons at 9:59AM on 07/28/07
I am all done with BAM. Emeril has been on since 1993 I cannot even look at him anymore. I get hives.
JerzeeTomato at 10:00AM on 07/28/07
Although I know people who I like very much who call themselves "foodies" and although I have tried everything short of behavioral technique to try to be able to stomach the word, it is still impossible for me.
Between "foodie" and "gourmet" there is not much that makes me happy to hear - the overtones on both are a little wierd though slightly different.
"Foodie" makes me think of groupies.
"Gourmet" makes me think of someone who is drooling.
And it makes me think of every given name that is made diminutive with an "ie" glued onto the end that adds that touch of cuteness.
Really I am getting so upset over this that behavioral technique might be needed.
Karen Resta at 12:14PM on 07/28/07
I'm kind of done with every single summer recipe being described as 'light' and fresh... of course it is!
At the same time, these are pretty fundamental words and I'm sure how else you could describe those characteristics. I completely agree that toothsome is an annoying word... how about plain old delicious?
B
Hand to Mouth
handtomouth at 7:02AM on 07/29/07
"Foam" and "Gastrique"
chrissyd7 at 9:29AM on 07/29/07
Frankly, I'm a little tired of hearing food described only as "local and seasonal." I think that all food should be local and seasonal as much as possible -- don't get me wrong -- but other, more specific, words can be used to better effect.
I also agree about "toothsome," to which I'll add "scrumptious."
Reading those words makes my appetite shrivel up.
butterface at 12:02PM on 07/29/07
i've lived in south louisiana all my life and have grown weary of folks tossing red pepper sauce into a dish and calling it "cajun". when we use the word "spicy" we are not talking about hot sauce and peppers, we use SPICES to flavor cheap cuts of meat along with slow cooking in a cast iron pot to make wonderful meals. the other terms that i'm tired of hearing are "veggie" and "paired". what in the hell is wrong with "vegetable" and "served with". gotta go, have ribbies and steakies to cook on the grilee.
olddad at 1:23PM on 07/29/07
Karen, since I brought up 'gourmet' at the beginning of this thread ... I'd rather be a food groupie than a high-falutin' gourmet anyday! ;-)
LunaPierCook at 7:19AM on 07/30/07
I'd add "aggressively seasoned." Unless the chef is trying to menace or do harm to the diner, the term just doesn't make much sense.
Fat and Happy Food Slut at 8:23AM on 07/30/07
Hilarious! Thanks for the yuks this morning. :D
I don't have any food word peeves, but I will say that my step-mother hated it when I described her food as "nice." She said, "People are nice, food is delicious, tasty, etc."
While I do use those descriptions where appropriate, I still use nice as well.
hereandthe at 11:12AM on 07/30/07
lets add "epicurean" to the list...to damn pretentious.
www.ilsvont.com
ilsvont at 12:35PM on 07/30/07
Artisanal, Artistic, Natural, Black Angus, Angus, 'a special blend', Aged...let me stop now to offer a new comic take.
"Today's 'we got to get rid of it because we purchased too much' sale is the scrumptious, clean hands 'handled' brown texas prairie grazed and razed cow beef (almost a real) steak cut from less opportune parts of the hind end. Then it was mold skimmed for 21 days in a humidor the size of a small closet. and to finish up we marinated it feverously for days just to take the bitter weed flavor out and put the mushy broken down muscle cell structure/texture in! Allow us to cook it for you with our trademark Tarred (bbq and spice sauced), Scarred (extra knife pokes for tenderizing), Barred (grill marked), & Charred (cooked over flame or hot coals, or maybe an electric indoor hubachi) process...Mmmm Funkalicioooo's
Thats right patron's, vagrants, and transients...Tar'd, Scar'd, Bar'd, & Char'd.
