When to use the word "tasty"

In short

Dictionaries do not limit the scope of this word. Although many say "tasty" only when it comes to food, the adjective can also be used in conjunction with inedible objects. It won't be a mistake: it all depends on your way of perceiving the world.

More details

We found out from a psycholinguist what exactly was the matter.

First, let's turn to linguistics. The meaning of the word "tasty" is "pleasant to the taste, causing a pleasant sensation in a person eating food." At the same time, it has a figurative meaning "pleasant, pleasurable." Thus, from the point of view of linguistics, it is quite acceptable to say “tasty” about an inedible object. But from the point of view of psychology, there are many interesting nuances.

For some people, this phrase causes cognitive dissonance, while others consider it quite harmonious. This is because, depending on the way of perceiving information, people are divided into two types: sensing and intuitive.

The word “tasty” is from the vocabulary of sensory people, because they are the ones who are ready to compare anything with their kinesthetic, bodily experience. Such people are used to translating all their conclusions into the plane of “touch”, “touch”, “taste”. Therefore, the phrase "tasty lecture" or "tasty text" will not cause rejection in the sensory person, because it sounds in his language.

It's different with intuitions. These are people who often hover in the clouds, cut off from the material world. And for them all sensory words in relation not to the original object (that is, not to food) are abstract concepts, sheer stupidity and nonsense. Intuite will be incomprehensible, unpleasant and wild (or maybe it will simply cause surprise or laughter - it all depends on individual character traits) when he hears about a delicious book.

Compare the phrases: "You have listened to a meaningful lecture" and "You have listened to a delicious lecture." In the first case, the adjective has, if not specific, but meaningful, and most importantly, neutral meaning. And in the second, it is subjective and, as we understood, causes different reactions in people.

Examples of

"The most delicious coffee is the one you drink on the way." Max Fry, Winds, Angels and Men.
"And the driver ran out to look, and the rest clasped their mouths with their palms in order to keep the laughter torn at will, delicious as early strawberries." Ray Bradbury, Summer Morning, Summer Night.
"I have always thought that madness is scary, dark and bitter, but it turns out that when you really plunge into it, it is soft and delicious." Catherine Stokett, The Servant.