核心畫面

Picture something so good that your body leans toward it before you decide anything: the smell reaches you first, and you already want it in your mouth. That pull is the whole word. It sits most naturally on food and on smells, it can be turned around into a name for the good things themselves, and when it is aimed at a person it carries the same pull with it, which is exactly why that use raises .

可以想成:一樣東西好到你還沒決定,身體就先靠過去了。香味先到,你已經想把它放進嘴裡。這股「被拉過去」的力量,就是這個更多收起可以想成:一樣東西好到你還沒決定,身體就先靠過去了。香味先到,你已經想把它放進嘴裡。這股「被拉過去」的力量,就是這個字的全部。它最自然的落點是食物和氣味。把它反過來當名詞用,就變成「那些好東西」本身。而當它被指向一個人的時候,同一股力量也跟著過去——這也正是那個用法讓人側目的原因。

From the word’s history

From Medieval Latin delectare, to delight, coming into English through Old French; by its parts it is delect plus -able, so it means able to delight.

來自中世紀拉丁文 delectare(使人愉快),經古法文進入英文;拆開看是 delect 加 -able,字面就是「能讓人愉快的」。今天這份愉快多半落在嘴巴和鼻子上。

Wiktionary entry supplied in this packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1030555344:8463)

Two branches

好吃、好聞到讓人享受

核心畫面最直接的落點:香味和味道把人拉過去。

adjective · C1

Tasting or smelling so good that eating it, or just smelling it, gives real pleasure. It is a strong word and not an everyday one.

美味的;香得誘人的

把人放進「好吃」的位置

同樣那股「想吃下去」的拉力,只是對象換成了人,所以語氣立刻變得誇張。

adjective · C2

Used about a woman to say that she is very attractive. It is usually said in a joking or old-fashioned way, and it works by treating a person as something good to eat.

(帶戲謔地)迷人的