Sunday 5 August 2012

2 in 1 Challenge...

2-in-1 Challenge Homepage

Last week I showed you my Petal Pocket Pillow; one of my all time favourite projects.


You can read more about my cushion here. I know I keep swapping between the terms cushion and pillow. To me, a pillow is something I put my head on at night to go to sleep, whereas a cushion is something I put behind my back for comfort while sitting on a lounge. 

To me, what I have made is a cushion. I know, in many parts of the world, you would this call a pillow. What term would you use in your corner of the world?

So, why am I swapping between the two terms and calling it a pillow, when I see it as a cushion
  • Way back in September last year, I signed up for the Retro Pillow Challenge, where I made my Retro Flower Power Pillow. Online I called it a pillow, at home I called it a cushion. I see the term pillow used so much in my travels through Blogland, that I am tending to use that more myself, especially if I am talking to someone who calls it a pillow
  • Fellow Aussie, Nova, from A Cuppa and a Catch Up, who created the pattern, has called it the Petal Pocket Pillow.
  • Petal Pocket Cushion doesn't have the same ring to it, as Petal Pocket Pillow.
Language is evolving all the time. We certainly don't spell or speak the way William Shakespeare did. With ready access to the Internet, I wonder whether all English speaking countries will end up with the same spellings, colloquialisms, terms and expressions.

Here's a couple of ways Australians and Americans use language differently. Can you add to the list or give different variations for other English speaking countries? I find it fascinating to see all the differences.


Aussie U.S.A.
overlocker serger
cushion pillow
mobile phone cell phone
thongs flip flops
Source
It appears that the majority of the English speaking world calls the above picture flip flops. It was much easier to to find the picture I wanted when I searched with the term  flip flops... LOL!!!

I am in awe of those of you who speak English as a second (or third, or fourth) language. For a couple of years, I studied French and Latin at High School. I didn't mind the written component and used to get good marks, but when it came to actually speaking French, I was hopeless. Mr TMW and my sister used to tease me by speaking in French. I just couldn't keep up.

Thank goodness for Google Translate, which enables me to read blogs written in any language. Many languages give a good translation, whilst for some I just get the gist of the post. But that's OK, because a picture is worth a thousand words.


Whatever you call it in your corner of the world, I've entered my Petal Pocket Pillow into the 2 in 1 Challenge. Voting has begun, so head on over and vote for your favourite project.

Vote: 2-in-1 Challenge

Thanks, Rikka, for hosting another fabulous challenge. I'm looking forward to the next one...

... Pam

17 comments:

  1. Consider yourself voted for! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a cute pillow, Pam! I voted for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thongs for flip flops still makes me smile ... you know, a thong is a very scanty piece of underwear in British English - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thong_(clothing) .. mor dental floss than clothing! I'm with you on the pillow for beds and cushions or chairs debate.

    I love the fact that language evolves, although there are some words whose passing I will mourn ... very few people use 'fewer' these days as 'less' becomes ubiquitous. Whilst I think there will always be regional variations, I feel we are moving towards a brand of international English where the grammar rules are simplified. Sadly I think this might detract from the richness of our language.

    Sorry - off my hobby horse!!

    Voted for you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Il tuo cuscino è bellissimo e ho votato per te perchè era il mio preferito!
    Buona domenica
    Federica!
    P.S. Ho trovato molto interessante la tua introduzione sull'evoluzione del linguaggio (insegno italiano e tutto ciò che riguarda la "lingua" mi interessa moltissimo!; però devo perfezionare il mio inglese...)
    Ciao!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hear you with the language differences. I try to write comments in the way that the person has blogged it too (eg. if they call a cushion a pillow, then I will call it a pillow in my comment too usually).
    Just to add to your list:
    Aussie US
    Petrol Gas
    G-string Thong
    Lollies Candy

    Have fun with your list!

    S xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Pam, in Malaysia, thong is referred to a piece of underwear that has a single string at the back. Here, we call them slippers for thongs/flip flops, hand phone for mobile/cell phone, cushion for pillow, diary for journal and football for soccer, interesting isn't it?!
    By the way, I have voted for you - good luck! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I grew up in Montana calling them thongs. It wasn't until the mid 90s that I noticed everyone was calling them flip-flops. To me the underwear is called "a thong" while the shoes are simply "thongs". They're all pillows were I come from. Cushions are the parts of chairs and sofas that you sit on. Keren taught me what an overlocker is, and I prefer that term to serger. Fun post Pam! Thanks for promoting the voting!
    Rikka J.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Voted!! The thong vs. flip flops makes me giggle every time.:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just stopped by to let you know that I featured your cushion/pillow on my round tuit post this week!
    Round Tuit 113
    Thanks again for linking up! Hope you have a great week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success

    ReplyDelete
  10. You have my vote...your cushion / pillow what ever, is sooooo cute
    Hugs Tanya

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well, whatever you call it, I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pam , what a joyful post,,,, and i know you read my blog, with the sometimes funny/odd Google translation,,,, [ i try now to correct some for you!!! just had to giggle when i found out that my pattern for a knitted doll translated `one Knits` into bars ,,, well the poor machine sees Sorgim and as we don`t use vowels, could not see the difference from soragim ,, anyway if any of you wonders about something PLEASE ASK!!!
    As to the pillow =cushion, we have lived 2 years in UK, 2 in USA , and have seen lift =elevator etc... very interesting differences,, i have an English -American Dictionary somewhere .
    In Hebrew we have Kar for a bigger one and karit for a smaller pillow=cushion.
    mirjam

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is fantastic! I think I may have to make something like it for Christmas gifts this year! How did I miss seeing it on your blog?? Caught it on the Pink Hippo party where you were featured; congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jessica. I'll be making more for presents.

      Delete
  14. Love the cushion/ pillow! :-)
    Had fun reading this post, especially about the thongs vs slippers. Hmmm.... I think of something else when I hear thongs. :-) LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  15. In New Zealand we call thongs/flip flops jandals (incidently they were invented here). We have petrol, cell phones, cushions, overlockers and a new one to the list a jersey (woolen jumper) and sweatshirts or hoody if it has a hood.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for adding to the list and the origin of thongs. We use the term 'hoody' also and tend to call it a 'sweater' if no hood. A knitted woollen jumper we call a 'jumper'. Which reminds me... I think Americans call a 'pinafore' a 'jumper'.

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by! I love reading your comments and try to reply to all of them via email. If you don't receive an email reply from me, check back here.