Why is it whet not wet?
Why is it whet not wet?
Wet is (1) an adjective meaning covered or soaked in liquid, and (2) a verb meaning to make wet. Whet is a verb meaning to sharpen or to stimulate.
Where does the phrase wet your appetite come from?
4. Wet your appetite. This one comes from the concept of a whetstone, which is used to sharpen a knife. The idea is that you’re sharpening your hunger, so the correct phrase is to “whet your appetite.”
How do you use the word whet your appetite in a sentence?
whet someone’s appetite COMMON If something whets your appetite for a particular thing, it makes you want it. Winning the World Championship should have whetted his appetite for more success. Her appetite already whetted by the book, she took a trip to England.
Can you whet your appetite?
Arouse one’s interest or eagerness, as in That first Schubert piece whetted my appetite; I hope she sings some others. This idiom, first recorded in 1612, transfers making one hungry for food to other kinds of eagerness.
What is the difference between whet and wet?
Wet has the general meaning of “full of or covered with moisture” or “to cover or fill with moisture.” Whet, on the other hand, has the very specific meaning “to sharpen or hone” or “to stimulate, enhance, or make more keen.” For example: “My clothes were wet with perspiration.”
What does whetted mean in English?
transitive verb. 1 : to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (such as a stone) whet a knife. 2 : to make keen or more acute : excite, stimulate whet the appetite whetted her curiosity.
What does the word wet whet mean?
What dies wet my whistle mean?
old-fashioned informal. to have an alcoholic drink.
What is the past tense of whet?
Whet verb forms
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Past Tense |
|---|---|---|
| whet | whetting | whetted |
What is the desire to eat called?
Appetite is a person’s desire to eat food. It is distinct from hunger, which is the body’s biological response to a lack of food. A person can have an appetite even if their body is not showing signs of hunger, and vice versa.
Was there a loss for words?
(idiomatic) Having nothing to say; stunned to the point of speechlessness. She was at a loss for words when she saw the number of people who had come to grieve for her husband.
What does whet your palate mean?
The wetting of the palate, as opposed to the sharpening/whetting of the palate (appetite), makes a certain amount of mouth-watering sense.