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 #2 (permalink) Tue Apr 01, 2008 19:22 pm Salty vs Saltish |
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Hi Tom,
To me 'salty' with reference to food suggests that there is too much salt in it. 'Saltish' is new to me I'm afraid. It is possible to put 'ish' on the end of an adjective sometimes to suggest a bit like the adjective used. So 'greenish' means the colour has a green element in it.
Alan
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 Tom
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| #4 (permalink) Tue Apr 01, 2008 19:33 pm Salty vs Saltish |
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Hi Tom,
'Somewhat' to me suggests 'too much'. It's very often used in an understatement, which is a characteristic of English. Imagine the situation: You are talking to somebody and for no apparent reason they suddenly turn around and walk away. Now, in a situation like that you could say: That was very strange or you could go for the understatement: That was somewhat strange. Hope that clarifies a bit.
Alan
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| #5 (permalink) Tue Apr 01, 2008 19:49 pm Salty vs Saltish |
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Thanks again
Now I understand the words are synonymous.
At first I thought saltish was different form salty this way.
| Quote: |
1- I can't eat this food--it is too salty.
2- I can't eat sweet--I want to eat something saltish, for example chips. |
Tom |
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| #6 (permalink) Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:43 am Salty vs Saltish |
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| Quote: |
| 'Somewhat' to me suggests 'too much'. |
The word 'somewhat' suggests 'slightly' or 'to a degree' to me -- especially when used as part of a definition in a dictionary. :wink:
I can't recall ever hearing anyone use the word 'saltish', Tom. I did a search of the BNC, and the one and only sentence containing the word 'saltish' is this one:
Near by is a quay, at the side of an estuary, and here the scenery becomes melancholy and fiat; expanses of mud, saltish commons, the marsh-birds crying.
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| Proportion vs Percentage | Unless otherwise states-what does this mean? |
