[New Word Dictionary] Meokyoil - Loosen Your Waistband Today

Meokyoil refers to a day during a diet period, occurring once every 1 to 2 weeks, when one does not follow the diet plan and eats the food they want. Illustration by Seongsu Oh

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Citizens of the ancient Roman Empire truly, or rather wholeheartedly, enjoyed their meals. The Roman gourmet culture, developed mainly among the aristocracy, typically involved 3 to 4 meals a day, each consisting of three courses. The satirical poet Juvenal described one course of a meal he was invited to as follows: “First came lobster served with asparagus, followed by Corsican mullet and delicious conger eels caught in the Strait of Sicily, goose liver and a domestic rooster the size of a house, then steaming wild boar meat, and finally spherical chocolate truffle pastries and apples.” Aulus Vitellius, the eighth emperor of the Roman Empire, was a figure at the pinnacle of Roman gourmet culture. His eating habits, recorded as enjoying four meals a day, were unmatched even among nobles who routinely ate, vomited, and ate again. At one banquet, he spared no expense, using 2,000 top-quality fish and 7,000 poultry as ingredients. Within months of his ascension to the throne, he spent 900 million sesterces solely on banquet costs. Considering that the average annual revenue of the Roman Empire at the time was 40 million sesterces, Vitellius’s appetite was sheer madness. There are even records that at times, driven by insatiable hunger, he filled his stomach by eating food waste.

“Meokyoil” refers to a day during a diet period, typically once every 1 to 2 weeks, when one does not follow the diet plan and eats whatever they want. Originally called “Cheating Day,” the National Institute of the Korean Language proposed “Meokyoil” as a Korean alternative, making it a commonly used term. The binge-eating culture of ancient Rome, close to gluttony, was possible because of the practice of eating and vomiting. Recently, as the number of people dieting has surged and diet management has gained attention, cases of people suffering from eating disorders by repeatedly binge eating and vomiting due to stress from failing to maintain their diet are not uncommon. As Aristotle’s maxim states that courage is the virtue of moderation balancing recklessness and weakness, experts advise that a healthy diet is only possible when one maintains a balance between six rigorous days of control and one day of “Meokyoil” to enjoy food freely.

Example

A: Hey, you worked hard at PT today, how about some chicken and beer?
B: No way. I brought chicken breast and sweet potatoes.
A: How can you eat chicken and sweet potatoes every day? You need a day off once in a while.
B: My Meokyoil is tomorrow. Let’s hold out today and have one chicken each tomorrow.
A: You’re so stubborn. Alright. I’ll eat chicken tomorrow and buy a boiled egg or something today.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.