核心畫面

One way to hold this word: press your thumb into something and nothing pushes back. A boiled carrot, a wet box, an old cushion, a worn-out button. Whatever held it up has gone, so it just gives way and spreads under your finger. English then lends that same feel to talk about love: the words go soft and sweet, with no edge left anywhere, and the listener sinks in the same way your thumb does.

可以想成:你用拇指壓下去,底下沒有東西頂回來。煮爛的紅蘿蔔、淋濕的紙箱、塌掉的坐墊、按壞的按鍵,都是這樣。原本撐著它更多收起可以想成:你用拇指壓下去,底下沒有東西頂回來。煮爛的紅蘿蔔、淋濕的紙箱、塌掉的坐墊、按壞的按鍵,都是這樣。原本撐著它的骨架不見了,所以一壓就往旁邊塌開。英文把同一個觸感借去講感情:話講得又甜又軟,沒有一處帶稜角,聽的人就像拇指一樣整個陷進去。三個用法都在講同一件事——該有的那個硬度不見了。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary gives the formation as mush plus -y: like the thick soft stuff called mush.

Wiktionary 記的組成是 mush 加上形容詞字尾 -y,也就是「像 mush 那一團一樣」。這個字面意思正好就是核心畫面:壓下去會散開的一團。

Wiktionary etymology tree for mushy supplied in packet (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:892299910:17168)

Two branches

壓下去就塌,沒有東西頂回來

這是核心畫面本身,講的是實際摸得到、壓得到的東西。

adjective · B2

Soft and wet, and having lost the shape or bite it should have, so that it falls apart into a thick paste when you press it.

糊爛的

話講得軟到沒有稜角

把「沒有骨架、一壓就塌」的觸感搬到說話和感情上:甜得沒有一處硬的地方,聽的人就陷進去。

adjective · B2

Showing or describing love in a sweet, soft way that is a bit much for the listener.

肉麻的