'Whet your appetite' - the meaning and origin of this phrase Whet your appetite To have your interest in something, especially food, stimulated. Origin This phrase is often confused with 'wet your whistle'. Uncertainty about the spelling of the first word, either as whet or wet, leads to both phrases being wrongly spelled too. In fact there's no connection between the two terms, which are properly spelled as 'whet your appetite' and 'wet your whistle'. The allusion in the former is to the sharpening of tools on a whetstone (grindstone) and to whet means just to sharpen. So, 'whetting our appetite' is 'sharpening our appetite'. 'Wet your whistle' predates 'whet your appetite' by some centuries, and was first recorded in the 1386 Towneley Mysteries: "Had She oones Wett Hyr Whystyll She couth Syng full clere Hyr pater noster." Whistle here means throat or voice and the phrase just means 'take a drink'.

You may see it put about that 'wet your whistle' derives from the practice of using a whistle in the taverns of Olde Englande to summon the landlord with more drinks. This is complete tosh. The Internet makes it easy to circulate information; unfortunately it isn't discriminating and stories like that tend to gain a foothold quite quickly. That form of digitally enhanced folk etymology is called netymology. As French wine growers used to say when complaining of inferior wines that were labelled as the prestigious Appelation Controllé - "the paper never refuses the ink". If you would like to dispel some popular fallacies you could try life in the 1500s or the Nonsense Nine . Back to whet/wet your appetite/whistle. The spelling as 'wet your appetite' is quite understandable. Whet is no longer a common word, whereas its homonym 'wet' obviously is. Also, when tools are ground on whetstones they need to be lubricated with water or oil to prevent overheating. Whetstones were normally constructed with a water bath or some form of drip on to the stone.

The assumption that 'whet' and 'wet' are the same word is thus encouraged. Added to that is the 18th century habit of serving liqueurs as hors d'oeuvre - in that case literally wetting the appetite (they also served turnips as appetizers - thankfully we have moved on). Although not as old as 'wet your whistle', 'whet your appetite' has been in the language for some time. It is first alluded to in Thomas Shadwell's The Squire of Alsatia, 1688: "Let's whett; bring some Wine.

Come on; I love a Whett." A more explicit use is in Thomas Dekker's If it be not good, the diuel is in it, 1612: "[He] seekes new wayes to whet dull appetite." By the early 19th century the phrase had begun to be used figuratively to refer to sharpening the appetite for things other than food, as here in a report from The Times, May 1801: "It [defending Portugal] would only whet the appetite of Bonaparte and increafe ftill more the dangers of invafion." Peak, Pique, or Peek? 6 Words and Phrases You Might Be Getting Wrong March 10, 2015 // 12:00 PM Peak, Pique, or Peek? 6 Words and Phrases You Might Be Getting Wrong Tweet Many of us who are grammar-conscious already know how to distinguish between their and there. We know that should of should be should have. And we’ve learned a comma is all the difference between eating dinner with Aunt Judy and eating Aunt Judy for dinner. But beyond the basics, there are still many words and expressions we're prone to getting wrong.

We used a new tool called Correctica , which finds errors that even the grammar-savvy might miss, to round up six expressions people commonly get wrong --often more frequently than they get them right. 6 Expressions You Might Be Messing Up 1) "I couldn't care less" vs. "I could care less" Correct: "I couldn't care less." We found that 85% of the time this expression appears online, it’s being used incorrectly. The correct expression is “I couldn’t care less” because this phrasing indicates maximum apathy toward a situation. When you use this expression, you’re basically saying, “It’s impossible for me to care less about this because I have no more cares to give. I’ve run out of cares.” Using the incorrect expression “I could care less” indicates that you indeed still have a few cares left to give. 2) "First-come, first-served" vs. "First-come, first-serve" Correct: "First-come, first-served." The phrase “first-come, first-serve” is written online incorrectly 49% of the time. Despite how often the two statements are used interchangeably, they are fundamentally saying different things.

