student asking question

What's he mean by "treacles?"

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Treacle" is a type of thick, dark syrup made of sugar. It's sometimes used to describe excessive flattery or sentimentality. Because it is a type of "sweet" (both metaphorically and literally), my guess is that the speaker uses "treacles" as a pet name for his audience, something similar to "sweeties." However, this is British English and not necessarily commonly used this way. Ex: Sweeties, I have a surprise for you. Ex: I like to add treacle to my batter when I bake.

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