18 Food Words And Sayings That Are Like Nails On A Chalkboard

Even though a word is just, well, a series of letters, it still has the power to make you feel something — that’s the beauty of language. Some words have the ability to leave you feeling nostalgic and sad, some can make you happy and excited, and others can just plain freak you out.

But the worst kinds of words and sayings out there are the ones that are just really, really cringe-worthy.

You know the ones: they sound awkward and gross, they’re spelled strangely, and you don’t even really know why we have to use them in the first place. There are plenty of food words and sayings that are this horrible, and we’re honestly sick of hearing them.

Fortunately, there are so many other ways to describe food, whether you’re writing about it, talking about it, or even just reading a menu at a nice restaurant. Yes, some of these words are kind of annoying while others sound delicious, and then some seem totally out of place. Words used to describe certain techniques can seem strange — and adjectives that describe how something tastes are meant to make the item appealing, but often do the opposite.

Do we really need to potentially ruin an amazing dish with these words?!

Below are a few of the worst food words and sayings that will definitely make you cringe:

1. “Moist” is one of the worst offenders.

We’ll start out with a bang.

While moist can describe a lot of things, it’s often used to describe baked goods, and there’s probably not that many people out there who don’t cringe every time they hear it being used.

2. “Mealy” is another word that has no business being used around food.

Mealy often refers to something soft, dry, and crumbly.

It’s not necessarily bad, but it sounds bad…

Doesn’t it remind you of mold for some reason?

3. “Slurping” is just plain terrible.

Slurping is often used when talking about someone eating something liquidy, like soup.

Think, “She’s slurping up the soup.”

But why?! This just sounds gross, like something an animal would do.

4. “Nosh” sounds like something your grandma would say.

The word nosh is actually British for food, so maybe it doesn’t sound cringe-worthy in certain parts of the world.

But for anyone who doesn’t use it often, it just sounds off.

5. “Unctuous” should basically never be used again.

Unctuous means something that is fatty, oily, smooth, and/or greasy.

But it also sounds completely unappetizing, and while it is describing certain unappetizing things, it’s just…. not good.

6. Saying something is “lip-smacking good” is just weird.

Yes, it means the food is delicious.

But do you really want to think of someone eating and smacking their lips at the same time?

That just sounds messy and gross.

7. “Sammies” is not the best abbreviation out there.

Sammie is short for sandwich.

It’s also just really obnoxious.

Is there a reason we had to shorten the word at all?

8. “Molecular Gastronomy” sounds way too scientific to be about food.

Molecular gastronomy studies the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking, and often refers to a new style of cuisine that is hugely artistic.

But it just sounds too formal to be about food!

9. “Creamy” is almost as bad as moist.

Yes, creamy often refers to something delicious, but it also just sounds icky.

There has to be a better way!

10. “Warmed over” is basically another way to say reheated.

Why can’t we just say reheated? Warmed over sounds extremely disgusting — like something bad happened to the food.

11. “Blood sausage” is maybe the worst name for a food item ever.

Blood sausage is a relatively popular kind of pork sausage that many people enjoy.

But why does it have to have the world’s most unappetizing name?

12. “Curd” makes it sound like something has gone bad.

Curd refers to the point when milk sours, and is often used when talking about cheese or maybe lemon curd.

So it actually is something that has gone bad, and yeah… you can tell.

13. Saying something has “pulp” in it does not make it sound good.

Maybe this is the real reason no one likes orange juice with pulp.

It just sounds awful!

14. “Crusty” also sounds like something that has gone bad.

Crusty is another word that describes something that is usually really good, but it just doesn’t sound appetizing.

It makes you think of crust, but not in a good way.

15. “Munch” is just a very weird word. Sorry.

There’s no way around it: munch is an awkward word.

And yet everyone uses it all the time!

16. “Nom” sounds like a baby noise.

Whenever you say “nom, nom, nom,” don’t you feel like you’re just trying to speak like a baby? It’s weird!

17. “Gastropub” doesn’t sound very appetizing.

The word “gastro” makes you think of some sort of weird digestive issue, so why use it to describe somewhere you’re going to eat? It doesn’t make sense.

18. “Deconstructed” is a terrible way to describe food.

A deconstructed meal is usually code for “a dish you’re familiar with prepared in a really odd way.” And the term just doesn’t sound delicious. So both the term and the concept are weird!

Let’s all make a mental note to never use these words again — at least when you’re talking about food.