The correct form, “first-come, first-served”, indicates that people will be served in the order in which they arrive. The first people in the door will be the first people served. The incorrect form, “first-come, first-serve” indicates that the first person to arrive will have to serve those who come later. In other words, arrive late if you don’t want to get stuck with ladle duty. 3) "Whet your appetite" vs. "Wet your appetite" Correct: "Whet your appetite." We found in our research that this expression is more often used incorrectly than it is used correctly. Web writers are getting this one wrong 56% of the time. The correct idiom is “whet your appetite.” The word "whet" means to sharpen or stimulate, so to "whet your appetite" means to make you hunger for something. This idiom can be particularly confusing because of the similarly phrased idiom “wet your whistle," which means to take a drink -- to literally wet your lips (your whistle) with booze. 4) "Home in" vs.

"Hone in" Correct: "Home in," although "hone in" has become an acceptable alteration in some references. This particular expression is hotly debated. Technically "home in" is the correct expression, although some references now consider “hone in” to be acceptable. To "home in" on something means to move toward a goal. Homing devices and homing pigeons derive from the same meaning -- a missile homes in on its target; a homing pigeon nears his destination. To “hone” means to sharpen. To use this correctly, you would say, “I want to hone my writing skills.” This would mean you want to sharpen your writing skills. But you would likely not say, “The GPS device helped us hone in on our destination.” When followed by the preposition “in,” the word hone simply doesn’t make sense. 5) "Bated breath" vs. "Baited breath" Correct: "Bated breath." The expression “baited breath” is used incorrectly 44% of the time.

The term "bated" is an adjective meaning "in great suspense." It originated from the verb "abate," meaning "to stop or lessen." So if you were to say you “wait with bated breath,” then you’re essentially saying you're holding your breath with anticipation. The verb “bait," on the other hand, means "to taunt;" often to taunt a predator with its prey. For example, a fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big catch. Considering the meaning of the two words, it’s clear which is correct -- but the word “bated” is mostly obsolete today, leading to the ever-increasing misuse of this expression. 6) "Peak" vs. "Peek" vs. "Pique" These three homophones are frequently confused and used interchangeably. Here's a cheat sheet for you: Peak: the highest point, top of a mountain Peek: a quick glance Pique: to upset or excite When you attend the early viewing of a movie, it’s a “sneak peek," not a "sneak peak." It means that you’re getting a special look at the movie.

When you want to learn everything you can about the latest iPhone, the device has “piqued your interest,” not "peaked your interest," because it's excited you and made you curious. When you’ve reached the highest level of achievement in your career, you’ve reached your “career peak,” i.e. the top. Now it’s time for a vacation so you can go climb a mountain. Which expressions have you seen people mix up? Share with us in the comments below! You have clairvouant abilities! ., Hi, I've never heard this, Ah! OK. MrPernickety The kid likes to wet his beak in everything. The kid is probably more like a young adult. To let someone wet his beak is to let them take some of the profit gained through extortion. At least that's my take on it. The saying comes from Sicilian, and I believe the expression is used in The Godfather. By extension, I assume "to wet his beak in everything" means to profit by any and every means possible (even illegally). Not knowing more of the context, I may be way offhere.

That said, the expression is very, very rarely used, and only one person in (I'm guessing) many hundred thousand would have any idea what it meant. For a learner of English it is so far off the beaten path that there's no point at all in learning it. CJ "wet one's beak" means get a share o a piece of a profit thru a business transaction. In lay man's term having a share on something. Hope it helps. May 25 2011 05:37:29 Anonymous I just re-watched the Godfather movies and also became curious about this expression. When the characters were speaking in Italian, the English subtitles spelled the word as WET, whereas I kept thinking it should be WHET, as in "to whet one's appetite." WHET means to sharpen or stimulate. "Whetting," or "sharpening" one's beak might make sense in another context, but not in the context of the movie scenes in question. I believe the expression means just what you would think it means: to dip in, to have a taste of, to partake of the booty.

I have no idea if this is a true Sicillian expression, or if it was just something invented by Mario Puzo or Francis Coppola. AZ Whetted - definition of whetted by The Free Dictionary Whetted - definition of whetted by The Free Dictionary Related to whetted: sharpen , whetters whet tr.v. whet·ted, whet·ting, whets 1. To sharpen (a knife, for example); hone. 2. To make more keen; stimulate: The frying bacon whetted my appetite. n. Something that whets the appetite or desire. [Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan.] whet vb (tr) , whets, whetting or whetted 1. (General Engineering) to sharpen, as by grinding or friction 2. to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate n 3. (General Engineering) the act of whetting 4. a person or thing that whets [Old English hwettan; related to hvæt sharp, Old High German hwezzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic hvatjan] ˈwhetter n v.

