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In the movie "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" Jake was saved by the peculiar children while he was into a pub. An invisible child made pots and glasses fly all around and another start a fire on the pub's door.

At about 36 minutes of the movie there's a dialogue:

a child:

Miss Peregrine, there's a policeman at the door. He says it's about the pub!

Miss Peregrine turns a blind look to Emma (hope my English is correct here) and says:

We'll discuss this later, Emma.

then goes into the house.

Jack says:

It wasn't their fault. Honestly, they were just trying to help.

Emma smiles. Miss Peregrine smiles too, then go away.

After Miss Peregrine has left, Emma says:

Thanks. You're not as wet as I thought.

What does it mean "wet" in this context?

Shadow Wizard Love Zelda
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genespos
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2 Answers2

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Being wet, in this case, means having a weak character. Emma is admitting that she thought that Jake would not have the courage to admit that it was he who made the mistake.

wet adjective (weak) UK
​
Used to describe someone who has a weak character and does not express any forceful opinions:

Don't be so wet.

Cambridge Dictionary

Mick
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    I think this is pretty strongly a UK usage. I haven't heard it in this sense in AmE. Although we do use "wet blanket" – ColleenV Nov 21 '17 at 12:28
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    I didn't realise that the author is American. The usage (in the UK) probably comes from wet blanket, anyway. – Mick Nov 21 '17 at 12:31
  • Well, wet blanket is more of a killjoy than someone who is weak. Wet noodle might be closer, but it's used as a noun not an adjective. Anyhow, it is an interesting usage :) – ColleenV Nov 21 '17 at 12:35
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    Yeah, it's very English and basically obsolete; it's about right for slang from the 1940s setting. – pjc50 Nov 21 '17 at 13:11
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    Until I read this answer, I assumed it was short for "wet behind the ears", meaning new and inexperienced. – Todd Wilcox Nov 21 '17 at 14:38
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    It was also famously used in this sense by Margaret Thatcher. – peterG Nov 21 '17 at 15:50
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    @pjc50 I don't think it is by any means "basically obsolete", it was used at my secondary school, sixth form, and right through university, often morphed into "you wetty", or the like. – ollie299792458 Nov 21 '17 at 16:28
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    @ollie299792458 I was mid-way through writing the same thing when you commented. – Arronical Nov 21 '17 at 16:29
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    @ollie299792458 Your comment would be more informative if you mention when you were in secondary school, sixth form, etc. (i.e. if you started university in the 1950s or even 1980s "basically obsolete" might still hold). – 1006a Nov 21 '17 at 21:32
  • I always assumed it was a reference to being "weak as water" – barbecue Nov 22 '17 at 14:42
  • Am I the only one understanding wet in the sense "peeing in his/her pants" ? I don't mean literally, but I recently read or heard "wet" in the same kind of usage somewhere else, and it was pretty obvious to me that the implied cowardice/weakness referred to this idea. (I'm french) – Balmipour Nov 22 '17 at 16:41
  • In addition to the above (or perhaps in parallel), consider the status of a pasta noodle. When "wet" it is limp and easily broken whereas when dry it is rigid and much more difficult to break. That is what came to my mind when I heard the phrase. – aepound Nov 22 '17 at 17:40
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    @1006a : His profile says "computer science student", and his picture would fit someone in his 20's. Of course, that could all be fake, but ... – Martin Bonner supports Monica Nov 22 '17 at 18:02
  • @1006a I'm currently in second year undergrad. – ollie299792458 Nov 23 '17 at 14:37
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Wet in this context means weak-willed, or having no grit or strength of character. It's an extension of the idea expressed by the adjective "drippy", or in UK English, being a "drip".

(In the 1980s, the members of the UK Conservative party who were unsure of the speed and pace of the changes being introduced by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were disparagingly referred to as Wets. The idea being the same. So I infer that the term wets dates back to at least the 1980s. Personally it has the feel of a 1950s school term, but that's just my native speaker intuition making a claim.)

AlwaysLearning
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  • Per OED, the meaning of wet as weak or ineffectual dates back at least to 1916. It includes a description of the 1980s political usage as well. – barbecue Nov 22 '17 at 15:13