kitchen physic
Definition
- Noun:
- Household remedy: "kitchen physic" refers to a simple, homemade remedy or treatment, often using common food items or ingredients found in a kitchen, as opposed to a professionally prescribed medicine.
- Dietary cure: It can also denote the practice of treating illness or maintaining health through eating well, particularly by consuming nourishing food in abundance.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- My grandmother swore by kitchen physic, using honey and lemon for a cough. (A homemade remedy using kitchen ingredients.)
- The old farmer believed in kitchen physic: "Eat plenty of good food, and you'll stay healthy." (A dietary approach to health.)
Advanced Usage
"to rely on kitchen physic": to depend on home remedies rather than medical professionals.
- In rural areas, many families still rely on kitchen physic for minor ailments. (They use simple, food-based treatments.)
"kitchen physic as a philosophy": the belief that proper diet is the best medicine.
- His approach to health was pure kitchen physic — fresh vegetables, broth, and rest. (A focus on nutrition over drugs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Kitchen (n): a room where food is prepared.
- Physic (n): an archaic term for medicine or medical treatment.
- The apothecary prepared a physic for the patient. (A medicinal remedy.)
Synonyms
- Home remedy: a treatment made from common household items.
- Folk medicine: traditional healing practices passed down through generations.
- Dietary cure: healing through food and nutrition.
Related Idioms
A dose of kitchen physic: a humorous way to describe being told to eat well and rest.
- When he complained of a cold, the doctor gave him a dose of kitchen physic: "Drink warm soup and go to bed." (Simple, non-medical advice.)
Kitchen physic for the soul: a metaphorical use meaning comfort or healing through simple, familiar things.
- After a stressful week, a home-cooked meal was kitchen physic for the soul. (Emotional comfort through food.)