Difference between revisions of "Sweat - sweet"
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Don't fall into the error of typing '''sweat''' when you mean '''sweet'''. | Don't fall into the error of typing '''sweat''' when you mean '''sweet'''. | ||
| − | *'''Sweat''' (pronounced to rhyme with 'get' and 'let') may be either a [[noun]] or a [[verb]]. The general meaning is 'perspiration', the water (and salts) excreted through the skin as a reaction to excess heat or hard physical effort. It is often used [[figurative]]ly to mean effort, as in the punishment of [[Adam]] for his [[Original Sin]]: "Thou shalt eat thy bread in the '''sweat''' of thy brow." | + | *'''Sweat''' (pronounced to rhyme with 'get' and 'let'; and with similar spelling of the vowel to 'head, 'dead' and 'bread') may be either a [[noun]] or a [[verb]]. The general meaning is 'perspiration', the water (and salts) excreted through the skin as a reaction to excess heat or hard physical effort. It is often used [[figurative]]ly to mean effort, as in the punishment of [[Adam]] for his [[Original Sin]]: "Thou shalt eat thy bread in the '''sweat''' of thy brow." |
| − | **The [[verb]] 'to '''sweat'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> means 'to perspire'. [[Figurative]]ly it can mean, as | + | **The [[verb]] 'to '''sweat'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> means 'to perspire'. [[Figurative]]ly it can mean, as well as 'to work hard', 'to suffer [particularly torture or other forms of interrogation or punishment': "I'll make him '''sweat''' for this." |
| − | + | *The [[adjective]] (occasionally used [[substantive]]ly) '''Sweet''' (pronounced to rhyme with '[[Meat - meet - mete|meet]]', 'feet', and - confusingly - '[[Meat - meet - mete|meat]]' and 'seat') [[denote]]s one of the basic tastes (traditionally the four of sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness, to which umami was added in the twentieth century. '''Sweet'''ness - the taste predominantly of sugars - is desirable to humans, as it signals easily digestible foods that are rich in energy. | |
| + | **This quickly gave rise to many [[figurative]] meanings: | ||
| + | ***'wholesome, good to consume', as in <nowiki>'</nowiki>'''sweet''' water', i.e. [[potable]], rather than salt or brackish, water, and <nowiki>'</nowiki>'''sweet''' milk, as opposed to various forms of soured or fermented milks; <nowiki>'</nowiki>'''sweet''' breads', as opposed to sourdough (though note that the single word '''sweetbread[s]''' denotes various forms of offal, the thymus and the pancreas from an animal carcase, held to be delicious) | ||
| + | ***'[anything] pleasurable or desirable - '[[nice]]<nowiki>''</nowiki>, as in 'the '''sweet''' smell of flowers, or soap'; 'melodious', like birdsong (sometimes birds themselves are described as sweet), or harmonious, like music; pleasing to the eye, such as "sweet sixteen", the age of perceived maturity and attractiveness in a young woman. | ||
| + | *As a [[noun]], a '''sweet''' or sweetie (earlier a '''sweetmeat''') is a candy in American English | ||
| + | ***an endearment, "My sweet!", sometimes | ||
{{wip}} | {{wip}} | ||
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| + | [[Category:Allusions, references and quotations]] | ||
| + | [[Category:clarification of meanings]] | ||
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| + | Sweets to the sweet, farewell! | ||
| + | I hop'd thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife: | ||
Latest revision as of 20:54, 6 January 2017
Don't fall into the error of typing sweat when you mean sweet.
- Sweat (pronounced to rhyme with 'get' and 'let'; and with similar spelling of the vowel to 'head, 'dead' and 'bread') may be either a noun or a verb. The general meaning is 'perspiration', the water (and salts) excreted through the skin as a reaction to excess heat or hard physical effort. It is often used figuratively to mean effort, as in the punishment of Adam for his Original Sin: "Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy brow."
- The verb 'to sweat' means 'to perspire'. Figuratively it can mean, as well as 'to work hard', 'to suffer [particularly torture or other forms of interrogation or punishment': "I'll make him sweat for this."
- The adjective (occasionally used substantively) Sweet (pronounced to rhyme with 'meet', 'feet', and - confusingly - 'meat' and 'seat') denotes one of the basic tastes (traditionally the four of sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness, to which umami was added in the twentieth century. Sweetness - the taste predominantly of sugars - is desirable to humans, as it signals easily digestible foods that are rich in energy.
- This quickly gave rise to many figurative meanings:
- 'wholesome, good to consume', as in 'sweet water', i.e. potable, rather than salt or brackish, water, and 'sweet milk, as opposed to various forms of soured or fermented milks; 'sweet breads', as opposed to sourdough (though note that the single word sweetbread[s] denotes various forms of offal, the thymus and the pancreas from an animal carcase, held to be delicious)
- '[anything] pleasurable or desirable - 'nice'', as in 'the sweet smell of flowers, or soap'; 'melodious', like birdsong (sometimes birds themselves are described as sweet), or harmonious, like music; pleasing to the eye, such as "sweet sixteen", the age of perceived maturity and attractiveness in a young woman.
- This quickly gave rise to many figurative meanings:
- As a noun, a sweet or sweetie (earlier a sweetmeat) is a candy in American English
- an endearment, "My sweet!", sometimes
Sweets to the sweet, farewell!
I hop'd thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife:
