treacle
treacle /ˈtrēk(ə)l/ I. noun 1. British term for molasses. 2. cloying sentimentality or flattery • enough of this treacle—let's get back to business. II. derivatives treacly /ˈtrēk(ə)lē / adjective – origin Middle English (originally denoting an antidote against venom): from Old French triacle, via Latin from Greek thēriakē ‘antidote against venom,’ feminine of thēriakos (adjective), from thērion ‘wild beast.’ The sense ‘molasses’ dates from the late 17th cent.; ‘sentimentality’ arose in the late 18th cent.