~~~~
I don't know, maybe it will go over well?
tyronebcookin at 12:50PM on 07/30/07
and "sammies" for sandwiches, too---
lemons at 2:20PM on 07/30/07
LunaPierCook, the other word I need to add to the list is "gourmand". Gourmet/gourmand. One drools slightly, the other drools a lot.
I saw the word food-lover used the other day and am thinking this might be an adequate substitute. It fits the desired profile of having no "ie" at the end and has the advantage of being in my own language, too. The only problem I can find with this word is that somehow even though it is an English term it makes me think of berets.
Karen Resta at 2:33PM on 07/30/07
I agree with any Ray-isms: EVOO, yumm-o and sammies all have to go. And "BAM" is so over, but Emeril is probably close to retiring from Food Network anyway. If he does maybe he can get some of his dignity back, because he's a really talented chef and restaurateur.
I like the "food-lover" suggestion; I also hate the word foodie, and I'm far from calling myself a gourmet/gourmand or epicurean. So what IS the perfect term for a "foodie" without using the word "foodie"? It does kind of sound like a crazed groupie fan, so I'd love to hear more suggestions!
Jeana at 2:51PM on 07/30/07
Two new RRisms to watch out for:
"the old G.B." aka, her garbage bowl. She used this abbreviation the second I turned on the TV, and I was so horrified that I was too stunned to change the channel before she added...
"a little S and P" aka, salt and pepper. Personally, I I thought she said S and M and first...
which is why I decided that E, True Hollywood Story: the top 100 celebrity secrets was a more worthwhile time-waster
ChristineB at 4:33PM on 07/30/07
I'd like to add: "ultimate"
JEP at 6:24PM on 07/30/07
I. Hate. The term. Artisanal.
Just can't stand it.
missbhavens at 10:16PM on 07/30/07
Toothsome....I have no idea what it means and it sounds GROSS!
ThatGirl153 at 9:20AM on 07/31/07
"Source" as an active verb - as in, "He's sourcing amazing herbs from a little farm he stumbled over." Derisively insider-ish and pretentious.
maryn at 11:52AM on 07/31/07
Fusion and Deconstructed.
sawyerriley at 1:58PM on 07/31/07
ugh - totally agree with you maryn.
Neoclassic.
foodiefan at 4:06PM on 07/31/07
Sinful.
missjess at 5:09PM on 07/31/07
Tuck into, as in "The firemen tucked into steaming bowls of chili." Sorry, the mental image of burly fire guys curled up in a bowl of chili just doesn't do it for me. And it's just too precious.
Beautifully, when used to describe the storage capabilities of a completed recipe, as in "And it freezes beautifully!" Sorry, that leftover lasagna is not going to be very pretty when it emerges from the freezer 2 months later.
Dee at 2:04PM on 08/01/07
I love this topic! Thanks for starting it, Fat and Happy Food Slut!
I'm a copy editor by training, and, having worked for many years at a certain lifestyle magazine, I can tell you that we had a rotating list of "banned words" that we'd highlight while proofreading articles before publication. "Crispy," as Lemons mentioned, was on it—"Crispy: Use 'crisp' instead." "Decadent" and "sinful" were also marked for death (or at least for editing or deletion). As were "surprisingly simple" and "unexpected yet elegant."
One of my (many) pet peeves is when someone describes something as a "heart attack on a plate," or, as is usually the case with me, "heart attack on a bun." Yes, we all know what foods are bad for us, and, no, we don't anyone pointing it out.
I also hate " 'za" in reference to pizza.
Karen Resta: I don't like "foodie." I went from hate to dislike on that one, though, because sometimes, if you're blabbing about food and the food world, it's just so hard not to use it. Call me lazy.
Lemons: Akin to "sammies," how 'bout "sammich(es)"? UGH. Whenever I see "sammies" or "sammich," I'm like, "What are you!?!? A toddler?" [END RANT]
Adam Kuban at 3:16PM on 08/02/07
Don't like foodie. We call ourselves "recreational eaters" -- it started as away of making fun foodie.
