To be MEAT and drink to one

Insights

A Source of Intense Pleasure

Describes an activity or experience that brings a person profound joy, satisfaction, and a sense of vitality. It is not just a minor amusement but a primary source of pleasure that invigorates and sustains them emotionally.

A Driving Motivation

Represents a driving force or core motivation in someone's life. The thing that is 'meat and drink' to them is an essential part of their character or purpose, something they feel compelled to do or experience.

Psychological Sustenance

Illustrates the concept of psychological sustenance, where certain experiences 'feed' a person's emotional or intellectual needs. For example, for a cynic, observing foolishness might be nourishing to their sense of superiority.

Primal Metaphor

The proverb draws its power from the universal, primal need for physical sustenance. By equating an activity—often a non-essential pleasure like gossip or mockery—with the very basics of survival, it powerfully conveys the intensity of the psychological satisfaction derived from that activity.

Psychological Nourishment

This proverb offers a sharp insight into human psychology, suggesting that people have fundamental emotional or intellectual appetites that are as compelling as physical hunger. For certain personalities, activities like observing folly (as in Shakespeare's 'to see a clown') or engaging in mischief are not mere pastimes but core sources of identity and vitality.

Vicarious Fulfillment

The consistent use of the proverb to describe pleasure derived from observing or interacting with others—whether through gossip, mockery, or entertainment—highlights a deep-seated social dimension of human satisfaction. It suggests that our emotional sustenance is often found in the actions and follies of those around us.

Ironic Motivation

There is a subtle irony in using a phrase for life's essentials to describe what are often trivial or even negative behaviors (e.g., swearing, mocking). This contrast underscores how profoundly a particular passion or obsession can dominate an individual's character, becoming their primary motivation.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The proverb is a powerful metaphor that equates an abstract source of pleasure or motivation with the concrete, universal necessities of food and water, making the intensity of the feeling immediately understandable.

Hyperbole

It employs hyperbole by exaggerating the importance of an activity to the level of basic survival. This overstatement effectively emphasizes the depth of the person's passion or enjoyment.

Idiom

The pairing of 'meat and drink' is a classic idiomatic expression representing all necessary sustenance, making the phrase concise, rhythmic, and memorable.