whet•ted, whet•ting, n. v.t. 1. to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction. 2. to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity. n. 3. the act of whetting. 4. something that whets; stimulus, esp. an appetizer or drink. [before 900; Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); c. Old High German hwazzan, Old Norse hvetja to sharpen, Gothic gahwatjan to entice] whet′ter, n. I will have been whetting you will have been whetting he/she/it will have been whetting we will have been whetting you will have been whetting they will have been whetting Past Perfect Continuous excite , stir , stimulate - stir feelings in; "stimulate my appetite"; "excite the audience"; "stir emotions" 2.

whet - sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone sharpen - make sharp or sharper; "sharpen the knives" whet [wet] VT [+ tool] → afilar , amolar ; [+ appetite, curiosity] → estimular , despertar whet vt knife, scythe → wetzen ; axe → schleifen , schärfen ; appetite, curiosity → anregen whet [wɛt] vt (tool) → affilare ; (appetite, curiosity) → stuzzicare whet (wet) – past tense, past participle ˈwhetted – verb 1. to sharpen (a tool) by rubbing it on a grindstone or whetstone.

slyp يَشْحَذ، يَسِن точа afiar nabrousit wetzen hvæsse; slibe ακονίζω , τροχίζω afilar ihuma عمل تيز کردن بوسيله مالش hioa aiguiser לְהַשחִיז पैना बनाना brusiti, oštriti (meg)köszörül mengasah brÿna, skerpa affilare , arrotare とぐ 벼리다, 갈다 galąsti uzasināt; uztrīt menajamkan alat dengan menggosokkannya pada batu pengasah wetten slipe , kvesse ostrzyć afiar a ascuţi точить (na)brúsiť, (na)ostriť brusiti oštriti bryna, slipa, vässa ลับให้คม bilemek 磨利 точити, гострити تیز کرنا mài sắc 磨利 2.

to make (one's appetite) keen.

wek يُثير شَهِيَّة изострям aguçar povzbudit anregen skærpe ens appetit ανοίγω despertar , abrir (isu) tõstma, ergutama برانگيختن kiihottaa aiguiser לְגָרוֹת תֵּאָבוֹן तेज करना podražiti tek étvágyat csinál vkinek merangsang selera örva, skerpa aguzzare , stimolare そそる 식욕을 자극하다 sužadinti (apetitą) rosināt (apetīti) membangkitkan, menimbulkan aanwakkeren skjerpe , gi en blod på tann zaostrzyć aguçar a stimula возбуждать povzbudiť spodbuditi podstaći skärpa, öka, stimulera, öka กระตุ้นให้อยาก iştahını kabartmak, heveslendirmek 刺激(食�

�) викликати, збуджувати بھوک بڑھانا kích thích 刺激（食欲） ˈwhetstone noun a stone for sharpening the blades of knives etc.

slypsteen, slypklip حَجَر شَحْذ точило pedra de amolar brus, brousek der Schleifstein slibesten ακόνι piedra de amolar luisk سنگ تیزکن hiomakivi pierre à aiguiser אֶבֶן הַשחָזָה सान brusni kamen köszörűkő batu asahan brÿni cote , 砥石 숫돌 galąstuvas galoda; tecīla batu pengasah wetsteen bryne , slipestein osełka pedra de amolar gresie/piatră de ascuţit точильный камень brús, osla brus tocilo bryne, brynsten หินลับมีด biley taşı 磨刀石 точильний камінь اوزار تیز کرنے کا پتھر đá mài 磨刀石 World Wide Words: Wet one’s whistle Random page Wet one’s whistle Q From David Means in Tulsa: I got yet

 another of those e-mail ‘Fun Facts’ pages forwarded to me with a lot of false etymologies.

I was able to find refutations for all but one of these on your site. Can you help prove or disprove this one: ‘Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. “Wet your whistle” is the phrase inspired by this practice’. I find this explanation too pat and so immediately distrust it. Can you help? A You’re right to distrust it. These e-mail pieces are fun to read, but they combine a morsel of truth with a large serving of invention. They lie at one extreme of the spectrum of folk or popular etymology, and they’re a very good illustration of the way that mistaken ideas about words and phrases can disseminate. You can be sure that no pub cup or mug ever had a whistle fitted to it for this purpose. If you wanted another drink, you went up to the bar and asked for it; if the place was posh enough to have table service, you most certainly wouldn’t blow a whistle to get attention! You sometimes see such mugs today, but they’re the pottery equivalent of your e-mail, a joke on a long-established saying.

