Save on office supplies at Amazon.

Monday

50 Mistreated Words and Desecrated Phrases: Wet Your Appetite



I hate to throw a wet blanket on a popular expression, but this one is misused far too often. It really isn’t possible to wet one’s appetite. That phrase simply doesn’t hold water.


The word “whet” actually means “to sharpen.” Think of sharpening a knife, using a whetstone. When you whet your appetite, you are sharpening it, in a sense. Your appetite becomes more pronounced, making your desire to eat more obvious.

Sure, when you want to whet your appetite, it may help to wet your whistle first. But that is another matter altogether.

Image/s:
Created by this user

Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. You are also invited to join this writer's fan page, as well as the Chicago Etiquette Examiner, Madison Holidays Examiner, Equestrian Examiner and Madison Equestrian Examiner on Facebook.