Comments on: The Many Meanings of “Sweat”

By: JC

JC — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:18:48 +0000

Let’s not forget sweating pipe; that is to say soldering copper plumbing with a blowtorch. Usually in the attic. In midsummer.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:51:35 +0000

Except for this: sweat shop a small factory that does not conform to local standards of safety, sanitation, length of workday, or payment. The word is most often used, IME, for a (usually large) factory that far exceeds local standards in all of those things, but doesn't meet US standards. (E.g., Nike's shoe production in Vietnam a few years ago)

By: Roberta B.

Roberta B. — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:12:00 +0000

I think the expression “No sweat” (shown above as “no problem” for the speaker) also could be related to the interpretation above by Robyn. It’s a reply to the Questioner – “Don’t sweat it” or “Don’t (you) worry about it.” I’m also a native speaker of American English.

By: Maeve

Maeve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:24:11 +0000

Robyn,
All useful additions to the list.
Thanks.

By: Robyn Broyles

Robyn Broyles — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:16:02 +0000

Don’t forget the very casual idiom “Don’t sweat [...],” which means “Don’t worry about [...]” and the related “Don’t sweat it,” meaning “You’re welcome.”

Don’t sweat the small stuff. (Don’t worry about details.)
Don’t sweat that project right now; we’ll work on it later together.

“Hey, thanks for your help.”
“Don’t sweat it.”

And here’s another one I thought of… “to break out in a cold sweat,” meaning “to feel anxious,” often meaning social anxiety:

Just thinking about asking her on a date made him break out in a cold sweat.

I’m just calling on my knowledge as a native speaker of American English here. Do your dictionaries agree with me? How about other native English speakers?