# It doesn't sell! Let's call it something else! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 22, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624 "2023-01-22T21:34:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2023, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/141 "2023-01-26T22:40:20Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > My favorite is “Canola oil”, for a nasty substance that used to have an even nastier name. > > What is nasty about rapeseed oil? Or is it only the Canola brand? I don’t think I’ve ever had rapeseed oil that wasn’t branded canola. But it tastes nasty to me. Fresh and unheated it has little flavor, but if you cook with it or let it sit in the cupboard it gets… maybe it just goes rancid extremely fast? But i really dislike the flavor that it often imparts. So much so that when some brand of packaged cookie switched from palm and coconut oil to canola oil, i bought some without realizing that, and spat out the first cookie in disgust. Then i looked at the package, and wrote to the manufacturer to complain. My guess is that i want alone, because they switched to less nasty tasting oils shortly after that. I know it is supposed to be good for you. But so is olive oil, and olive oil tastes good. Anyway, my cholesterol numbers are fine, so i pick fats for their flavor, and tend to favor butter, duck/goose fat, peanut oil, and olive oil, depending on what I’m cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/142 "2023-01-26T22:43:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I had no idea there was a difference between vegetable oils. I pretty much just buy whichever is cheapest at the moment. I don’t think it matters for most people. It’s all got about the same smoke point, or at least the difference in that respect really doesn’t matter for most cooking. I also think that canola has a peculiar smell when it gets really hot, and corn oil gives a flavor that you perhaps don’t want in some dishes, but not everyone has those issues. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/143 "2023-01-26T22:47:55Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But it tastes nasty to me. Fresh and unheated it has little flavor, but if you cook with it or let it sit in the cupboard it gets… maybe it just goes rancid extremely fast? But i really dislike the flavor that it often imparts. So much so that when some brand of packaged cookie switched from palm and coconut oil to canola oil, i bought some without realizing that, and spat out the first cookie in disgust. Then i looked at the package, and wrote to the manufacturer to complain. My guess is that i want alone, because they switched to less nasty tasting oils shortly after that. > > I know it is supposed to be good for you. But so is olive oil, and olive oil tastes good. Anyway, my cholesterol numbers are fine, so i pick fats for their flavor, and tend to favor butter, duck/goose fat, peanut oil, and olive oil, depending on what I’m cooking. Sometimes I swear we’re the same person. Are you sure we’re not us? 🙂 IOW, I agree 100%. It’s a nasty-tasting product, and there are rather few ordinary foods that just taste not quite edible to me. Canola is one such. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/144 "2023-01-26T22:50:29Z")
Castor oil is now brake fluid. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/0pEKCXw.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/0pEKCXw) ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/145 "2023-01-27T00:03:31Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > acid in rapeseed oil You wouldn’t because you are buying it for consumption. But the rapeseed oil used for greasing machinery tends to be more acidic. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/146 "2023-01-27T00:07:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s a nasty-tasting product It can be, especially if it is old or has been heated really high. It totally ruins my mother’s vegan pie crust recipe, originally meant for Mazola corn oil. Mind you, the corn oil flavor will come out in the recipe, too. But I’ve grown used to it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/147 "2023-01-27T01:18:18Z")
I don’t love the taste of corn oil. It’s not actively delicious, like butter. But corn oil is totally inoffensive. Mildly pleasant, even. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/148 "2023-01-27T06:08:34Z")
> [@](#): > > maybe it just goes rancid extremely fast? [Canola oil] In my experience, yes! I won’t buy it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/149 "2023-01-28T22:32:46Z")
I don’t use any oil very often, so so my olive oil and vegetable oil (soybean this time) bottles live in the refrigerator. Yes, they gel, but that’s not an issue. They stay fresh tasting much longer than if they’re just kept in the cupboard. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/150 "2023-01-29T03:43:06Z")
It’s bizarre to think of now, but the makers of the diet suppressant candy Ayds was apparently very circumspect about changing the name in the wake of the AIDS crisis in the late 80s. They argued that the product already had great brand recognition and that a rebranding would be costly. One executive said “The product has been around for 50 years, let the disease change its name.” Wow. It took sales plummeting by 50% before they decided to change the name. But I guess even at that point with thousands dying, people still didn’t fully grasp the situation because an outside brand naming company executive helpfully suggested the new name of “Skinny — From the Makers of Ayds.” Ouch. And when they finally did change the name, it was to Diet Ayds. For fucks sake, what a big difference. In the UK they changed it to Aydslim, which is arguably worse. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/151 "2023-01-29T03:50:03Z")
Especially since a typical symptom of AIDS was losing a lot of weight. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/152 "2023-01-29T04:23:13Z")
Also, the words “vintage” and “retro” do not mean the same thing, and are not interchangeable. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/153 "2023-01-29T04:25:28Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’ve known for a long time that canola is a euphemistic name for rape seed oil, but I didn’t know until recently that it was an acronym. It comes from “Canadian oil, low acid”. Hmmm. Does that mean saying “canola oil” is like saying “ATM machine” or “PIN number?” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/154 "2023-01-29T04:26:37Z")
This program is informative, and entertaining too, and appropriate for all ages. [Rodents of Unusual Size | A Real-Life Horror “Tail” | Independent Lens | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/rodents-of-unusual-size/#:~:text=About%20the%20Documentary,swamp%20rats%20known%20as%20nutria). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/155 "2023-01-29T04:33:34Z")
Duplexes are also called “bi-attached” in some areas, especially if they’re not rental properties. “Artisan” had its day in the sun a few years ago. I still see it occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/156 "2023-01-29T04:48:06Z")
It was actually taken off the market because it didn’t meet FDA standards for OTC drugs; Ayds contained benzocaine, which would temporarily blunt the taste buds, but there was little or no evidence, besides the testimonials in “Workbasket” magazine, that it actually worked for weight loss. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/157 "2023-01-31T03:02:46Z")
The late-model Ayds had phenylpropanolamine in them. It’s a sympathomimetic so it is a mid stimulant and appetite reducer. It’s banned for OTC drugs in the U.S. now. The stuff just made my scalp crawl and kept me awake like pseudoephedrine does. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/158 "2023-01-31T03:10:31Z")
I have a feeling that this whole Ozempic vs. Mounjaro thing is something similar. Of course people lose weight on it; half the time, it makes them feel too sick to want to eat! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/159 "2023-02-02T03:05:56Z")
In the meantime, a FORMER lunch lady from Illinois has been arrested for fraudulently order $1.5 MILLION in chicken wings, which the school district didn’t serve because they had bones, through the school account. I’m guessing that she was supplying a restaurant. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1-IwMDprJ4o/maxresdefault.jpg "Suburban school worker charged with stealing $1.5M worth of chicken wings from district") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IwMDprJ4o) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624/160 "2023-02-02T12:25:38Z")
That’s a pretty big scam dollar-wise, although it may have been running for years. Employees selling a restaurant’s supplies out the back door are as old as restaurants. Doesn’t make it right but does make it commonplace. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-doesnt-sell-lets-call-it-something-else/978624.md?page=9)