"treats" - really cringey?

[Poppyismyfavourite]

AIBU to find the word "treats" really cringey??

As in "oh I'm on a diet so limiting the amount of treats I eat" or "I brought some treats for the kids"...

In my mind it just really doesn't mean human food at all, it conjures up images of people knawing on a pedigree dentastix... or those disgusting meat sticks that the cats like...

*LIGHTHEARTED (obviously)! Yes I know I have too much time on my hands, but I'm still WFH and a bit bored...

How do you feel about people describing themselves as snacks (meaning attractive)?

sackofspuds.
Was that really necessary ?

Naughty- especially used when it's someone who's constantly on a diet and constantly talks about their current diet.

Nom nom nom or similar is awful.

Yummy - is fine especially when you cba to say delicious etc

LadyPrigsbottom - the use of snack in that context is horrendous. And won't comment further as I don't want to draw attention to it.

DH calls them 'sweet treats' which is even worse. Grounds for divorce?

Choccy biccy. Bleeeeergh.

I have a friend who goes with her dh for a lite bite. When she says it, I know she spells it like that.

Friend always talks about giving her kids a 'treaty tea'

Maastricht cake? Versailles Pudding?

My late MIL used to say "a bite to eat " it used to really drive me nuts dh will say it now and again but I let him off but my god it makes my toes curl!

I kind of like the German word Knabberartikel (nibble items). It's a more satisfying word to say than snacks.

However, the word meal is like scratching fingernails down a blackboard to me. It's a nasty, mean, whiny-sounding, bland, maggoty word that conjures up bread, water and gruel in my mind. I appreciate that some of those adjectives are a bit random but that is how the word feels to me. Maggoty, bland and mean.

Glad I'm not alone, it's another word that I like. The image it conjures up for me is Bonemeal that I guess is crushed animal bones that goes in soil as fertiliser.

My ILs use it "Are you going out for a meal", me "No I'm out for lunch / dinner"

'Mealy mouthed' so evocative and insulting

Oh I ate "meal" Sounds really measly.

Lite bite is horrid - conjures up faddy diets

bite to eat- my dm says that, don't mind it really. Think because I've always heard it being said has normalised it

Dh says bite to eat, or tells people they will get their tea when they will be having dinner after an event. At home we have breakfast, lunch and dinner, we don't have a meal called tea. (Although my parents had dinner at one and tea at six - he didn't).
I suppose meal would be worse.

I don't like 'fizzy pop' either, call it what is it carbonated unnatural liquid.

Or 'juice' used for concentrated squash with tonnes of sweetener.

'Taytos' as a 'cute' form of potatoes pass the sick bag

I'm the opposite to you OP in that I hate the way that Mumsnet are opposed to the word 'treat.' I just don't get it.

Marketing encourages the word 'treat' as a reward and as a consolation. Good day treat = spend money.
Bad day treat= spend money.
It devalues feelings and talking about feelings and replaces this with purchases.

@Enough4me I'd say that's spot on. Especially damaging when women are encouraged to treat themselves by making themselves more attractive to men (a nice face pack, getting your hair/nails done etc)

I once saw someone on here talking about their DD’s ‘treat box’ - she was overweight and the poster had introduced the ‘treat box’ to help her lose weight. Ie ‘she’s allowed two things from her treat box a day.’ Made me feel sick.

Another one that I hate is ‘afters’ for pudding.

Looking at the thread, I wonder why so many of the words that make us feel ill are food related?

Treats and snacks both sound stupid to me.

Snack in the singular is ok though!

This reminded me of having 'goodies' as a child. After dinner I had a can of coke, a packet of crisps and a toffee crisp. Every night! No wonder I was fat and I have no idea why my patents gave it to me. Luckily it stopped when I went to secondary school.

Theres a cafe near me called sutton snax’s 😩

I like the word 'treat' as it implies something occasional. It's not a treat if you have it every day. I like to treat the kids occasionally just because. Not as a bribe or reward, just because treats are a fun part of life. But if you have them every day then it loses the magic and makes you spoilt.
Treats for my kids (6, 4, 2) would be ice cream, chocolate, cinema, softplay etc.
I do the same for myself with a coffee for example. Not an every day thing or a reward, just occasional if I fancy it.

[quote ItWasNotOK]@Enough4me I'd say that's spot on. Especially damaging when women are encouraged to treat themselves by making themselves more attractive to men (a nice face pack, getting your hair/nails done etc)[/quote]
Hmmmmm getting hour nails done I think is actually one of the things women do for other women / themselves. I've never heard of a man saying "phwoar check out those shellacs - HOT".

LIGHTHEARTED

Your*

My very Welsh mother has been known to refer to them as "niceys"
Simply not acceptable. Horrible, in fact I'm sorry for even writing it down

I really hate the phrase “something to eat” as in “shall we have something to eat” when talking about lunch or dinner.