April is the 15th anniversary of my blog, so I will be sharing previous posts this month from over 2000 that I have written. Today's entry has no special significance. It's just one that caught my eye as I was scrolling through old posts. This was originally published in December 2013.
____________________________
I Was Wondering...Faucet vs. Spigot
What is the difference between a faucet and a spigot?
In my last Thankful Sunday post, I said I was thankful for the cold water that came out of the faucet at the house I was visiting. Well, that's what I said, but not the first time I wrote it. The first time, I said that I was thankful for the cold water that came out of the spigot. I wasn't sure what to say, but I was tired and just chose one. Now that I have a little time, I thought I would figure out what was what.
And once again, I'm confused because they are synonyms. Both spigot and faucet refer to a tap (another synonym) or a valve that controls the flow of liquid into something. You can have a tap in anything from a cask to a water pipe. I never thought about it, but that is where the phrase "tap water" comes from, which refers to water coming straight from the faucet/spigot/tap.
However, there are some US regional variations in usage. In the south, a spigot is more commonly used, while a faucet is more commonly used in the north. Also, some use spigot to mean a tap outside and one that is more utilitarian, while faucet is used for a tap inside that is fancier.
So there you have it. Use either one you want, and you will be okay. After all of this talk about water, I'm thirsty. I'm going to have a drink of tap water from the faucet after I wash my hands from the spigot in the bathroom. :)
What word do you use, and do you use different words for a tap in different situations?
Want to know more?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_%28valve%29
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faucet
Until next time...
I've never used spigot but mostly because I haven't read it in much of anything. I guess in the u.s., faucet is used. People get the meaning so no need to fuss over it.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
Yes, I think the meaning gets across no matter what word is used. I have noticed that "tap" is used more in the novels I read that take place in England.
DeleteI am seriously southern and I have never called it anything but a faucet.
ReplyDeleteI was a northern southerner and I heard both faucet and spigot.
DeleteI use the term faucet, although I've heard people say spigot. It seem like faucet is used around here for indoor sinks, whereas spigot is used for outdoor or basement ones, although this may be more in my imagination than in reality. When I hear the word tap, I think of tapping maple trees (which I suppose has a similar function).
ReplyDeleteSo here is the upper Midwest weigh-in. Interesting that you only think of making maple syrup when you hear the word tap.
DeleteI tend to think faucet is a fancy spigot and usually on a sink. I call the outside "taps" spigots, as in my brain the word doesn't fit outside.
ReplyDeleteThere we have it from the Pacific Northwest. The good news is I think the regional differences are subtle, and everyone knows that we're talking about something water comes out of.
DeleteWhen I was growing up, we called it a tap. These days, I tend to say both tap and faucet, interchangeably, but, when I'm writing, I tend to use faucet. I rarely use the term spigot; I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteI rarely use tap, but I use both spigot and faucet. I'm sure a linguist knows what it all means, but I don't. :)
DeleteFaucet for ne, mostly, although I do say spigot sometimes, no rhyme ir reason to it. But tap? Don't think I have used that word. Funny the regional variations.
ReplyDeleteI find it code-shift,depending on where I am. I use better grammar and vocabulary when with city-type people, but when speaking locally, I fall into the regional vernacular. I began doing this when I worked in a very rural library, and wanted the locals to feel comfortable talking to me. Many thought the library was just for educated people, and that their speech would get them laughed at. So I picked up some of their usage--and my husband's!--to bridge that perceived gap.
That was a smart way to handle the library. I saw recently, that WV has one of the lowest library usages in the country. I guess old perceptions are hard to change.
Deletei always learned it that the faucet is inside the house, the spigot is the one outside.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can interchange the words, I think I use them more like you do.
Delete