Magoo came home from a birthday party last week and told me they’d eaten cheese-flavored cake. After a brief retch as I imagined a block of cheddar covered in frosting, I figured out what he was talking about. Why does his name sound so revolting and the other so delicious?
By another name it may taste as sweet but while words have no power to change the nature of something, their power to convey meaning mustn’t be underestimated. “Cheese-flavored cake” sounds to me like something flour-based with cheese flavoring – like a chocolate cake, only somehow made with cheese instead of chocolate. But cheesecake – I know that word! I know what it looks, tastes and smells like. And it is yummy.
Cheddar covered in frosting? Well, you just ruined my idea of cheesecake. haha Kidding 😀