finger-lickin' good

English

WOTD – 9 September 2021

Etymology

From the advertising slogan “It’s finger-lickin’ good” adopted by the U.S. fast-food restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) in 1956,[1] referring to the fact that something eaten with the hands is so delicious that one cannot help but lick one’s fingers to savour the crumbs of food or juices left behind.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɪŋɡəˌlɪkɪn ˈɡʊd/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfɪŋɡɚˌlɪkɪn ˈɡʊd/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: fing‧er-lick‧in' good

Adjective

finger-lickin' good (comparative more finger-lickin' good, superlative most finger-lickin' good) (US, colloquial)

  1. Of food: very delicious; delectable, scrumptious.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:delicious
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:unpalatable
  2. (figuratively) Extremely good; superb.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:excellent, Thesaurus:wonderful
    Antonyms: awful, dreadful, terrible; see also Thesaurus:bad, Thesaurus:low-quality

Alternative forms

Translations

References

  1. Compare finger-licking (also finger-lickin’), n., adv., and adj.” under finger, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2016.

Further reading

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