feinschmecker

American  

[fahyn-shmek-uhr] / ˈfaɪnˌʃmɛk ər /

noun

German.

plural

feinschmecker

1. gourmet.

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Etymology

Origin of feinschmecker

First recorded in 1895–1900; literally, “fine-taster, gourmet”; from fein fine ¹ ( def. ) + Schmecker “taster,” from schmecken “to taste” ( see smack ¹ ( def. )) + -er -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A feinschmecker is a person who knows and cares a lot about good food. You might be a feinschmecker if the first thing you ask about when planning a trip is "Where are we going to eat?" The word feinschmecker, borrowed from German, comes from the words fein, meaning "fine or good," and shmecker, meaning "taster." So a feinschmecker is someone who has a taste for fine food and drink. It's similar to the word gourmet. A feinschmecker often knows a lot about good cooking and ingredients and can judge the quality of the food. A food critic or a judge on a cooking show is probably a feinschmecker.