creature comfort

English

WOTD – 20 October 2016

Etymology

creature + comfort, in the sense of basic comforts enjoyed by non-human creatures.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɹiː.t͡ʃə ˈkʌm.fət/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkɹiː.t͡ʃɚ ˈkʌm.fɚt/

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• Hyphenation: crea‧ture com‧fort

Noun

creature comfort (plural creature comforts)

1. (idiomatic, often plural) Any small item or detail that makes a person feel comfortable and at home.

   My stereo is a creature comfort. As long as I have it I can relax and be happy.

   On weekends, she enjoys creature comforts like sleeping in and long baths.

   • 1839, W[illiam] Romaine, “The Believer, Exercised with the Outward Cross, Carries It with Patience, and Finds It a Great Help to Him in His Walk Heavenwards”, in Treatises upon the Life, Walk, and Triumph of Faith, New York, N.Y.: Robinson and Franklin (successors to Leavitt, Lord and Co.), →OCLC, page 241:

     Remember, it is laid upon thee to promote communion with thy God and Saviour. […] The cross is laid upon thee, a heavy, a bitter cross: it deprives thee of all sensible comfort, and is kept upon thee till thou hast no prospect of any. Hope in creature comfort has failed: this is a sweet season for spiritual communion with thy Jesus.

   • 1951 November, K. Westcott Jones, “Parkeston Quay and the Antwerp Continental Service”, in Railway Magazine, page 760:

     In the reverse direction, creature comforts were not closely studied, and the vessel left Antwerp at 1 p.m., to arrive in Harwich at the awkward hour of 2 a.m. The boat train was waiting for the weary stream of passengers, who straggled up George Street, encumbered with luggage, or following burdened porters in the darkness.

   • 2002, Barbara Collopy O'Halloran, Creature Comforts: People and Their Security Objects, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, front flap of dust jacket:

     Almost everyone has a favorite doll, an aging teddy, or an unraveling blankie—either safely put away in a drawer or still lovingly tucked into bed at night. Adults and children alike treasure these creature comforts because they offer security, lifelong friendship, and the smell of home.

   • 2007, Jerry [Delmas] Cardwell, Dieter Loibner, “The Amenities”, in Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat, 3rd rev. and updated edition, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Sheridan House, →ISBN, page 194:

     [I]t is time to remind you that festooning a small boat with a lot of gear and supporting systems is a two-edged sword. While it might increase convenience and creature comfort, it also will weigh down the boat, which means it won't sail at peak performance, especially not in light air and it will alter its behavior in a seaway.

   • 2012, Andrez Bergen, chapter 6, in 100 Years of Vicissitude, Alresford, Hants: Perfect Edge Books, →ISBN:

     'Are you thinking of making an offering?' Kohana asked, after she finished filling my cup and stood back. / […] [']It's an old Japanese custom to make an offering at a shrine or temple, as a token for departed souls, and often we leave saké.' / 'Oh, I see. Fair enough.' I raised my cup. 'Well, here's to the gods of abundance and creature comfort.'

   • 2012 March 22, Scott Tobias, “The Hunger Games”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 23 March 2012:

     The opening crawl (and a stirring propaganda movie) informs us that "The Hunger Games" are an annual event in Panem, a North American nation divided into 12 different districts, each in service to the Capitol, a wealthy metropolis that owes its creature comforts to an oppressive dictatorship.

2. Alcoholic drink, especially whisky.
   • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby:

     An empty glass stood on a table before him, which, with his somnolent condition and a very strong smell of brandy and water, forewarned the visitor that Mr Squeers had been seeking, in creature comforts, a temporary forgetfulness of his unpleasant situation.