Fletcherism

American  

[flech-uh-riz-uhm] / ˈflɛtʃ əˌrɪz əm /

noun

1. the practice of chewing food until it is reduced to a finely divided, liquefied mass: advocated by Horace Fletcher, 1849–1919, U.S. nutritionist.

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Fletcherism British  

/ ˈflɛtʃəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. the practice of chewing food thoroughly and drinking liquids in small sips to aid digestion

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Etymology

Origin of Fletcherism

1905–10, Fletcher + -ism

Example Sentences

Nutrition faddist John Harvey Kellogg, whose sanatorium briefly embraced Fletcherism, tried to re-enliven mealtimes by hiring a quartette to sing “The Chewing Song,” an original Kellogg composition, while diners grimly toiled.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2013

In the United States and Europe, administrators at workhouses, prisons, and schools flirted with Fletcherism.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2013

Fletcherism, as it was called, promoted chewing a mouthful of food until all "goodness" was extracted, then spitting out the fibrous material that was left.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2013

The only beneficial effect he found in Fletcherism was a marked increase in his ability to solve chess problems.

From Time Magazine Archive

There is growing throughout the land to-day a conviction—which has its core of truth—that many people eat too much meat; and not a few see a remedy in vegetarianism and Fletcherism.

From McClure's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, No. 4, August 1908 by Various