3 Ways Rachael Ray Influences the English Language

Rachael Ray. Yes, the name likely sounds familiar. She is the host and center-stage chef on many food-themed shows on television. The Rachael Ray Show is a popular one, and she has also written 20 cookbooks to date. The celebrity chef also has a large effect on the English language, in a few different ways.

Rachael Ray Creates New Words

Yes, Rachael Ray has created new words during her cooking segments. The words involve her recipes. Here are two of the words:

Yum-O!

The star uses the word Yum-O! when she likes the taste of a particular dish. Think of the word as another way to say Yummy or Mmm.

Smile before you say it, because it is a happy phrase!

The word is even part of the title of a charity she helped launch in 2007 to improve the foods children eat. The name of the charity is The Yum-O! Organization.

EVOO

• EVOO is an abbreviation for extra-virgin olive oil. In 2006, the Oxford American College Dictionary announced that the word would be added to its next edition.
• There was a bit of outcry about adding EVOO to the dictionary with the argument that the acronym is not really a word in itself.

Abbreviations for the English Language

EVOO is not the only abbreviation used by Rachael Ray. She also uses the phrase GB, which stands for Garbage Bowl.

The shortening of words exists in tandem with the trend to shorten words while communicating on social media networks. Twitter only allows 140 characters per Tweet. When users want to get a full message across in one Tweet, they may need to use abbreviations to fit the text. Rachael Ray is expanding the number of abbreviations to choose from!

Cookbook References

The popular chef has also made large contributions to the English language cookbook industry. With 20 cookbooks under her belt, she has become well versed in how to format English cookbooks complete with glossy color photos of delicious foods. Her first cookbook, published in 1999, was 30 Minute Meals.

The books are widely available online at Amazon.com, FamousFoods, and several other popular websites. Please note that on the cover of her Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook is the word YUM-O!, complete with exclamation mark.

Celebrity Rachael Ray continues to influence the English language as she tapes The Rachael Ray Show for television. She has created new words such as EVOO, which has even been added to a dictionary series. Her 20 cookbooks have made an impression on the English language cookbook industry. Perhaps she will create more new words or even a new television show soon!

References:

• FHM - Rachael Ray - Happy Chef
• Netscape Internet Service - From Rachael Ray to Mary J., Celebrity Word-Making, an EVOO Trend
• FamousFoods - Rachael Ray Cookbooks