Surf’s up! When surfers describe the waves as going gangbusters, it’s a great time out on the water. But why that word? Plus, a thesaurus of flavors serves up delicious writing about the taste of foods and spices. And speaking of...
The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook (Bookshop|Amazon) by Niki Segnit features delicious writing about combinations of foods and spices to inspire culinary creativity. This is part of a complete...
If you need a synonym for stench, there’s always hogo, from French haut-gout, literally “high flavor.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Hogo” Here’s a word that was a new one on me, HOGO, H-O-G-O...
Why would a Three Musketeers candy bar be named for a 19th-century adventure novel? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Three Musketeers Candy Bar Name” You know, if you’re standing in the checkout line and looking...
Can a grenache really taste like strawberries, rhubarb, hints of leather and dutch cocoa, all over the course of a long swig? While it may sound ridiculous, it does pose the challenge: how would you describe a flavor? It’s not easy to talk...
Here’s a puzzler: try to explain what malt tastes like without using the word malty. Or, for that matter, describe the color red. Defining sensory things is one of the great challenges that dictionary editors confront. Imagine writing and...