soft spot

English

Etymology

Late 18th c.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sɒft spɒt/
  • (Conservative RP) IPA^(key): /sɔːft spɒt/
• (General American) enPR: sôft, IPA^(key): /sɔft spɑt/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /sɑft spɑt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /sɔft spɔt/

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

Noun

soft spot (plural soft spots)

1. (idiomatic) A sentimental fondness or affection.

   Synonym: (Indian English) soft corner

   • 1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “The Book I Read”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads:

     I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart / When I found out you wrote the book I read

   • 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian‎^[1]:

     But although I happen to have a soft spot for nut roast – an option often preferable to the meat that emerged from the school kitchen – it seems I'm in a cranky minority.

2. A point of vulnerability in a defence.

   Synonym: weak spot

3. A fontanelle.

Translations

sentimental fondness or affection

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 眷戀 / 眷恋 (zh) (juànliàn)

• Finnish: lukkarinrakkaus (fi)
• French: faible (fr) m
• German: Faible (de) n, Schwäche (de) f
• Icelandic: veikleiki m
• Italian: debole (it) m
• Polish: czułe miejsce n
• Russian: сла́бость (ru) f (slábostʹ)
• Spanish: debilidad (es) f
• Ukrainian: сла́бкість f (slábkistʹ)

point of vulnerability

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 脆弱點 / 脆弱点 (cuìruò diǎn), 弱點 / 弱点 (zh) (ruòdiǎn)

• Finnish: heikko kohta, heikkous (fi)
• French: point faible (fr) m
• German: Schwachstelle (de) f
• Icelandic: veikur punktur m, veikur blettur m, snöggur blettur m
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: 弱点 (ja) (jakuten), 弱み (ja) (yowami)
• Romanian: punct vulnerabil (ro) n
• Russian: уязви́мое ме́сто n (ujazvímoje mésto)
• Spanish: punto débil m

fontanelle — see fontanelle

Anagrams

• soft tops