![]() ![]() (No one likes a soggy bottom, as former Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry taught us.) "When you think about what your alternative might be, 'moist' suddenly doesn't seem so bad."Īlejandra Ramos, a chef and on-camera host, says people's reactions are even worse when the word is said aloud versus written. "You wouldn't say 'clammy' or 'sweaty', and 'damp' scares me because I go to 'soggy', and 'soggy' is awful," she says. "If you don't like them, isn't that better than using words that are misleading?" "Does it accurately describe what you're trying to describe, and are those words effective?" she asks. Particularly when crafting recipes or other instructions, she notes, it's important to use clear language to help readers understand exactly how to achieve what they're aiming for. Journalist and food writer Charlotte Druckman similarly sees utility in using "moist". "You want specific, and moist is specific."īy submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's "There's nothing wrong with the word 'moist,'" insists Dianne Jacob, a writing coach and the author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Memoir, Recipes, and More. She has her own taboo words: "delicious" ("it means nothing," she says) and "yummy", which she dismisses as "baby talk".īut "moist" has the benefit of conveying a particular quality of food, and therefore deserves a place in writers' arsenals, she says. And so, it's time the moist-haters of the world find a new word to pick on. The inescapable fact is that we need moist. Neither do "dampish", "dank" or "wettish", which are the other alternatives offered by Merriam-Webster. All of which proved the point that there's really no synonym for the word "moist". Predictably, the use of the word often associated with moldy basements also elicited revulsion. well are you happy now? happy with your DAMP CAKE? /neBhFKp4NU- Jane □□□ 14, 2021 Oh everybody hates the word "moist," let's never use that word again. "Well are you happy now? happy with your DAMP CAKE?" "Oh everybody hates the word 'moist,' let's never use that word again," she captioned the image. ![]() The poster pointed out that the use of the word "damp" was the logical conclusion of the exiling of "moist" from the public square. "This is a wonderfully damp, dense, and aromatic cake," read Lawson's description of a clementine-infused confection that was included in her book How to Eat. A user posted a screenshot showing the introduction of a recipe written by Nigella Lawson in which the cookbook author seemed to reach for a synonym to the M-word, and the results were. Still, it has its defenders – and last week, a heated discussion on Twitter added more evidence to the case for relieving moist of its stigma. You can even buy a T-shirt declaring moist the "worst word ever". It has been the focus of scientific inquiry, with experts determining that its association with women's anatomy is to blame for people's aversion to it. It was the front-runner when the Oxford Dictionary in 2016 attempted to compile a list of the most hated words in the English language. For years, the poor adjective has been relegated to outcast status. ![]()
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