🍰 Make One’s Mouth Water, To
Definition: To make someone long for or desire something; to arouse eager anticipation.
Origins: The phrase originally alludes to the physiological reaction of salivating in anticipation of food. Over time, it has come to describe eager anticipation of any desirable thing. Richard Eden used it in 1555 when writing about cannibals eagerly anticipating their prey in “The Decades of the New Worlde”. By 1663, it was used figuratively by Samuel Butler in “Hudibras” to refer to intense desires unrelated to food.
Synonyms:
- To tantalize
- To tempt
- To whet one’s appetite
- To tease
Antonyms:
- To disgust
- To repulse
- To deter
- To nauseate
Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “Cookies are like contradictions. They make one’s mouth water while making the scales sigh.” — B. Sys Lovawind
- “Dieting is a piece of cake! A piece of cake that makes everyone’s mouth water except yours.” — Anon
Related Proverbs & Expressions:
- “The grass is always greener on the other side.”
- “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
- “A watched pot never boils.”
Suggested Literature, Music, & Movies:
- Literature: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl
- Music: “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard
- Movies: “Julie & Julia” directed by Nora Ephron
Inspirational Farewell: Remember, while desires may make your mouth water, it’s the pursuit and achievement that truly nourish the soul.
### Which of these could make one’s mouth water?
- [x] Seeing a delicious slice of chocolate cake
- [ ] Looking at a pile of rusty nails
- [ ] Reading the tax code
- [ ] Watching paint dry
> **Explanation:** A delicious slice of chocolate cake is a classic example of something that can make one’s mouth water, an experience far removed from piles of rusty nails or tax code inspections!
### True or False: "Make one’s mouth water" strictly refers to food.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** While the expression originally pertains to food, it has evolved to describe eager anticipation of any desirable thing.
### Pick the one that fits "make one’s mouth water":
- [x] The sight of a freshly baked pie
- [ ] A basket full of laundry
- [ ] An empty wallet
- [ ] A deflated balloon
> **Explanation:** The sight of a freshly baked pie makes perfect sense within the idiom, unlike the other uninspiring contenders.
### Choose the synonym for "make one’s mouth water":
- [ ] To deflate
- [ ] To repulse
- [x] To tantalize
- [ ] To deceive
> **Explanation:** "To tantalize" is an excellent synonym, capturing the spirit of this mouth-watering idiom often connected to longing or desire.
### True or False: Samuel Butler used "make one’s mouth water" in his work "Hudibras".
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** Indeed, Samuel Butler utilized the idiom figuratively in his work "Hudibras" dating back to 1663.
