Metaphors in the French language that employ food or eating terminology to express feelings are discussed. Several verbs related to the action of eating are cited that have taken on the meaning of worrying or being bothered by something (e.g., 'ça me ronge' (it's gnawing at me)). The recent appearance of the expression 'ça me bouffe' (it's eating me up) is examined, and the relationship between structure and meaning in different forms of these idiomatic expressions is explored. (Copyright 1995, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.) (C. Brennan in LLBA 1995, vol. 29, n. 2)