Mouthfeel

Summary

The text discusses the concept of "mouthfeel" not only in the context of food and wine but also in the realm of spoken and written words, emphasizing the sensory pleasure derived from enunciating certain words.

Abstract

The article "Mouthfeel" delves into the sensory experience of both eating and speaking, drawing a parallel between the textures and flavors of food and the physical sensation of articulating words. It suggests that, much like the enjoyment derived from the tactile experience of eating, certain words can evoke a pleasurable "mouthfeel" due to their phonetic qualities. The author shares personal favorites such as "ineluctable," "bubble," "languid," and "tintinnabulation," each described with a vivid, gustatory metaphor. The piece underscores the importance of this often-overlooked aspect of language, proposing that a love for the physicality of words is essential for writers, and poets in particular, to fully engage readers' emotions and senses.

Opinions

The author believes in a unique, sensory pleasure derived from saying specific words, akin to the enjoyment of eating.
There is a suggestion that the connection with words strengthens over time, becoming as nourishing and bonding as food.
The article implies that to write engagingly, one must appreciate the taste of words as much as their meaning and sound.
Poets, according to the author, should view words as tangible entities, akin to food, to fully capture their essence in their writing.
The author playfully encourages readers to consider the mouthfeel of words and to savor their favorite "mouthfeel words" with a sense of joy and indulgence, akin to enjoying a good meal.

The pleasure of words in your mouth

Connoisseurs of food and wine make a big deal about mouthfeel. And so do the rest of us who enjoy the sensations in our mouths when we eat. Think melted butter on warm toast. Or the juicy pulp that fills our mouths with the first bite of an apple. That’s mouthfeel.

I also believe there is another kind of mouthfeel. The feeling of words in our mouths.

Think about words for a moment. All our lives, starting from our first baby babblings, we use words to communicate to the people (and sometimes the pets or toys) we want to connect with.

Perhaps under hypnosis, it would be possible to reconnect with how words felt in our baby mouths the first time we said “da-da-da”. Wouldn’t that be something! But the great thing about words is that our connection with them only grows stronger and more important with the passage of time.

There are words that I love to say aloud. Not solely because of their meaning or how they sound once spoken, but also because of the way they feel in my mouth and on my lips when I speak them.

Ineluctable. One of my favorite words. When I say it I feel I have some rich, delicious piece of homemade fudge in my mouth, melting slowly on my tongue.

Bubble. It is almost impossible for me to say this word without grinning. My lips want to part and my throat wants to chuckle.

Languid. In my mouth, this word feels heavy and smooth, like a big spoonful of cream of pumpkin soup.

Tintinnabulation. What can I say? If this word doesn’t feel like a mouthful of crunchy peppermint candy, I’m not sure what does!

So you can see, for me, words are like food. They stir up the excitement, the pleasure, the mouthfeel of eating a homecooked meal or a baked-from-scratch dessert.

Like food, words nourish. They please. They bond us to our beliefs and to the people we care about.

Remember when as children we were admonished by grownups not to talk with our mouths full? Well, as writers we have to ignore those instructions. We have to open our mouths, stuffed with all those tasty words, and let those words spill out.

If you don’t love the taste of words just as much as you love the sound and meaning of them, I think it could be difficult to write in such a way that engages the emotions and the senses.

Poets especially must be in love with words. We need to think of words not as mere tools but as food. Food so tangible and ever-present that we can taste those words, not just hear them when we speak or read them on the page.

What are some of the words that feel good in your mouth? Whatever your favorite mouthfeel words are, I want to wish you bon appetit!