Agree with anything that makes food sound evil (sinful, decadent, etc.), but no problem with sexual-comparisons. Food and sex have always gone together. Isn't it like a law of the universe or something? And who hasn't had food that was better than sex? Especially if the sex was worse than the food? woo-hoo!
I confess to saying crispy -- it's probably all over my posts -- but now that I'm aware of it, you'll probably never hear it from me again. I'm embarrassed that I never noticed that habit before, anal-retentive grammar freak that I tend to be!
LoCo at 3:56PM on 08/04/07
shooters and bites
pancetta-wrapped
shortribs so playful
ramps (confit'd)
infusions, waters
gastrique the ahi
fabulous fabulous
'shrooms and confit
watermelon balsamic
fatty porkbelly
corn milk the essence
and please pass soy jelly
heirloom tomatoes micro mousseline
lavendar hangar-steak olive oil-ice cream
......................................
Phew. It felt really good to say that.
Karen Resta at 11:52AM on 08/05/07
"Spot on" is starting to grate. Credit, or fault, Top Chef.
Fat and Happy Food Slut at 11:18AM on 08/06/07
when some thing is "paired" with something else, such as a certain wine paired with this, or two ingredients paired together. makes me want to punch someone in the face.
seyo at 4:37PM on 08/06/07
I don't like the British habit of saying "veg." "Fruit and veg." Ugh.
Another is using an "x" instead of writing the entire word. I've seen it here as in "crax" rather than crackers (wtf?) and other, non-food related words at other sites.
thebrokedown at 2:44AM on 09/12/07
@thebrokedown - I am guilty of using an "x" it is a habit developed from working in kitchens for 10+ years and before that college training to use it - chix for chicken etc. it is a shorthand and yeah it carries over to my every day life.
I always crack up at the way wines are described "oaky, smokey, fruity (duh, they are made from grapes) musty, lively" etc. all that from a beverage? I like wine too, but wow.
SayWhat at 10:13AM on 02/26/08
I agree with the people who said "toothsome" - ewwwwww!
CookiePie at 10:18AM on 02/26/08
I can't explain it, but I really hate the word "unctuous."
As for "foodie," it would be nice to come up with another simple word we could use to describe ourselves. I don't love it, don't hate it. When someone says, "she's a real foodie," about me, it has a very specific meaning. Sometimes I say "food is my hobby," but it may not be clear that I mean I like thinking about food, shopping for it, preparing it, eating it, serving it to friends and family, etc. I'd love a simple word that could convey all that.
Kerosena at 10:37AM on 02/26/08
"Gets" for "understands," especially with the adverb "really." For instance, "so and so really gets the New York restaurant scene," or "really gets food," or "really gets service." It's a lazy, imprecise and charmlessly colloquial locution, and I hope it heads to the blogosphere tar pit as quickly as possible. Even worse when reduced "so and so gets it."
Fat and Happy Food Slut at 10:57AM on 03/05/08
Oops, make that, "reduced to 'so and so gets it.'"
Fat and Happy Food Slut at 10:59AM on 03/05/08
It used to drive me insane to see "x" at the end of the word until I started to work at a hospital 10 years ago. Everything ends in x to abbreviate -- history = hx, diagnosis = dx, etc. I still hate seeing "u" for "you" and "ur" for "your/you're," which propagates the erroneous use of your and you're. ARGH! I've gotten better about "tho" and "thru."
Back to food.
- "special blend" -- yay for vagueness
- use of the word "sushi" for anything raw. FFS, sushi doesn't even mean raw!
- innards
Cassaendra at 11:20AM on 03/05/08
"Yummy" - it should be prohibited for use by anyone older than 12. When grown men and women say "it's so yummy!" (especially about something they just made themselves) - ewwwwww!
Also, "reduce down" as in "we'll add some wine and reduce this sauce DOWN for 5 minutes". As opposed to what, reducing it UP?
brooke29 at 11:46AM on 03/05/08