In the the expression 'whet your appetite', the old word 'whet' technically means?
Sharpening stone describe the process of using a sharpening stone is "to sharpen", but the older term "to whet" is still sometimes used. The term "to stone" is so rare in this sense that it is no longer mentioned in for example the Oxford Living Dictionaries. One of the most common mistaken idioms in English involves the phrase "to whet your appetite", too often mistakenly written as "to wet". But to "whet" quite appropriately means "to sharpen" one's appetite, not to douse it with water. The Roman historian Pliny described use of several naturally occurring stones for sharpening in his "Natural History".
Northern saw-whet owl Northern saw-whet owl The northern saw-whet owl ("Aegolius acadicus") is a small owl native to North America. Saw-whet owls are one of the smallest owl species in North America. They can be found in dense thickets or conifers, often at eye level, although they can be found around 20 feet up. Saw-whets are often in danger of being preyed upon by larger owls and raptors. Saw-whet owls are also migratory birds without any strict pattern. The scientific description of one of the sub-species of this owl is attributed to the Rev. John Henry Keen who was a missionary in Canada