I’ve got my face back in the dictionary. It happens frequently. I’m not sure why, but every so often a word shows up that feels like it’s trying to tell me something. It stands out. So here we go again.
The word I’m thinking about is consummate. To me, consummate is one of those words that means one thing, but in my mind, it also means something else. In this case, I think it could be soup. Like consommé. If you’ve never had it, consommé is a clear, refined broth made by simmering stock with egg whites. This is done to remove impurities. Because it’s clarified, it’s often crystal clear and considered a more elegant or “finished” soup.
And wouldn’t you know? The word consommé comes from the same French root as consummate, meaning complete or perfected. So the two words aren’t just similar. They’re linguistically related. French cousins.
At its core, consummate means highly skilled or masterfully done. We use it before a noun. For example, a consummate chef or a consummate storyteller.
It’s the word we reach for when “good,” or even “great,” just won’t cut it.
But like all good words, consummate has a history. Before consommé simmered in French kitchens, consummate came into English in the 1400s. It was from the Latin consummare, meaning “to finish or bring to completion.”
By the early 1500s, the meaning stretched into “complete in every detail.” It became a word used to describe people who do things very well.
These days, consummate is pretty darn versatile. It can describe excellence, as in “a consummate performance.” It can describe extremity, as in “a consummate disaster.”
So there it is. Consummate. Consume’. Whatever the case may be.
Now, may we all go have a bowl of good, clear broth?
Or a Snickers bar.
One of those is a consummate treat.
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“The finishing touches are what separate the fine from the merely good.”
— Samuel Johnson
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“Skill is the unified force of experience, intellect, and passion.”
— John Ruskin
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“Do it with passion or not at all.”
— Rosa Nouchette Carey
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