In the expression, whistle is just a joking reference to one’s mouth or throat and to the fact that one can’t easily whistle when one’s mouth is dry. It’s a very ancient expression: its first recorded appearance is in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales at the end of the fourteenth century, and it must surely be even older. You can sometimes find it as whet one’s whistle, through confusion with whet one’s appetite and similar words in whet, literally meaning to sharpen. It would seem that those who first wrote it that way, more than 300 years ago, were as unsure of the real source of the expression as many of us are today (the first known example is from a book of 1674 by Thomas Flatman with the title Belly God). I shudder to think what the anonymous writer of your e-mail message might make of that version.

Share this page Grahams Random Ramblings: To Wet (Whet) your Whistle : Origin and Meaning Grahams Random Ramblings The difference between an average person and a clever person is the understanding of a thousand words Thursday, 14 May 2009 To Wet (Whet) your Whistle : Origin and Meaning What does it mean if you wet your whistle? The most common interpretation is to have something to drink, usually something alcoholic. More polite to say you are off to wet your whistle than to say you are going drinking. Most references relate to a custom quite a few hundred years ago when drinking mugs had whistles that one would blow to indicate you needed a refill. Some say the whistle was attached to the handle and became wet after the drink had been poured, hence to wet your whistle. Other sources say the whistle was part of the mug, built into either the rim or handle. The result in both cases being a wet whistle. I went digging on the web and could find no example of Ye Olde Whistle Mug. Maybe I did not dig deep enough. The only examples I could find were replicas of whistle mugs on offer as curios. By the way, the whistle part.

It would appear in times past ones mouth and or throat were referred to in common talk as your whistle, which makes sense to me. To wet your whistle was to have something to drink. There is documentation that this was in use during the 1300’s. ( Maybe one wet ones whistle before you whistled, hard to whistle with dry lips. Maybe one wet your whistle before talking, something like a glass of water on a speakers table) So, the way I look at it, is that to have something to drink preceded the whistle on the mug concept. Maybe the one morphed into the other. You will also find references to “Whet your whistle”. My immediate reaction was that whet morphed into wet over the passage of time. This is not necessarily true. Whet per definition means either to sharpen something on a grindstone (whetstone) or to excite or stimulate a desire, interest or appetite. Starters at a meal are there to whet your appetite in stimulating the desire to eat more of something else. This is also a saying in its own right, first documentation however quite a few years after the Wet your whistle.

I did a very unsophisticated test on the Internet and Googled “wet your whistle” and had 426,000 hits, the majority directed towards drinking. “Whet your whistle” resulted in 421,000 hits, the majority of the answers related to stimulating further thought or experience processes. Now you have a good basis to go scratching around for more information and draw your own conclusion. Image from Wikipedia 20 Embarrassing Phrases Even Smart People Misuse | Inc.com 20 Embarrassing Phrases Even Smart People Misuse Even reputable websites have been caught screwing up these idioms, which spell check often doesn't find. CREDIT: Getty Images Advertisement When you hear someone using grammar incorrectly do you make an assumption about his or her intelligence or education? There's no doubt that words are powerful things that can leave a lasting impression on those with whom you interact. In fact, using an idiom incorrectly or screwing up your grammar is akin to walking into a meeting with messy hair. That's according to Byron Reese, CEO of the venture-backed internet startup Knowingly . The company recently launched Correctica , a tool that scans websites looking for errors that spell checkers miss.

And the business world is no exception. "When I look for these errors on LinkedIn profiles , they're all over the place--tens of thousands," he says. Correctica recently scanned a handful of prominent websites and you might be surprised at how many errors it found. Here is Reese's list of the some of the most commonly misused phrases on the Web. 1. Prostrate cancer It's an easy misspelling to make--just add an extra r and "prostate cancer" becomes "prostrate cancer," which suggests "a cancer of lying face-down on the ground." Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mayo Clinic websites include this misspelling. 2. First-come, first-serve This suggests that the first person to arrive has to serve all who follow. The actual phrase is "first-come, first-served," to indicate that the participants will be served in the order in which they arrive. Both Harvard and Yale got this one wrong. 3. Sneak peak A "peak" is a mountain top. A "peek" is a quick look. The correct expression is "sneak peek," meaning a secret or early look at something.

