All right, smart English types, help me out

[stoney321]

I read the phrase "deep-seated" and was taken aback. I have ALWAYS thought that the phrase was "deep-seeded." Here's my thinking on why:

deep-seeded racism. Meaning, the racist ideas, etc. are buried deep, hence the seed metaphor. Yes, I am a gardener, this is how I think, lol.

So, if I'm wrong, what does "seat" refer to? Is this one of those turns of phrase that came from something else, a la, "mad as a hatter?" I'm corn-fused.

Also, I went to a fancy schmancy restaurant last night and had the Chef-Tasting/Pairing Course (3) and it was... oh my god, it wasn't good. This guy thought he was on Top Chef and I wanted to be Daddy Tom telling him why it was terrible. And the wine!! So mediocre and! And! The dessert course I got a Bailey's over ice (it's a WINE tasting) and a creme brulee soaked in coffee liquer. Now in theory, that sounds awesome. In execution it was sugar shock and soupy. Huh. (My main course was a fabulous chimichurri sauce over a Cowboy Rib eye. I would like to point out that I'm kinda small. Kinda. A cowboy Ribeye is almost 2 pounds of beef. Good. Lord. And it was a fatty cut of meat, too. I told him that it would have been better to match the sauce - which was perfect - with something small like a fillet Mignon, esp. a buffalo fillet.) Eh. The service was lousy, too. Hotel ZaZa is great, but I can't recommend their restaurant, Dragonfly. Three stars when they put on airs like they're 5. No, you're not.

ETA Check this article that compares the two: deep-seated and deep-seeded. THE PLOT THICKENS! (And thank you everyone that is chiming in.)

Comments

[anelith.livejournal.com]

There's a weekly column in the Globe that covers etymological questions like this one -- they can be fascinating! Human beings create language in such interesting ways. I like that the writer of the Globe column is not one of the very strict Right vs. Wrong sorts when it comes to usage, etc. More along the lines of the article you link to.

It's good that you spoke up to the chef and said what you thought, at least about the cut of meat.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I don't jibe with the "it's only this way" thing, even though there are word usages that drive me up the wall. (The abuse of the word impact, when people mean affect, for example.) But the English language is constantly morphing, it has to be accepted.

Anne, that steak was the size of my face!! Too much, too much. And fatty, bleh. But the sauce was absolute perfection.