核心畫面

One way to hold this word: -er names the one that does the job. Start with a person doing the kissing, then let the name slide down onto the part of them that actually does it, and then out onto the whole face around that part. Each step keeps the same small idea and points at something new with it. By the last step the kissing has dropped out of the meaning entirely, and only the place is left — which is also why an archer can call a button on a bowstring a kisser: it is the thing that meets the lips.

可以想成:-er 是在點名「做這件事的那一個」。先是那個在親吻的人。接著這個名字往下滑,落到真正做這件事的那個部位。更多收起可以想成:-er 是在點名「做這件事的那一個」。先是那個在親吻的人。接著這個名字往下滑,落到真正做這件事的那個部位。再往外擴,蓋住那個部位周圍的整張臉。每一步都用同一個小小的想法,去指一個新的東西。走到最後一步,「親吻」其實已經從意思裡掉出去了,只剩下那個位置。所以射箭的人會把弓弦上那顆小鈕也叫 kisser——因為它就是碰到嘴唇的那個東西。

From the word’s history

The packet's source calls it the agent noun of kiss: kiss plus -er, the one that kisses.

packet 的詞源說它是 kiss 的施事名詞,也就是 kiss 加上 -er。所以整個字最開始就只有一個意思:做這件事的那一個。後面的每個用法,都是這個「那一個」指向不同的東西。

packet Wiktionary etymology_text (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1101770845:7181)

Three branches

做這件事的人

最直接的一步:kiss 加 -er,就是在親吻的那個人。這裡還完全看得見動詞。

noun · B1

A person who kisses, especially when you are saying how well or badly they do it.

接吻的人

做這件事的部位(俚語)

名字從人身上滑到部位身上。既然嘴巴負責親吻,嘴巴就成了 the kisser;再往外一點,整張臉也跟著沿用這個名字。

noun · B2

Your mouth. This is slang, and it comes up most often when something lands on it.

嘴巴(俚語)

碰到嘴唇的那個零件(射箭)

走到最後一步:連「嘴」都不是了,變成碰到嘴的那個東西。名字留下的只剩位置。

noun · C2

In archery, a small button fixed on the bowstring. The archer pulls the string back until the button touches the corner of their mouth, which shows that the draw is the same length every time.

唇位定位鈕