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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Sweating vs perspiring
Sweating vs perspiring
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tensilestrain
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Sweating vs perspiring
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Hi,
Last week, one of my students told me that sweating is used on animals only. Humans should use the word perspiring. Is this true? If it �s true, any reason why we can �t use sweating on humans?
Thanks. |
7 Sep 2010
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Apodo
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Of course people sweat!
Perspire is more refined or polite.
At one time it was considered good etiquette to use:-
�Horses sweat, men perspire, women glow.� -But that is not a rule, just people trying to be extra polite in years gone by.
If you play vigorous sport you sweat - man or woman.
Saying �ladies glow � is considered a bit of a joke.
In fact many animals do not sweat eg: dogs do not sweat as they have no sweat glands and pigs do not sweat to adjust their temperature as their sweat glands aren�t very functional. |
7 Sep 2010
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tensilestrain
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Thanks for the reply.
I asked my colleague about it. She agreed with my student and said there was a saying.
So I thought I �ve been teaching the wrong thing. |
7 Sep 2010
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antonymearns
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Yes Mr Apoda is quite correct, (except that dogs do sweat but through pads on their paws.)
In fact people who play sport often wear a sweat band on their wrist! If humans didn �t sweat why would we call it a sweatband?
As a native speaker from England I am sure that you are correct !!!!!
Good luck with your teaching :) |
7 Sep 2010
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crisholm
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Calling it �perspiring � does not make it less smelly!
Good luck! |
7 Sep 2010
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Lina Ladybird
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Fresh sweat doesn �t smell at all... It only starts to smell when you forget to take a shower after an attack of sweating. 
BTW, Antony is right; I thought the same or something similar: why do sweatshirts exist when I - as a female - am not allowed to sweat in them?? And do I have to call them perspiration shirts from now on?  |
7 Sep 2010
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