Words we love: eggnog (what's a nog?)

I was recently scrolling through LinkedIn when I came across a post from Design Week’s Rob Alderson: “The word I enjoy most but understand least: eggnog.” I couldn’t help but agree.

We’ve featured some weighty and inspirational words in our Words We Love series, from sonder to panacea, but somehow eggnog never made the cut. Until now.

Eggnog either feels like a cosy recipe handed down from someone’s great-grandmother or a Shakespearean insult. It sounds indulgent and comforting, yet also somewhat repulsive.

While most of us know what eggs are, the question remains: what is a nog?

Apparently, the word likely comes from an Old English term for a strong ale or from a “nogging”, a small wooden cup used to serve it. But none of that really matters. What matters is the sound. Egg. Nog. Both humble. Both oddly satisfying. Together, iconic.

Of course, eggnog is a festive staple, even if nobody really seems to like it. It appears for a fleeting couple of weeks each year before vanishing in a cloud of nutmeg, hibernating until next Christmas. A bit like Michael Bublé.