The second installment of "oh dear God, I hate that word" is targeted on nom nom, and any iteration of it. (The first in this series focused on the word moist, the worst offender of words when it comes to food or the English language in general.) Nom nom was popularized by Sesame Street's beloved character, the Cookie Monster, and it's often used to describe something delicious.
When it comes to the use of nom nom, and our bubbling hatred for it, we almost feel like we don't have to explain ourselves. Because, like we just stated, nom nom is what the Cookie Monster says. And while we have a soft spot for this cookie glutton, he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. So why in the world would we want to start talking like him? (For the record, if we were to mimic any of Sesame's Streets characters, it would definitely be Count von Count.)
In the Urban Dictionary, nom nom is first defined as "the sound of ravenous eating." We're not certain about this, but we're pretty sure we don't want to hear someone eat ravenously -- it must sound pretty gross, and not delicious at all.
In our opinion, the use of the phrase nom nom is as offensive as partaking in baby talk. You just shouldn't do it. Anyone who doesn't yet have a child (or is still sane despite having one) knows how nauseating it is to witness grown adults lose their ability to pronounce consonants when a baby child or animal is present. To us, it's really simple: if you are fortunate enough to know how to speak properly, you should do it.
If you're one of those people who often partakes in the use of nom, please know that we don't judge you for it. We understand how these trends -- however odd they may be -- can take off. We only hope that you help us fight to bring this word back to its rightful place, with the Cookie Monster.
If you don't know how to survive without nom nom, here are a bazillion (or 39) other words you can use in its place: ambrosial, appetizing, choice, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delish, enjoyable, enticing, exquisite, fit for king, good, gratifying, heavenly, luscious, lush, mellow, mouthwatering, nectarous, nice, palatable, piquant, pleasant, rare, rich, savory, scrumptious, spicy, sweet, tasteful, tasty, tempting, titillating, toothsome, well-prepared, well-seasoned, yummy and even divine (which turned out to be a great alternative to moist as well).
How do you feel about nom nom? Leave a comment!
Check out these delicious (delectable, well-prepared, toothsome) pie recipes!
