{"id":3571,"date":"2022-05-23T20:24:15","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T20:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=3571"},"modified":"2022-05-23T20:24:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T20:24:15","slug":"finger-lickin-good-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/finger-lickin-good-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Finger Lickin Good \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to describe a delicious meal? If so, you could use the expression, \"finger lickin good<\/em>.\" This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \"finger-licking good<\/em>\" is a complementary statement made after eating tasty food. The phrase was originally the slogan of the world's favorite fried chicken brand. However, since KFC was rebranded, the saying fell to the wayside, and people use it to describe any delicious food.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can use the phrase when talking about a delicious chicken dinner cooked at home. Or you can use it when talking about tasty fried fish takeout. After KFC dropped it, some people also put a vulgar spin on the slogan.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of memes on sites like 4-Chan and Reddit using the explicit nature of the expression. However, despite the hijacking of the meaning of the expression, it remains a popular way to display appreciation for eating good food.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cMan, that meal was finger lickin good honey. Where did you learn to cook chicken like the Colonel? That was like I was eating real KFC.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for the food, mom. You\u2019re the best cook in the world, and your steak pie is finger licking good every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat desert was finger lickin good. Do you think there\u2019s any more left, or have the animals at the buffet table savaged it already?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see why you wanted to host your wedding reception at the venue. The view is stunning, and the food is finger lickin good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you tried that new fish and chips spot down the road? It\u2019s finger lickin good, and the best in town for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat pizza looks finger lickin good. How about you pull me off a slice there, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of the catchphrase \"finger lickin good\" comes from the slogan of the popular fast-food franchise, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Founded in 1930, Kentucky Fried Chicken grew into one of America's most successful franchise businesses before collapsing at the end of the 90s and rebranding as KFC.<\/p>\n

The original Kentucky Fried Chicken launched an aggressive marketing campaign featuring the slogan in 1956. The idea behind the campaign is that when you finish eating your chicken, you lick your fingers and get the taste of the 11 original herbs and spices in the colonel's recipe, rounding off the meal.<\/p>\n

It was a roaring success, and the brand stuck with it as its catchphrase for decades. Even after its rebranding, the company kept the signature saying for many years before retiring it. The brand eventually put its 50-year-old slogan to rest in 2011.<\/p>\n

Finger lickin good was synonymous with the brand for years. After the retirement of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the late 90s, people started using the expression to describe any delicious food. Today, many people use it to describe anything tasty, and it doesn't have to be chicken.<\/p>\n