One expression I hate is cooked (grilled, baked, etc.) to perfection. What the hell does that mean? Is it even possible? Can you take something imperfect and make it perfect by applying heat to it?

Along the same lines, I dislike hyper-hyperbole, such as "absolutely perfect" ( or as a noun, absolute perfection), "totally delicious" or even "completely tasteless", although I find myself using those expressions all the time.

It seems that no matter what forum/board I am on, Pet Peeve threads always get a lot of posts.

Listening to people describe wine usually makes me want to shove a screwdriver in my ear.

Yeah, wine talk is a whole category of its own. I've certainly perpetrated some of it. On the other hand, how can you have an enthusiastic discussion of something like wine---highly subjective, subtle and multi-faceted interplay of taste, smell, even feel (if "mouth-feel" counts)---and not end up sliding down the slippery slope into ridiculousness? You're pretty much restricted to "mmm, this is good" and "yuck" -- or you've got to head off down the path of goofy similes and comparisons, and risk mockery.

mrbarolo wrote:Yeah, wine talk is a whole category of its own. I've certainly perpetrated some of it. On the other hand, how can you have an enthusiastic discussion of something like wine---highly subjective, subtle and multi-faceted interplay of taste, smell, even feel (if "mouth-feel" counts)---and not end up sliding down the slippery slope into ridiculousness? You're pretty much restricted to "mmm, this is good" and "yuck" -- or you've got to head off down the path of goofy similes and comparisons, and risk mockery.

This reminds me of the first wine-tasting scene in Sideways where Paul Giamatti describes the wine as having something like notes of strawberry and edam cheese and Thomas Hayden Church responds "yes" on the strawberry but "definitely not" the cheese.

Some of the descriptions crack me up, too. At one of the wine bars in the city, the wine was described as having notes of "young cherry." Maybe I'm missing something - but I've never heard of "young cherry." "River rock" is another favorite descriptor.

Maybe I'm missing something - but I've never heard of "young cherry."

Gary, don't even start.

Mike G wrote:

Maybe I'm missing something - but I've never heard of "young cherry."

Gary, don't even start.

That post came up faster than I thought it would, boys.

I hate the use of "griddle" as a verb. "Sea bass griddled with polenta".

It makes me want to griddle the menu with bullets.

geli wrote:I hate the use of "griddle" as a verb. "Sea bass griddled with polenta".

It makes me want to griddle the menu with bullets.

Then you're really going to hate the al pastor thread over on the eating out board.

I think we should seriously consider an adjective-based fundraiser for LTH forum. Say, use PayPal and charge $.05 - not unlike a text message - for whatever descriptor you like, maybe later on adding a poll and making the least popular words and phrases more expensive.

Imagine how quickly that would add up!

(Back in the day when I worked at Starbucks, I used to wish we could require tips based on the number of adjectives)

geli wrote:I hate the use of "griddle" as a verb. "Sea bass griddled with polenta".

It makes me want to griddle the menu with bullets.

I understand that "griddle" probably began as a noun, but so did "pan" as in "pan fry."

"Griddle" as a very seems to convey something. What would you use in its place when discussing a food item that is cooked on a griddle. Would you say "cooked on a griddle"? You could, but that's four words for one, and I'm not sure I see what's gained.

Other diners were "tucking into" [insert food item here]. . . .

The only thing I want to be tucked into is bed, thank you very little.

I understand that "griddle" probably began as a noun, but so did "pan" as in "pan fry."

But do you say "I panned the fish" or "I pan-fried the fish"? Pan is still a noun in the latter example. "Griddle-fried" would be less obnoxious to me, somehow. I know I'm crazy, and I'm fighting a losing battle--don't even talk to me about "impact" as a transitive verb!!

geli wrote:

I understand that "griddle" probably began as a noun, but so did "pan" as in "pan fry."

But do you say "I panned the fish" or "I pan-fried the fish"? Pan is still a noun in the latter example. "Griddle-fried" would be less obnoxious to me, somehow. I know I'm crazy, and I'm fighting a losing battle--don't even talk to me about "impact" as a transitive verb!!

A better example would be "grill," which functions as a verb or a noun and doesn't seem to be a problem being either.

Can't say I see how "griddle-fried" would be an improvement, but this is all subjective. Me, I don't like the word "sandwich," though I can't put my finger on why and I certainly don't have a more suitable replacement for it.

"Solid" was an overused suburban-hip word 30 years ago when I was growing up in Cincinnati. It and "Later" were the favorite cool words of the straight-leg Levi corduroy crowd, (to which I aspired but was never accepted).

-Will

David Hammond wrote:A better example would be "grill," which functions as a verb or a noun and doesn't seem to be a problem being either.

I think griddle is perfectly acceptable as a verb, especially when used as a more accurate substitute for "grilling" (since I just used it in another thread). Over the years, griddle became conflated with grill. A "grill" cook, usually actually cooks on a griddle, a flat solid cooking surface, not on a grate over a heat source. In Chicago, most corner restaurants called "grills" don't really grill anything, they griddle.