Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Annoying food words

So I'm at this hotel alone, waiting for my interview tomorrow and Friday.

So I got to dinner at the hotel restaurant, which fancies itself as quite snazzy. Because I'm sick of looking at job related materials, I read the menu closely...food descriptions are fun.

But this menu committed some food writing crimes. The number one word I hate, in food descriptions?
Nestled.
It's always "X nestled on a bed of..."

Ugh. That is gross.

Coming a close second is "zesty". A lemon tart? Zesty? No!! Who'd have thunk it?

On a related note, my most hated fashion-and-lifestyle word, the scourge of fashion writing, is "flirty" - as in a "flirty dress". Retch.

Any food or fashion words you hate??

13 comments:

Mimi said...

Nested would be it... Oh and the French ''dans sa sauce''. Like a lamb leg in it's own sauce ... Why do I can only see blood ?

Merde for the interview!

Flavia said...

Ooh--good luck! I'll be thinking about you and sending best wishes your way.

Margaret said...

I actually like "flirty," sorry. But I am totally with you on "nestled." Ick!

Good luck with your interview!!!

Hilaire said...

Mireille - agreed..."dans sa sauce" is disgusting...I actually think the "dans sa/son" trend in general is an odd one with French food.

And Maggie - it's only the ubiquity of the word "flirty" that I don't like. As a word, it's fine...it's that newspaper style writers seem to empty their heads of any other word, for half the year!

lil'rumpus said...

Good luck on the interview!!!!!

Unknown said...

I've always disliked using the word "extreme" to describe food (usually at a Chilis or some other fern bar) - now I *adore* Chilis and miss it dearly, but I don't want to try the "extreme citrus spice shrimp"...

Good Luck!!

Pantagruelle said...

Good luck with your interview! Break a leg! :-)

Pamphilia said...

I hate seeing the noun 'quality' used as an adjective without the qualifier 'high' or 'low'. As in:

"That's some quality research you're doing."

Noooo! What quality?

Generally when I encounter 'quality' used this way, it's a marker of poor quality.

Hilaire said...

MW and Muse - agree with both of you! And muse, yes, that usage of quality indicates a lack of quality. It actually sounds like a joke, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

It's funny you mention fashion and food together, because usually the worst menu disasters occur when some knob tries to connect the food TO fashion, for example, something being 'enrobed'. A blah blah blah enrobed in a delicious blah blah. Blah! I also have a hate-on for "fresh tasting", as in 'a fresh tasting oven roasted tomato confit' (yes, this is for real); the word 'pool' as it might relate to any sauce; the word 'oasis' in reference to any food item... Oh god, there are so many more, now I'll be on the hyper-alert for these things. Sigh!

Hope all is well mid-interview!

A

grumpyABDadjunct said...

Go hilaire go! Instead of 'break a leg' I guess I should say 'break a tongue' - but that sounds pretty weird! Hope things go well today and tomorrow, and I'll talk to you this weekend.

Texter said...

I actually hate the way fashionistas overuse the word great!

Have you heard this before? Stacy London on What Not to Wear will say, "she has on this "great" dress with these "great" pointy shoes that elongate her legs. I've noticed its use elsewhere as well

Hilaire said...

Ooh, you got some goods ones, there, A.

And Texter - yes! Great is a totally overused banality...