I'd like to know what "sweets" means as in "a box of sweets", particularly in American English. Does it necessarily mean "candy"?
I'd appreciate your help.
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2As a native speaker of American English, I have never heard "box of sweets" refer to anything other than a literal box of candy– Kanga_RooCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:22
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British Sweets vs American Candy– FumbleFingersCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:27
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@Kangaroo_Lover in your experience, when you heard the expression, was it British or American English?– ApollyonCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:27
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@Apollyon American English. It's more common to refer to it as a "box of candy" in the states, but like I said, I've never heard "box of sweets" used in any other context than for candy– Kanga_RooCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 13:34
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1 Answer
American English doesn't use the term traditionally. However, working in America, I interact with many folks who come from former British colonies. And so "sweets" is fairly common jargon and of course, it's not difficult to figure out for Americans that it means candy.
