zlacker

No, thank you, but the word I needed was something that would describe a warm, loving embrace, like when you take a pet in your arms and caress it (I even pushed this metaphor further in the next comment, about loving puppies), and I believe that "cuddle" is the exact word for that.

>>Andrew+(OP)
I guarantee you no native speaker would ever use the word cuddle like you did. That is why it was so jarring to read.

>>bluech+7d
Well, it is indeed jarring when supposedly objectively and truth seeking journalists suddenly turn into adoring fans, so maybe my metaphor works on more than one level.