He smelled of sweat.

[tufguy]

1) He smelled sweaty.
2) He smelled sweat.
3) He smelled of sweat.
4) He smelled like sweat.

Could you please tell me which one is the correct one?

 

[Skrej]

#2 is ungrammatical. The rest are possible. #3 is probably the least common option.

 

[SoothingDave]

Huh. I would have said 3 is the best option.

 

[Piscean]

Here's my view:

1) He smelled sweaty.
2) He smelled sweat.
3) He smelled of sweat.
4) He smelled like sweat.

I'd spell it smelt.

#2 is possible if it means that sweat was the odour that came to his nose.

 

[tufguy]

#2 is ungrammatical. The rest are possible. #3 is probably the least common option.

But others are saying number four is incorrect.

 

[Skrej]

I'm curious as well why Piscean considers #4 incorrect, but that's something you'd have to ask him, not me.

 

[emsr2d2]

But others are saying number four is incorrect.

That's not true. At this point, only one responder (Piscean) has said they consider #4 to be incorrect so you can't say "others" say it.

 

[Tarheel]

Number two is grammatical. However, it doesn't mean the same the others do. (See below.)

Abe: I smell sweat.
Bob: That's because you've been working out and you're sweaty. Go take a shower.

 

[Piscean]

I'm curious as well why Piscean considers #4 incorrect,

When I first wrote that post, I put a question mark rather than a cross. The question mark was possibly a better choice. I now think that He smelled like sweat is grammatically correct, but I don't think anyone would say it.

 

[jutfrank]

I agree with Piscean that 4 is wrong. The correct way to say that he's producing an odour is 3.

to smell/taste of something

If you said that something smells or tastes like something, I'd imagine you were making a comparison.

 

[Skrej]

Curious. It's quite common for me at least, and probably my preferred choice of the listed options.

I frequently say X smelled like Y to refer to someone or something having a particular odor.

She smelled like garlic.
It smells like mold in here.

If you said that something smells or tastes like something, I'd imagine you were making a comparison.

Yes, precisely - it's comparing the smell of the person to the smell of sweat.

 

[SoothingDave]

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

 

[Skrej]

Or even if it smells like a duck?

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, precisely - it's comparing the smell of the person to the smell of sweat.

Yes, but I don't think that's what the OP means. I think he means that the odour emitting from 'he' was the odour of sweat. There's no comparison there, in that sense. If you say something tastes like chicken, you mean it's not chicken.

 

[Piscean]

The only situation in which I could imagine myself saying X smells like sweat would be if I had a damp rag and were trying to guess what had made it damp. If somebody told me it was mushroom soup, I might say It smells like sweat. I can't imagine ever saying that a person smelled like sweat.

 

[emsr2d2]

The only situation in which I could imagine myself saying X smells like sweat would be if I had a damp rag and were trying to guess what had made it damp. If somebody told me it was mushroom soup, I might say It smells like sweat. I can't imagine ever saying that a person smelled like sweat.

I agree. We can reasonably expect a person to smell sweaty, especially if they've been exerting themselves. Using "like" doesn't make a good simile. I'd use "He smells of sweat" to mean that is the smell emanating from his body.
Of course, bear in mind that sweat itself has no smell! It's sweat mixed with the bacteria on the skin that can cause an unpleasant odour.

 

[Skrej]

So none of you have ever smelled something bad and commented that it "smells like sh*t"?

 

[Piscean]

So none of you have ever smelled something bad and commented that it "smells like sh*t"?

Yes.

But I haven't caught an unpleasant whiff of a male and said He smells like sweat.

 

[Skrej]

I guess I don't see the difference, but I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm not going to change my usage or persuade others against it. I still prefer #4 or #1, and can say with confidence #4 is common where I live.

 

[emsr2d2]

To me, the difference is that if you're sniffing a sweaty person, it's odd to say that they smell like sweat. That's not right. They actually smell of sweat, not just like it.
If you sniff a cushion and it smells of sh*t, then saying it smells like sh*t would be correct. If you sniff a piece of sh*t, it would be very odd to remark that it smells like sh*t.