核心畫面

A of soup that someone forgot to salt. Nothing in it is spoiled and nothing is wrong, but the mouth finds nothing to hold on to. That empty spoon is the picture insipid keeps, whether the thing being described is a bowl of food or a song, a colour, or a page of writing.

可以想成一口忘了加鹽的湯。沒有壞掉,也沒有哪裡做錯,可是含在嘴裡,舌頭抓不到任何東西。insipid 保留的就是那一更多收起可以想成一口忘了加鹽的湯。沒有壞掉,也沒有哪裡做錯,可是含在嘴裡,舌頭抓不到任何東西。insipid 保留的就是那一瞬間的空。不管後來拿去說食物、顏色、音樂還是文章,畫面都還是那支嘗不出味道的湯匙。

From the word’s history

From French insipide, from Latin insipidus (tasteless): in- (not) plus sapidus (savoury), from sapio (to taste).

來自法文 insipide,再往前是拉丁文 īnsipidus(沒有味道的):in-(不)加上 sapidus(有味道的)。所以這個字從一開始講的就是「嘗不到」。

Wiktionary entry for insipid (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:363618509), etymology section supplied in the evidence packet

Two branches

嘴裡嘗不到味道

這一族就是核心畫面本身,還留在食物和飲料上。

adjective · C1

Food or drink that is insipid has almost no taste, so eating or drinking it feels dull and disappointing.

淡而無味

看了聽了也沒有味道

把那支嘗不出味道的湯匙從嘴巴搬到眼睛和耳朵,就長出這一族。

adjective · C1

Not interesting, exciting, or attractive, because there is nothing strong or clear in it — used about things like writing, music, colours, films and people.

平淡乏味