treacle moment

9.5

A scene in a film or book that feels too sweet

noun

: momento cursi

Most romantic comedies have at least one treacle moment to tug at the audience's heartstrings.

Examples

The movie was filled with treacle moments that made me cringe.
The story could have been better without so many treacle moments near the end.
He rolled his eyes at yet another treacle moment during the award ceremony.
That scene was such a treacle moment!
He rolled his eyes at yet another treacle moment during the award ceremony.
Most romantic comedies have at least one treacle moment to tug at the audience's heartstrings.
The movie was filled with treacle moments that made me cringe.

Synonyms

schmaltz

vstreacle moment

4 9.5

An overly emotional style in art like songs or films

applies this excess to one particular scene or passage

treacle

vstreacle moment

1 8.2

Too much sweetness in writing or music that is not sincere

is a specific scene or passage showing that excess

saccharine tone

vstreacle moment

1 8.4

A way of speaking or writing that sounds too sweet and not real

is that same feeling but located in one scene or passage

soupiness

vstreacle moment

Literature

8.3

A feeling that is too emotional in a story or film

refers to a single passage showing that insincere sentiment

How Sentimental

treacle moment

9.5

warm fuzzy moment

Informal

5.9

Surface Forms

treacle moment singular

treacle moments plural

Morphology

treacle + moment

The meaning is directly compositional: 'treacle' (excessive, cloying sentiment) modifies 'moment' (a short scene or point in time), so a 'treacle moment' is simply a moment characterized by treacly sentiment. This noun–noun modification follows common English compounding patterns and would be predictable to a B1 learner who already knows both constituent meanings.

Etymology

Treacle moment comes from treacle, a very thick, sweet syrup, and the picture of something covered in sticky sweetness. That's why a treacle moment means a scene that is too 'sentimental'.