Really just anything with the right amount of syllables would have been better.

It’s just a high concentration of sugar dissolved in water. Not used in food really unless you need to sweeten some cold tea for some southerners, i guess. Very commonly used to make alcoholic mixed drinks though.

To add to that. A popular recess game among grade schoolers (like 10 year olds!) was Smear the Queer. I can’t remember the rules exactly but i think it was essentially tag but rougher.