New
August 07, 2025
'Just deserts 🏜️' or 'just desserts 🍨'?
In our live lesson this month, Stefano asked if there's a noun form of 'deserve'.
[Meaning of 'deserve' (verb) = to earn something by good or bad actions or behaviour]
I could only think of the expression:
He got his just deserts*
The pronunciation and meaning of 'deserts' here is NOT the same as 'deserts 🌵🏜️. [DEsert = dry, sandy place]
It comes from an older meaning of the word related to "deserve," meaning a fitting reward 🏆 or, more commonly, a fitting punishment ⚖️.
And it is pronounced the same as 'desserts' 🍨! How confusing!!!
So all of my life I have been spelling it incorrectly!
So, while "just deserts" is pronounced like "just desserts," the correct spelling reflects its meaning of deserved consequences, often negative ones.
Thanks for your feedback