For Thailand, this current season is considered the hottest. Let’s explore three phrases with the word ‘heat’, and observe their different contexts and connotations.
Heat stroke, or sun stroke, is a kind of emergency illness when someone suffers a high temperature – over 40ºC (104F) – resulting from long exposure to high temperature for a long time, or from physical exertion. Besides the cessation of sweating, other possible symptoms include dizziness, fainting, red skin, high pulse, aggressiveness, delusion and unconsciousness.
It is sometimes confused with heat exhaustion, which has less severe symptoms but can develop into heat stroke. The major differences are lower body temperature (of just over 38 ºC) and sweating.
To put the heat on someone means to pressure them to do something, mostly for one’s own benefit.
Dead heat – originally used in racing circles, the term ‘dead heat’ is also applied to the case of political and other kinds of contests. It describes the unusual case where two competitors reach the winning post at exactly the same time. The phrase usually comes up with the expression ‘to be in a dead heat’. That of ‘almost a dead heat’ shares close meaning.