taffy • noun (pl. taffies) [mass noun]
1. N. Amer. a sweet similar to toffee, made from brown sugar or treacle, boiled with butter and pulled until glossy.
2. US informal insincere flattery.
— origin early 19th cent.: earlier form of toffee, ultimate origin unknown.

Mind you, I grew up reading books set in England, so it’s not like the word is unfamiliar to me, but I have always found the word treacle to be completely unappetizing. My brain processes it as something oily and sticky–something that you might use to caulk the seams of an old ship. As in, “Cap’n! Thar’s a leak on th’ port side–th’ bos’un’s applying treacle to seal ‘er off!