Oxford English Dictionary Deems 'Muffin Top', 'Five-Second Rule' Legit
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Recently, the Oxford English Dictionary (widely thought of as the authority on the English language) went through a major update that included many food-related words and phrases. The words were deemed common enough in conversation to be included in the canon. We knew in our gut one day they would be for real. Thanks, OED. Here are some highlights:
Taquito: crisp-fried Tex-Mex snack
Banh Mi: Vietnamese sandwich
Cream-crackered: exhausted or knackered
Flat white: a style of espresso drink with finely textured foamed milk, common term from Australian English
Eton mess: British dessert consisting of whipped cream, pieces of meringue, and fruit
Rugelach: crescent-shaped pastry stuffed with cinnamon, raisins, or chocolate and made with cream cheese, found in Jewish cuisine
Lashed: drunk
Crème de cassis: blackcurrant-flavored liqueur
Doughnut holes: balls of doughnuts cut from the center of doughnuts
On the subject of picking up food off the floor, the OED had this to say:
"And speaking of food, the OED now acknowledges the ten- (or three-, five- etc.) second rule [second n.1 Additions (b)], which allows for the eating of a delicious morsel that has fallen to the floor, provided that it is retrieved within the specified period of time."
And on that lovely layer of fat, bulging over your waistline, OED dignified it with this commentary: "There are two main types of muffin in the English-speaking world: the flat round yeasted variety (known in North America as an English muffin), and the traditional American type, small cakes baked in cup-shaped tins and having a characteristic cap where the batter rises above the rim. It is to this latter sort that OED's new entry for muffin top n. refers, denoting in its first sense the top portion of such a muffin, or sometimes a muffin cooked in a special shallow tin so that it consists exclusively of this top part, without the soggy bottom whose relative undesirability once inspired an episode of Seinfeld. The second sense is figurative, referring to a protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers (cf. spare tyre n., love handle n.), which may sometimes be attributed to an excessive appreciation for muffin tops in the literal sense.
**Non-food related updates include: couch-surfing, la-la land, and smack talk as well as (wait for it) LOL and OMG. (OMG!!!)
For more on the updates, click here.
Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.
On the subject of picking up food off the floor, the OED had this to say:
"And speaking of food, the OED now acknowledges the ten- (or three-, five- etc.) second rule [second n.1 Additions (b)], which allows for the eating of a delicious morsel that has fallen to the floor, provided that it is retrieved within the specified period of time."
And on that lovely layer of fat, bulging over your waistline, OED dignified it with this commentary: "There are two main types of muffin in the English-speaking world: the flat round yeasted variety (known in North America as an English muffin), and the traditional American type, small cakes baked in cup-shaped tins and having a characteristic cap where the batter rises above the rim. It is to this latter sort that OED's new entry for muffin top n. refers, denoting in its first sense the top portion of such a muffin, or sometimes a muffin cooked in a special shallow tin so that it consists exclusively of this top part, without the soggy bottom whose relative undesirability once inspired an episode of Seinfeld. The second sense is figurative, referring to a protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers (cf. spare tyre n., love handle n.), which may sometimes be attributed to an excessive appreciation for muffin tops in the literal sense.
**Non-food related updates include: couch-surfing, la-la land, and smack talk as well as (wait for it) LOL and OMG. (OMG!!!)
For more on the updates, click here.
Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.
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