Life Saver
1
2.5
- noun
- /ˈlaɪf ˌseɪvər/
:
Life Savers
- After finishing his class, he reached into his bag and pulled out a roll of Life Savers to enjoy on his walk home.
Examples
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You're a life saver.
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She always keeps a pack of Life Savers in her car for long drives.
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I got champagne, Life Savers.
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She handed him the Life Savers, which he accepted without comment.
Fiction book (1999) -
When she hung up, she bought Teddy a roll of Life Savers from the candy counter.
Fiction book (1999) -
In front of her, I eyed the rows of Life Savers and peanut brittle.
Fiction book (2000) -
At the movie theater, I bought popcorn and a roll of Life Savers for a sweet treat.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents 'life' + 'saver' suggest a person or device that saves lives (e.g., a rescuer or life preserver), not a type of candy. The candy meaning arises from a brand-name/metaphorical extension (shape like a life preserver), so a B1 learner knowing the words would not reliably infer 'ring-shaped hard candy', making the expression unpredictable.
Etymology
Life Saver was named because each sweet is a small ring that looks like a life preserver, the round float used to save people in water. That's why the name suggests 'saving' and helps you remember this brand of ring-shaped hard candy.