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, 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/

• Audio (General American):

  (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

• finger-licking good

Related terms

• finger-licking

Translations

very delicious — see delectable,‎ scrumptious

extremely good, superb — see superb

Further reading

• “finger-licking, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.