Za-Za-Zaftig!

Pronunciation:  /ˈzæftɪg/

Forms:  Also zoftig, zofti(c)k.

Etymology:  Yiddish, < German saftig juicy.

U.S. colloq.

Of a woman: plump, curvaceous, ‘sexy’.

Nigella Lawson, the very picture of zaftig

You don't really hear that word thrown around much anymore, except in the occasional New Yorker or Vanity Fair piece.*  And it's a shame, really. There are so few positive expressions for round and sexy with as much panache and verve as zaftig. 

Let's reintroduce zaftig into common circulation. What does it take to popularize an expression? It's sort of mysterious.  Linguists can tell you how a word became popular, or why your attempts at inventing a new word will likely fail, but not necessarily how to revive a word. (Ah, I just figured out why there aren't more jobs for us.)  

I may not have the answer on how to get everyone to start using zaftig, but I can assure you that I'm doing my part to maintain my zaftig figure.  Last night, to commemorate my having sent off my dissertation rewrites to my committee, Agapito brought home steaks, a tasty bottle of wine, and some crusty french bread. I cooked them up using this excellent tutorial on how to make the perfect restaurant style steak.

*You will also find zaftig used by my step-brother, Davis, in this rich little article chronicling his life as a New Orleans musician and personage. Check it out!