The "f" Word

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No, not that one.  I'm talking about a word that makes me cringe every time I hear it, especially when someone calls me one. No, it's not "feminist", I wear that one with great pride.  It's a word that has become ubiquitous in certain circles, a word I can hardly bring myself to even type....f**die.....Yes, it's foodie.

I loathe the word.  It just sounds so diminutive and childish. Why is the media so bent on destroying the beauty of the english language.  Why do these things catch on?   There are perfectly good words already out there to describe us...food lovers, chefs, gourmands, epicureans...ok perhaps a little pretentious but foodies!!??  That's how I call my dogs to dinner.   "Max, Pitou...foodies!"

 I am not part of a dog's dinner. As a food lover and a wordie word lover, I can hardly bear it.

I was thrilled to discover that someone with a much more impressive cooking and writing pedigree than I feels the same way.  I just started reading Mark Bittman's book "Food Matters" and by page 6, I realized I had discovered a kindred spirit.

"For my entire adult life I've been what used to be called a gourmand and is now called (unfortunately) a foodie..."

Why have we allowed this to happen? I humbly suggest we stop using the word and obliterate it!  Though I have to admit I don't hold much hope for the effort.   I'm also trying to maintain the word "chesterfield" and bring back "slubberdegullian". 

Comments

  1. Mrs. Pear TreeJune 6, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    I love the word "foodie." I used to write a restaurant review column for a local newspaper and wanted to call it "Okanagan Foodie." Sadly, the editor in charge had never heard of a "foodie" and thought no one would understand it (this was 10 years ago) and thought I was from another planet for even suggesting such a thing. Obviously, HE didn't read the Globe and Mail because that's who introduced me to the word. Now that it's gone all mainstream and is over-used, some of the sheen has worn off, but I still think it suits a person like me who ADORES food but lacks the education and pretense of an actual gourmand. But please don't feed me to the dogs ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Suzan Wood-YoungJune 6, 2012 at 9:09 AM

      Being an anglophile I'm not surprised you like it so much. Nappies, walkies, foodies (as in dog food) all Britishisms (now there's a terrible made up word. lol).

      Delete
  2. Mrs. Pear TreeJune 6, 2012 at 8:53 AM

    P.S. Long live the chesterfield!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am LOVDJune 6, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    And speaking of wordsmithing pet peeves, mine is the word forte. People, when using it in this sentence, "Knitting is not my forte" pronounce the word as 'forTay'. NO, dear friends. It is pronounced 'FORT'. 'ForTAY' is what happens in music when the notes get louder!!!! I'm using your blog comments section to help spread the word!

    From one foodie to another:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzan Wood-YoungJune 6, 2012 at 10:36 AM

      Sorry Lilly, it is ForTAY, from the French meaning strength. Forte in music is Italian, so I can see where you'd think there was a difference. However, it could be a regional thing and in your region of the U.S. or wherever you first learned it, it might very well be pronounced Fort.

      Delete
    2. Suzan Wood-YoungJune 6, 2012 at 2:26 PM

      Reply to my reply.... forte in french is actually pronounced "for" so perhaps we are all pronouncing it wrong, but over the years ForTay, or actually FORtay now that I pay attention to where we put the emphasis in the word, is an accepted pronunciation, which as you eluded to, is the Italian.

      Delete

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