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For instance, a business man might be cold and hard in his demeanor, but really enjoys watching childish cartoons. Or an exercise buff might also really enjoy deep fried chicken. It also might be a two word phrase, but I'm not entirely sure.

Nathan Tuggy
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Alex
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2 Answers2

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That's a guilty pleasure. Anything you're half-ashamed of liking, especially because it seems incongruous with the rest of your life (as those examples), or because society as a whole sort of disapproves (like eating a lot of chocolate ice cream).

Nathan Tuggy
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    Nailed it! (0: I wonder if secret indulgence will also fit. – CowperKettle Jul 26 '15 at 01:55
  • @CopperKettle: Everyone would know what you mean, but it's not the specific set phrase for this. – Nathan Tuggy Jul 26 '15 at 02:03
  • @NathanTuggy: What on earth is a "set phrase"? Language is subjective! Everybody has their own ways of saying things. I'd draw the line at saying that this is the most popular and conventional way to express this particular idea. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 26 '15 at 03:28
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    @LightnessRacesinOrbit: Sure, but it's idle to pretend that languages don't have idioms, collocations, and so forth, whose frequency can be measured in actual use and compared. Turns out that when you do that, "guilty pleasure" is a lot more common, especially the last few decades. – Nathan Tuggy Jul 26 '15 at 03:31
  • @NathanTuggy: That's no surprise. Let's just not call it "the specific set phrase", eh? Language is not supposed to be prescriptive like that. :) – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 26 '15 at 03:33
  • @SteveJessop: I'm advocating not referring to the alleged virtue of using "set phrases" whatsoever. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 26 '15 at 18:00
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    @LightnessRacesinOrbit: seems a bit unfair that you can say "what on earth" and "draw the line at", but English learners shouldn't be informed of their nature as set phrases and therefore their increased comprehensibility in cases where they apply precisely. – Steve Jessop Jul 26 '15 at 18:03
  • @SteveJessop: They're not "set phrases". You are free to use any equivalent idiom you wish in the same circumstances, or none at all, regardless of my choice to use them. That's the point. Enough with the trolling, please! – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 26 '15 at 18:06
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    @LightnessRacesinOrbit: You've gone quite quickly from asking for the meaning of "set phrase" to being sure that those are not examples of set phrases. Perhaps see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_phrase Certainly, the term "set phrase" does not imply that anyone isn't free to use any equivalent idiom they wish, and certainly "draw the line at" is a set phrase. Anyway, if you feel this is trolling then you delete comments and I'll follow, but if this discussion adds something worthwhile to the description of "guilty pleasure" as a set phrase then let's keep it. – Steve Jessop Jul 26 '15 at 19:48
  • @CopperKettle Secret Indulgence should be an answer. It encompasses both aspects of the question; desirability and withholding. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 23:41
  • @SteveJessop: I'm certainly glad we had this chat. Thanks for your contribution. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 27 '15 at 03:25
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Taboo ta·boo /təˈbo͞o,taˈbo͞o/ –Google

noun:

a social or religious custom prohibiting or forbidding discussion of a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.
"the taboo against healing on the Sabbath"

a social practice that is prohibited or restricted.
"speaking about sex is a taboo in his country"

adjective:

prohibited or restricted by social custom.
"sex was a taboo subject"

It is taboo to ask people of which debaucheries they partake.

Edit: In my haste, I didn't even mention the word embarrassment, which I skipped over to go right to the cause of it. Some people think knowledge of their vices might "ostracize [them] from society" so they'd rather not "mention them" and therefore (personally) consider the topic taboo.

Mazura
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    There is no implication that a taboo is something you enjoy. It's simply something that's not talked about or done in public. – Catija Jul 26 '15 at 22:21
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    Had the word enjoy appeared in the title, I'd have probably gone with vice. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 22:28
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    Are you saying that you answer questions without actually reading the content? That's not a very helpful way to answer questions. Please be sure to actually read the full body of the question before you answer. – Catija Jul 26 '15 at 22:30
  • I try to answer questions with the next guy in mind. There's a highly upvoted answer here that tacked the OP's context. I'm a stickler for succinct titles, as that's what you have to click to find these answers. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 22:38
  • @Maz Does that mean that the body of the question should be ignored? – HarryCBurn Jul 26 '15 at 22:44
  • I love talking about my "guilty pleasures", The other answer seems to have ignored the title, wherein the only question lies, with the caveat of but you don't like to mention it. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 22:52
  • How did the other answer seem to ignore the title? – HarryCBurn Jul 26 '15 at 22:54
  • There is no implication that a "guilty pleasure" is something you don't like to mention. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 22:56
  • I disagree on that, but I got sidetracked. The body of the question provides context, so I guess it boils down to this: why wouldn't you read the body of an question? – HarryCBurn Jul 26 '15 at 22:59
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    "For example, a business man might enjoy watching childish cartoons." How does that relate in any way to taboo? If a grandmother likes watching Tom and Jerry, there's no taboo against that. She just feels a little silly for enjoying a child's cartoon and doesn't really bring it up in conversations with folks she doesn't know well. There are a few pop songs on my playlist that I enjoy that no-one knows about but my husband, and he teases me relentlessly over them :) I would not be ostracized from society because I'm enjoying music targeted at 14-year-olds. – ColleenV Jul 26 '15 at 23:03
  • I did, and then I re-read the 'question' and answered it. Now having thoroughly reconstructed the question in my head, it sorrily lacks the word embarrassment. – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 23:08
  • @Mazura Actually, I get your point now. If it's ever edited then I'll upvote it! :) – HarryCBurn Jul 26 '15 at 23:18
  • @HarryCBurn Edited, but I don't think you'll like it ;) – Mazura Jul 26 '15 at 23:33
  • Well, I was only waiting for the edit so I could change my vote! – HarryCBurn Jul 26 '15 at 23:47