foodie call
/ˈfuːdi kɔːl/
CommonGoing on a date with someone purely to get a free meal, with no romantic interest.
Can carry a judgmental tone depending on who uses it. Some people wear it as a badge of honor; others use it as a criticism.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | she texted me after a month of silence because she found out i got a promotion. that's a foodie call if i've ever seen one | The person suspects the renewed interest is motivated by access to money or status. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | not proud of it but i 100% went on a foodie call last friday, the tasting menu was too good to pass up | The person admits they accepted a date specifically for an expensive meal. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | my friend is going on her third date with a guy she has zero feelings for because he keeps taking her to nice restaurants. classic foodie call situation | A pattern of going on dates purely for the dining experience. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone agreed to a date for the food and has no intention of seeing the person again.
- Describing a pattern of going on paid dates with no genuine romantic intent.
- Confessing or joking that you accepted a date mainly for the restaurant.
Do not use it when
- You just enjoy eating out on dates as part of genuine interest.
- Both people know it is casual and there are no false expectations.
Origin and context
The term was studied academically in a 2019 paper on dating behavior, but circulated informally online before that. Gained traction as a named phenomenon through social media discourse on dating culture.
- First seen
- late-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
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https://slang.fyi/foodie-callUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0