This error appeared on Oxford University's site as well as that of the National Park Service. 4. Deep-seeded This should be "deep-seated," to indicate that something is firmly established. Though "deep-seeded" might seem to make sense, indicating that something is planted deep in the ground, this is not the correct expression. Correctica found this error on the Washington Post and the White House websites. 5. Extract revenge To "extract" something is to remove it, like a tooth. The correct expression is "exact revenge," meaning to achieve revenge. Both The New York Times and the BBC have made this error. 6. I could care less "I couldn't care less" is what you would say to express maximum apathy toward a situation. Basically you're saying, "It's impossible for me to care less about this because I have no more care to give. I've run out of care." Using the incorrect "I could care less" indicates that "I still have care left to give--would you like some?" 7. Shoe-in "Shoo-in" is a common idiom that means a sure winner. To "shoo" something is to urge it in a direction.

As you would shoo a fly out of your house, you could also shoo someone toward victory. The expression started in the early 20th century, relating to horse racing, and broadened to politics soon after. It's easy to see why the "shoe-in" version is so common, as it suggests the door-to-door sales practice of moving a foot into the doorway to make it more difficult for a prospective client to close the door. But "foot in the door" is an entirely different idiom. 8. Emigrated to With this one there is no debate. The verb "emigrate" is always used with the preposition "from," whereas immigrate is always used with the preposition "to." To emigrate is to come from somewhere, and to immigrate is to go to somewhere. "Jimmy emigrated from Ireland to the United States" means the same thing as "Jimmy immigrated to the United States from Ireland." It's just a matter of what you're emphasizing--the coming or the going. 9. Slight of hand "Sleight of hand" is a common phrase in the world of magic and illusion, because "sleight" means dexterity or cunning, usually to deceive.

On the other hand, as a noun, a "slight" is an insult. 10. Honed in First, it's important to note that this particular expression is hotly debated. Many references now consider "hone in" a proper alternate version of "home in." That said, it is still generally accepted that "home in" is the more correct phrase. To home in on something means to move toward a goal, such as "The missile homed in on its target." To "hone" means to sharpen. You would say, "I honed my résumé writing skills." But you would likely not say, "The missile honed in on its target." When followed by the preposition "in," the word "hone" just doesn't make sense. 11. Baited breath The term "bated" is an adjective meaning suspense. It originated from the verb "abate," meaning to stop or lessen. Therefore, "to wait with bated breath" essentially means to hold your breath with anticipation. The verb "bait," on the other hand, means to taunt, often to taunt a predator with its prey. A fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big catch.

Considering the meaning of the two words, it's clear which is correct, but the word "bated" is mostly obsolete today, leading to ever-increasing mistakes in this expression. 12. Piece of mind This should be "peace" of mind, meaning calmness and tranquility. The expression "piece of mind" actually would suggest doling out sections of brain. 13. Wet your appetite This expression is more often used incorrectly than correctly--56 percent of the time it appears online, it's wrong. The correct idiom is "whet your appetite." "Whet" means to sharpen or stimulate, so to "whet your appetite" means to awaken your desire for something. 14. For all intensive purposes The correct phrase is "for all intents and purposes." It originates from English law dating back to the 1500s, which used the phrase "to all intents, constructions, and purposes" to mean "officially" or "effectively." 15. One in the same "One in the same" would literally mean that the "one" is inside the same thing as itself, which makes no sense at all.

The proper phrase is "one and the same," meaning the same thing or the same person. For example, "When Melissa was home schooled, her teacher and her mother were one and the same." 16. Make due When something is due, it is owed. To "make due" would mean to "make owed," but the phrase to "make do" is short for "to make something do well" or "to make something sufficient." When life gives you lemons, you make do and make lemonade. 17. By in large The phrase "by and large" was first used in 1706 to mean "in general." It was a nautical phrase derived from the sailing terms "by" and "large." While it doesn't have a literal meaning that makes sense, "by and large" is the correct version of this phrase. 18. Do diligence While it may be easy to surmise that "do diligence" translates to doing something diligently, it does not. "Due diligence" is a business and legal term that means you will investigate a person or business before signing a contract with them, or before formally engaging in a business deal together.

