'Smooths' or 'Smoothes'?

[Odessa Dawn]

I think this is a typo. Doesn't it have to be "sweat"?

3-3)There are many reasons why cats spend so much time licking themselves...In cold weather, repeated licking smooths down the fur and keeps keeps body heat in.

Shouldn't smooths down be smoothes down?

Thank you,

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

Shouldn't smooths down be smoothes down?

No — smooths is correct.

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

Miriam-Webster gives both "smooths" and "smoothes" as the 3rd person singular present form. I've always used the "e".

 

[5jj]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

Miriam-Webster gives both "smooths" and "smoothes" as the 3rd person singular present form. I've always used the "e".

The BNC has 27 citations for 'smooths', 23 of them for the verb, four for the plural noun. It has only four for 'smoothes', all for the verb. I don't honestly know for certain which I'd use, but I think it would be 'smoothes'.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

You surprise me.

I've never seen smoothes before in my life.

Rover

 

[5jj]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

It seems to be more popular in AmE than in BrE. COCA has 146 'smoothes' and 243 'smooths'. I must have been reading too much colonial literature.

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

I think it looks wrong without the "e." So there you go.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

​

Another example:


"Music soothes anxiety, pain in cancer patients"

More: Music soothes anxiety, pain in cancer patients - CNN.com

"Eating chicken soup to combat a cold is an age-old remedy, dating back to 12th Century physician Maimonides, and it may work. Drinking warm liquid soothes the nasal passages while the soup seems to act as an anti-inflammatory. Protein from chicken and antioxidants from vegetables also help the body make virus-killing antibodies."
More: BBC News - Is a cure for the common cold on the way?

Thank you all.

 

[5jj]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

These posts were nothing to do with the original question on 'sweet/sweat', so I have moved them to a new thread.

 

[SoothingDave]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

​

Another example:


"Music soothes anxiety, pain in cancer patients"

More: Music soothes anxiety, pain in cancer patients - CNN.com

"Eating chicken soup to combat a cold is an age-old remedy, dating back to 12th Century physician Maimonides, and it may work. Drinking warm liquid soothes the nasal passages while the soup seems to act as an anti-inflammatory. Protein from chicken and antioxidants from vegetables also help the body make virus-killing antibodies."
More: BBC News - Is a cure for the common cold on the way?

Thank you all.

"Soothe" and "smooth" are not the same word.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

"Soothe" and "smooth" are not the same word.

Excellent as always! Thank you so very much, SoothingDave, for pointing that out.


"The idea is it stops people trying to switch lanes to overtake and it smooths the traffic flow, everybody carries on travelling at a lower speed," he said.
More: BBC News - Variable speed limit starts on M4 near Newport

The pot is on a wheel, where Paula applies water, and smoothes out the imperfections known as belly bands. A sponge on a stick is used to smooth the inside of the pot.
More: BBC - Behind The Scenes at Moorcroft 2 - the sponger

I think e is an optional?

 

[5jj]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

I think e is an optional?

Some people think it is optional. Some don't like the e. There is no general agreement. Write it as you please - somebody, somewhere, is bound to object whatever you do.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

​

Smooth and soothe are synonyms for each other, aren't they?

The Free Dictionary; v. smoothed, smooth·ing, smoothes

3. To soothe or tranquilize; make calm.

More: smooths - definition of smooths by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

 

[bhaisahab]

Re: sweet dries on our skin

​

Smooth and soothe are synonyms for each other, aren't they?

The Free Dictionary; v. smoothed, smooth·ing, smoothes

3. To soothe or tranquilize; make calm.

More: smooths - definition of smooths by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

No, they are not synonyms.