People Can't Stand These Rachael Ray Catchphrases
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She might be as divisive as cilantro, but that hasn't stopped Rachael Ray from becoming a power player in the world of food media. From humble beginnings scooping ice cream at Howard Johnson (or "HoJo") to the launch of her wildly successful Food Network show, "30 Minute Meals" in 2001, to her present-day media empire, the chef and TV personality has enjoyed a rocket ride to success.
Today, Ray has her hand in a wide range of projects and products, from her eponymous magazine Rachael Ray In Season, to the syndicated talk show that shares her name, to branded cookware sets, including an exclusive line for home shopping giant QVC. That's in addition to her nonprofit organization, her more than 25 cookbooks, and her pet food line, Rachael Ray Nutrish.
With such a presence in virtually every avenue of food media, Rachael Ray earned a Facebook fan club. Her fame has also brought its fair share of haters, however. The number one gripe against America's number one kitchen cheerleader? Her "Rachael-isms," aka cute and cheeky phrases or abbreviations that some find simply intolerable. Read on for a list of the worst offenders.
Is it a choup or a stoup?
Huh? If these oddly similar, totally made-up words have no meaning to you, fear not. You're not alone. The Rachael Ray critics over at HuffPost, who came up with their own ranking of the star's most irritating vocabulary, clocked these terms at number five and number three, respectively, on the all-time worst list.
You probably refer to both of those items by their common name: soup. But that's simply not descriptive enough for the loquacious food lover. "Choup," a hybrid of the words "chowder" and "soup," refers to a dish with a consistency that falls somewhere between the two, like Ray's signature Harvest Creamy Corn Choup (via Food Network). That's not to be confused with "stoup," of course, which is – you guessed it – thinner stew soup but thicker than soup. A master of mashing up recipes as well as words, Rachael Ray notably used this term with her recipe for Spaghetti and Meatball Stoup (via Food Network).
Don't just make it tasty, make it YUM-O!
Rachael Ray is so notorious for speaking in euphoric slang, her magazine offers a glossary of Rachael-isms to help you keep track. As the food-savvy star explains, her signature outburst "yum-o" captures joy on your tongue for which the word "yum" simply isn't enough. The extra letter at the end is for 'Oh! That is so good!' It also happens to be the number one most annoying Rachael-sim on HuffPost's list, with the outlet bashing it as "essentially baby talk for your food."
While it might sound like just an annoying catchphrase, Rachael Ray's empire took the term and ran with it. Recently, Ray created the Yum-o Organization, a nonprofit aimed at getting children and families more involved with healthy food and cooking. With an express mission to "cook, feed, and fund," Yum-o is working to end hunger in America, to teach kids and parents the fundamentals of healthy cooking and nutrition, and to provide scholarships in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for those with career goals in the food industry. In addition to offering a virtual cooking camp, Ray authored "Yum-o! The Family Cookbook" (via Amazon), which she describes as "the ultimate family cookbook." Who knew an annoying phrase could give so much back to the community?
Stack up a sammie
No, it's not a nickname for your grandpa's old pal Sam. It's something you've probably eaten for lunch since you were a kid. "Sammies," aka sandwiches, are a medium in which Rachael Ray excels. Though the word rubs some people the wrong way – like the folks at HuffPost who correctly summarized "sandwiches DO NOT NEED NICKNAMES" – that hasn't stopped the carb-loving queen from cranking out recipes. In fact, sammies are such a large part of Ray's repertoire, they have their own section in the star's television archives.
Regardless of what you think of the word, it's hard to deny that some of these sammies sound downright...yum-o. Take the Smoked Brisket Sammie, for example. Hearty beef, smoky BBQ sauce, and tangy horseradish is a combination even the most vehement anti-nicknamers can enjoy (assuming they can get their hands on a "Big Marty"). Not a meat-eater? No problem. Rachael's got plenty of vegetarian-friendly sammies, too. Among the most popular is a classic Ray recipe mashup that combines eggplant Parmesan with a kid-friendly sandwich for mouthwateringly melty Eggplant Sloppy Joes. Wham, bam, thank you, Sam(mie)!
Don't forget the EVOO
If you've never heard the acronym E.V.O.O. then you have definitely never seen an episode of Rachael Ray's show (or read any of her cookbooks, magazines, or recipes). Standing for "extra virgin olive oil," a central ingredient in much of Ray's cuisine, this abbreviation has become an unrelenting chorus for the chef host. Noted one frustrated fan on Reddit: "I think what's so annoying about EVOO is that she always says 'extra virgin olive oil' after. What is the point of the acronym if you are going to ALWAYS say the full name?!" A valid observation, but that hasn't dissuaded Ray from using the term constantly.
The abbreviation is so synonymous with her smiling face, in fact, you can now buy a branded bottle of the oil featuring her signature acronym and the chef's picture. What's more, the Oxford English Dictionary added the term coined by Ray to its official list of words in 2018. That seems strange, since it's an abbreviation and not actually a word, but such is the power of Rachael Ray. Now get in the kitchen and make something "delish"!