\nLet\u2019s start with the English expression \u2018to get one\u2019s just deserts\u2019 meaning \u2018to be punished or rewarded for earlier actions\u2019.<\/strong> The \u2018just\u2019 here is connected with \u2018justice\u2019 (that\u2019s the easy part), but what about \u2018desert\u2019? The meaning of the expression is \u2018to get what you deserve\u2019 and is often used to say that someone will eventually be punished for what they\u2019ve done wrong. So perhaps the \u2018desert\u2019 is the prize for bad behavior? By now many of our native readers will be screaming that it\u2019s not \u2018desert\u2019 but \u2018dessert\u2019 (note the \u2018s\u2019, it makes a big difference!)<\/p>\n
![\"just-deserts-just-desserts\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2015\/12\/just-deserts.jpg\")
just deserts vs. just desserts<\/p><\/div>\n
The odd thing is that they are half-right. To understand why we have to take a detour on pronunciation: \u2018Desert\u2019 and \u2018dessert\u2019 both have a \/z\/ sound in the middle, but the hot sandy place has the stress at the beginning \u2018DEsert\u2019 while the sweet delicious thing has the stress at the end \u2018deSSERT\u2019 (a trick to remembering this is that \u2018dessert\u2019 comes at the end of the meal and you want a double size i.e. double \u2018s\u2019). The only problem is that in \u2018just deserts\u2019 the stress comes at the end! Hence many people think it\u2019s \u201cdesserts\u201d, perhaps imagining that a good person will get a nice dessert and a bad person will get some horrible disgusting thing like caramelized cockroaches.<\/p>\n
In truth though, the \u2018desert\u2019 in \u2018just deserts\u2019 is neither sandy nor delicious, it\u2019s a noun related to \u2018deserve\u2019<\/strong> – seems obvious doesn\u2019t it? All good? Well no, not quite, you might remember a certain rule about stress in noun and verb forms such as \u201cto reBEL\u201d vs. \u201ca REBel\u201d, \u201cto proTEST\u201d vs. \u201ca PROtest\u201d and of course \u201cto deSERT\u201d (to leave a group without permission) vs. \u201ca DEsert\u201d. So why not \u201cto deSERVE\u201d vs. \u201ca DEsert\u201d? The simplest answer seems to be that the noun and verb were both borrowed from French where they both have stress on the final syllable and have somehow remained that way through the centuries (other examples are \u2018hoTEL\u2019, \u2018poLICE\u2019 and of course \u2018deSSERT\u2019).<\/p>\n So we end up with an expression that is commonly used, but confusing to native and learner alike. Still, it\u2019s given us a nice look at stress and pronunciation. If you\u2019ve got your head around all this, I think a dessert is truly your just deserts right now!<\/p>\n
![\"just-deserts-just-desserts\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2015\/12\/just-deserts-350x232.jpg\")