You should do your due diligence and investigate business deals fully before committing to them. 19. Peaked my interest To "pique" means to arouse, so the correct phrase here is "piqued my interest," meaning that my interest was awakened. To say that something "peaked my interest" might suggest that my interest was taken to the highest possible level, but this is not what the idiom is meant to convey. 20. Case and point The correct phrase in this case is "case in point," which derives its meaning from a dialect of Old French. While it may not make any logical sense today, it is a fixed idiom. Worried that poorly functioning spell checkers will make you look bad? Run things like your résumé, blog posts and the content of important emails through Correctica's " Proof It Free " tool. The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Published on: Mar 13, 2015 RECOMMENDED SLIDESHOW week 35 - Vocabulary List : Vocabulary.com week 35 August 27, 2013 By Dom (NJ) Rate this list: lampoon ridicule with satire ---kuch langoor jaisa lgta hai. aisa art jis se kisiki achi bhali shakal ko langooron jaisi bna dena lampoon---A composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way When you make fun of something by imitating it in a humorous way, you're lampooning it. The writers at The Onion, Saturday Night Live and FunnyOrDie.com are all experts in the art of the lampoon. Lampoon can be both a verb and a noun. To lampoon is ridicule. A lampoon is a parody or satire. Imagine you were frustrated by having your allowance reduced, so you wrote a funny play portraying mom and dad as dictators extracting lots of unfair taxes from their people. That's lampooning. nonentity a person of no influence The noun nonentity refers to a person of no significance or importance.

If you are a member of a sports team, but spend all your time sitting on the bench watching the rest of the team play, you will probably feel like a nonentity.A political nonentity has no power, and a social nonentity blends in with the wallpaper. Not only people are considered nonentities; groups or things can be nonentities too. If a nonentity beats a nationally ranked team, that's a real upset. a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor MIEN is a shortened version of the word DEMEANOR Your mien is how you present yourself, the impression you make. It's best to keep a low profile but a dignified mien." A person's mien is a look or quality that tells a lot about their personalities or temperaments. A person with a cheerful mien probably radiates happiness and energy, while someone with a serious mien may have an air of being lost in thought. marginal consciousness If u have STOPPER on ur mind then u will be unaware abt things. A person in a stupor is considered barely conscious or stunned; or, if you consult Led Zeppelin lyrics: dazed and confused.

Stupors can be brought on by drugs, alcohol, illness, or shocking news. You might doze off with a lampshade on your head if you’re in a drunken stupor. Medically speaking, a person in this state responds only to pain. You can also be in a stupor if you’re in shock, like if your boss says he's replacing you with a robot, or if Mister Ed the talking horse kicks you in the gut determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity Whimsical sounds like comical... whimsical is , impulsive, playful...comical is amusing and funny. Whimsical means full of or characterized by whims, which are odd ideas that usually occur to you very suddenly. If you decide at the last minute to fly to Europe, you could say you went there on a whim. Whimsical can also mean tending toward odd or unpredictable behavior audacious behavior that you have no right to mn: for every discussion he comes to the FRONT and argues...in a rude manner. If you rudely behave as if you have a right to something that you have no right to, you're committing effrontery.

When a couple stroll into a crowded restaurant, demand the best table, and threaten the staff unless they're seated right away, that's effrontery. overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof 'are fut' - means to overthrow by argument The verb refute is to prove that something is wrong. When the kids you're babysitting swear they brushed their teeth, you can refute their claim by presenting the dry toothbrushes.Evidence and arguments are used to refute something. So are facts. For example, if children who eat chocolate before going to bed go straight to sleep, that refutes the idea that sugar keeps them up a trite or obvious remark Click....everyone has got a handset having camera....hence click has become cliche If you've heard an expression a million times, chances are it's a cliche.from the French which refers to a saying or expression that has been so overused that it has become boring and unoriginal. Think about the expressions "easy as pie," or "don't play with fire," or "beauty is skin deep." These are all cliches. A plot or action sequence in a film or novel can also be called a cliche if it has become dull and predictable through overuse.

a short moral story Is sounds like para+ fable .. fable expressed in one para(short) A parable is a short and simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson. The parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Prodigal Son are just two examples of the many parables attributed to Jesus, as recorded in the four gospels. steadiness of mind under stress equal mind in any situation If you take the news of your brother's death with equanimity, it means you take it calmly without breaking down. Equanimity refers to emotional calmness and balance in times of stress. If equanimity reminds you of equal, that's because the words have a lot in common. The phrase a level mind also refers to calmness. A near synonym is composure. hirsute having or covered with hair What do Santa Claus, Bigfoot, and unicorns have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re completely real, they’re also hirsute: very, very hairy creatures. All mammals have hair, but the ones that have way more than others, you might call them hirsute.

