Print"Locavore" is a terrible word
The concept is good and it probably should have a word, but "locavore" ain't it. Etymologically, that word come from the Latin "locus" meaning "place" when actually we intend to mean local food as in food from the eater's proximity, or vicinity. I propose two alternative words to replace this blight on the English language: "proximivore" or "vicinivore". What do you all think? Any other suggestions? Please just stop using "locavore".
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23 Comments:
What's wrong with "eating local food"? I hate made up words in general. And nouns transformed into words, in particular. Verbizing. Yuck.
kjgibson at 4:42PM on 04/23/08
it's a symptom of Rachel Ray's impending world domination
laurelie at 5:19PM on 04/23/08
What about "gastrotastrophy"? As a former English major, made up words usually quite annoy me, especially the RR ones. (stoup!?!?! yeesh...) But since there have been several gastrotastrophies in my checkered culinary past, I somewhat like that one, and I must admit to not being terribly offended by the recently coined "locavore" term. Old English majors like me have to have something to do in their spare time, I fancy, and making up new words keeps them out of more serious trouble.
To each his own...
frederika at 5:28PM on 04/23/08
How about LOCOvore?
As in crazy.
srhcb at 6:36PM on 04/23/08
sounds like a dinosaur
Carosone at 10:52PM on 04/23/08
What is wrong with plain English, Eat Local.
Nancy Reagan knew it would work with Just say no.
What about Just Eat locally.
JerzeeTomato at 1:30AM on 04/24/08
I'm not a huge fan of 'locavore' either -- I find it a bit precious -- but I do use it. It's a handy shorthand for 'someone who tries to eat locally-produced foods as much as possible.' Which I find a bit unwieldy in use.
valereee at 5:53AM on 04/24/08
It sounds better if you say it with an Italian accent.
That way, if you see one on the street you can yell out: "Hey! Loca Voor Ey!" and everyone will be happy.
Karen Resta at 7:09AM on 04/24/08
I think we as gourmet foodies should label the whole scandal Foodwordgate and be done with it.
LunaPierCook at 8:58AM on 04/24/08
As a former English major and current English teacher, I love made up words. I think they're part of the entity of language. I make up words regularly.
That being said, I agree that "locavore" sucks. I also don't like "flexitarian" or "opportunitarian." I do, contrarily, kinda like "freegan." It's somehow ridiculous enough that it doesn't offend me.
I blame foodie communities for most of those terms. I think we are responsible for creating the widespread desire to qualify and name what and how we eat. I'm still getting over my irritation with the term "foodie."
blackolive at 10:03AM on 04/24/08
Oh, and now that I've disclosed the English teacher part, I guess I'll do what everyone hates: it's Rachael Ray, not Rachel Ray.
blackolive at 10:06AM on 04/24/08
The problem with this discussion is now all I can hear in my head is a hip-slamming rendition of "Living La Vida Local!"
Yes, Jerzee Tomato, Nancy Reagan might have been on to something with "Just Say Lo."
HappyHoarfrost at 10:10AM on 04/24/08
@blackolive........I'm an English teacher want-to-be. I think freegan is a funny word and plan to use it, in writing. In speaking, they'd think I had a strange accent. My daughters are vegetarians, so the boyfriend is naturally asked if he is also. His standard answer is that he is an opportunivore........he'll eat anything offered to him, especially if it's freegan.
PerkyMac at 10:38AM on 04/24/08
I kinda like vicinivore. But I just dig alliteration in general, as hokey a literary device as it is.
Adam Kuban at 11:49AM on 04/24/08
Oh, Adam... just last night I sent an email to one of our fellow Serious Eaters going on about how I'm such an alliteration addict (Lime Love thread, anyone?)... I was informing her that her Thai Pork Burrito recipe had been rechristened Bangkok Burritos
It's SO nice to know I'm not totally weird.
Well.
Strike that.
Weird, definitely. But, at least I'm not alone!
;-)
LoCo at 12:44PM on 04/24/08
BTW, on topic, I don't like locavore, either. I do love made-up words, but I'm not overly fond of labels. But WTF do I know?
Carry on.
LoCo at 12:45PM on 04/24/08
P.S., @srhcb... I for one am DEFINITELY a LoCoVore...
;-)
Okay. I'm finished. Damn that extra cup of coffee...
LoCo at 12:49PM on 04/24/08
Setting aside locavore for the moment (and also setting aside any memories of the contestants on "America's Next Top Model" trying to do TV ads in Italian last night for it is the stuff nightmares are made of) I'd like to go back to "foodie" for I have a suggestion for its replacement.
Foodle.
It's a combination of fondle and noodle.
Karen Resta at 1:15PM on 04/24/08
"Foodle ... It's a combination of fondle and noodle."
@Karen, it seems ... aww, Hell no, I ain't goin' there again ... ;-)
LunaPierCook at 1:58PM on 04/24/08
These are important words, LunaPierCook. Identity politics and all being important nowadays and the stuff that huge sites like Gawker are made of.
I've never been a foodie though I may have been a locavore by sheer luck of the draw without even knowing it once in a while. I could stand being called a locavore if it were said in an Italian accent but not as the word stands at present. The word needs guts and style. I won't let a word join me without guts and style held within it. Right now it yawns. The photo of the original locavore woman (I just erased "girl" which I originally wrote and thought) that Adam posted shows her as very Nice.
Meow.
Also I could stand being called a foodle for it sounds rather adorable. Foodie of course, merely sounds like a drool.
Karen Resta at 2:18PM on 04/24/08
Karen ... you misunderstood ... see, there's just something about fondling someone's noodle ...
Never mind, I'm just gonna let it go now. ;-)
LunaPierCook at 3:38PM on 04/24/08
Once again we'll have to agree to agree, LunaPierCook. I did understand.
But since noodle fondling is what one chooses to make of it I pretended to not understand.
Stiff upper lip and all, you know. Carry on, carry on.
Locavore. As anyone can see there's another problem with the word - it is not anywhere as much fun to make fun of as foodie.
Karen Resta at 8:45PM on 04/24/08
Hmmm...let's see, carnivores eat meat, herbivores eat herbaceous things, and locavores eat locals.
The problem with the "locavore" concept is that it's difficult to apply in many geographic areas, unless you plan on living off of your root cellar all winter. And, if you really want to embrace the concept whole-hog, in the US you'll have to give up a whole lot of spices, not to mention tropical fruits. No more bananas, pineapple or coffee. Not much tea, except herbal stuff.
I have a feeling that the locavore movement may be a bit of a fad that fades away when people begin to look at what sorts of things aren't grown in their neighborhoods. Then the word can fade away, too.
dbcurrie at 9:03PM on 04/24/08