To wonder what men mean when they say I’m like an onion?

[MyOpalReader]

I’ve had multiple men tell me that I have “so many layers” and that they have to “peel them back” to get to the core of who I am. I don’t know whether to take this as a compliment or something else entirely. Do people actually like the idea of peeling back layers or is this a polite way of saying I’m hard to figure out?

It means they stink when they they take their clothes off!

Yeah. I replace the word onion, to ass-hole
They've either a load of secrets or they read it from a meme.

I love Carol Ann Duffy! I love how honest her poetry is.

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/valentine/

The most common onion analogy is around many layers.
Do you come across as shy or outgoing then underneath you are the oposite. Or you act the air head but really are deep into quantum physics, like to stay home on weekends but have travelled all over the world. Say you hate sports and your favourite bands are Take That and backstreet boys but were a junior tennis champion and also can play grade 8 classical violin.
That kind of thing i imagine they mean.

I think the sort of man who calls you an onion is the sort of man who has called a lot of women onions and has been thought to be deep as a result.

I think they want to seem like they're making the effort to get to know you by saying how mysterious you are and talking about peeling back layers to cover up the fact that they hadn't bothered getting to know you at all because if they did know more about you they'd be able to talk about the "layers" of YOU rather than talking about the effort THEY are making.

Id also assume they say it to a lot of women for this same reason.

The fact that men plural have said it to you using the same analogy tells you it's a line. They want you to think they see you as special and deep and to feel flattered by it. Its possible that you're a bit reserved or that you have a variety of interests and views so they haven't immediately been able to put you in a box. Don't worry though, it's said to flatter not insult.

You enhance almost every meal, adding umami 🧅

Absolutely this. It’s a line.