There are hirsute people, like lumberjacks with a jungle of chest hair, bearded ladies at a circus, or just someone with a scraggly hairdo. draw back, as with fear or pain when opposite party WINS our faCES becomes wince A wince is a facial or bodily expression of pain, disgust, or regret. Think of something you've done that was really, really embarrassing or dumb: now feel your face or take a look in the mirror as you wince at the uncomfortable memory. A moment of pain or a recollection of something painful can make you wince. It's hard not to have a physical response or a wince with a bad memory or a hurt. And wince is both a verb and a noun, so it can be an action or a result. Sometimes people don’t do anythi excessively or hypocritically pious some saints and munis are sanctimonious...

DHONGI SAADHU The sanctimonious person sounds like a hypocrite when he preaches to a friend about the evils of drugs, while he drinks one beer after another.A sanctimonious person might think he's holy, but their attitude comes across more like "holier-than-thou." Though sanctimonious people might try to act like saints, their actions are far from pure or holy, which just makes them sound like hypocrites. flabbergasted as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise When you see your mom come back from the salon with bright green spiky hair and your jaw drops to the floor in total shock, you’re flabbergasted. You are really, really shocked — pretty much speechless. Use the adjective flabbergasted to describe someone who's astounded or surprised for any reason, good or bad. You could be flabbergasted at how astonishingly expensive a parking ticket is, or at how incredibly delicious pineapple pizza is. vigorous and animated mn:U shud try to be lively at time of ur VIVA A vivacious person is lively and spirited: a vivacious dancer might do a back-flip off the wall and then jump into the arms of her partner.

Some people are just naturally fun to be around; they sparkle, they animate any group they're part of, they're full of life. That, in fact, is the root meaning of the word: it's from Latin vivere "to live." It has more of a sense of playfulness than lively or animated. Even the most sedentary slob can feel revitalized in the presence of a vivacious soul. whet sharpen by rubbing Whet sounds like wet. So, before using the whetstone to sharpen your knife, you have to wet it a little. To whet is to sharpen. You could whet a knife's blade with a whetting stone, or you could whet your appetite by having some Doritos. The verb whet can mean "to stimulate or make more acute," and the word is often used in the phrase "whet [your] appetite," which can be used literally or figuratively. You could serve light appetizers to whet everyone's appetite for dinner or you could whet an actor's appetite by giving him a small role that inspires him for greater roles.

countenance the appearance conveyed by a person's face (count+ten) A ten year old kid is learning how to count upto 10 and his dad's countenance gave kid a lot of encouragement The noun countenance means the face or its expression. If you're a great poker player, you probably have a calm countenance.Countenance can also be a verb meaning to tolerate or approve. If someone does something offensive, tell them, "I'm afraid I can't countenance that." a sudden and violent collapse belt..having bacle ..if we (de)remove bucle from belt,the pant will fall.. then comes the complete disaster Use debacle to refer to a violent disaster or a great failure. If the flower gardens come toppling down during prom, strangling some students and tripping others, you might call the evening a debacle. Debacle is often used to describe a military defeat. If your army retreats, that's one thing. If your army is outmaneuvered and ends up huddled in a valley, surrounded on all sides by the enemy, forced to sing 70s sitcom theme songs by their savage captors––that's a debacle.

gaunt very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold G[rand] AUNT, or imagine as G[reat grand] AUNT... is generally lean and weak due to old age. You can never be too rich or too thin, but you certainly can be too gaunt. It means you look skinny like you're sick, not skinny like you have a personal nutritionist slapping your hand when you reach for a bonbon. A good way to remember gaunt is that it rhymes with haunt, and gaunt people look pale, drawn, and wasted — like you'd expect a haunting ghost to appear. Another way to remember it is that g- + aunt is like great-aunt, and often when you appear to be gaunt you look like you're old

Question: In the the expression 'whet your appetite', the old word 'whet' technically means?
Answer: Sharpen