Why "wet my appetite" doesn't hold water

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 24/10/2024, 06:05

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

This is an idiomatic error resulting from a homophonic mix-up.

People often confuse "wet" with "whet" due to their similar pronunciation, leading to the incorrect usage in the phrase "wet my appetite".

The correct phrase is "whet my appetite", where "whet" means to sharpen or stimulate.

The aroma of the baking bread served to whet my appetite.
The appetizer was designed to whet the guests" appetites before the main course.
Reading the book's introduction whetted my appetite for more of the author's work.