proverb · Words worth keeping
Water bewitched.
Water bewitched.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase calls something water bewitched. In the checked historical account, it disparages weak beer or other liquor as little more than transformed water.
What the words are saying
The magical description makes a complaint about weakness playful rather than literal. The historical account supplies that sense but only speculates about an origin involving witches; this entry does not promote that speculation to fact. A useful application distinguishes the speaker’s expectation from an objective measure of quality. The phrase does not assert actual bewitchment or establish that stronger drink is preferable or safe.
Everyday example
A reader recognises a humorous complaint about a weak drink without treating the phrase as a supernatural claim.
When to use it
Use it to explain a documented historical disparagement, keeping origin speculation separate.
What it does not mean
No supernatural effect, verified origin, health benefit or objective quality ranking is asserted.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1728 · Water
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English