Need a little help with your language please

[giantangryrooster]

I'm Scandinavian, I try my best with your language, but am still bewildered about livingrooms/dens, toilets/loos etc .

But can any of you enlighten me on two words?

Where I'm from we call it summer house, what do you call it... Cottage, holiday home, second home and what is the difference?

Secondly wood/forrest, is a wood smaller? How small, then?
Do you call it wood or woods?

Just confused can you help, please.

[june2007]

And a small group of tree,s not big enough to be a wood may be a grove. (just to add to the mix.)
A cloakroom, should have room to hold cloaks, (ok coats these days.), where as a bathroom I would expect wash facilities, whilst the toilet may just contain a toilet.

[ButDoUAvocado]

You’re right wowfudge It goes against the usual rules. English is so confusing. It always gets me how words spelt nearly the same, sound so different with a changed first letter eg. bomb, womb, comb.
And how mood is a long sound but blood isn’t.
Heather, heathens. I could go on

[Pelleas]

People in the US avoid the word "toilet" at all costs.

Some people in the UK avoid the word toilet because it has class connotations. Lavatory or loo is considered more 'upper class'.

[giantangryrooster]

Arrh this is outing but who cares, this is the house, it's old and overlooking the sea and I love it . So which is it? Holiday cottage or house or...

The wood i guess is 1x2 km, now you can flood me with even more expressions of a group of trees 😂.

And yes you language is darn hard, if you start to differentiate the multiple word you have for the same things.

[giantangryrooster]

Here goes.

[Choccyp1g]

We might call that a Beach Hut.

[Destroyedpeople]

Chalet?

[Pelleas]

I'll confuse you more by saying the first word that sprang to mind was 'cabin' when I saw your picture. Not quite a log cabin but along those lines.

'Holiday cabin' would give me the closest picture of what it is, but 'holiday home' would be fine.

[eddiemairswife]

Confusion during WW2. Sometimes people living near a US base would invite a serviceman to Sunday dinner. When the poor chap needed a wee he would ask where he could wash his hands. Often he would be shown to the kitchen sink.

[Choccyp1g]

Changed my mind about a beach hut, as you usually are not allowed to sleep in a beach hut.

[iVampire]

I never realised English was such a bitch of a language

Try explains the difference between:

‘Mary was great with child’ and
‘John was great with children’

‘Time flies like lightning’ and
‘Fruit flies like pineapple’

[Ifailed]

There's a problem with "forest", as it was used to denote a piece of land that was used for hunting by the nobility, and would cover open land as much as wooded, hence places like the New Forest.

There are no 'natural' forests in England, all are managed to a certain extent & coming from Scandinavia you may be surprised that many have no right of access. To me, the word forest usually means a managed area covered in planted trees, whereas a wood, or woodland signifies something less formal.
You will see many variations, weald, woods, copse, grove,chase etc. The word coppice is common as well, which will denote woodland that was (or still is) devoted to coppicing trees for wood, typically hazel or sweet chestnut.

[Destroyedpeople]

Yes we have multiple words for the same thing because we have been invaded so many times. It's fascinating how the normal people's language is essentially Germanic based while more formal language is based on French....compare 'a hearty welcome' with 'a cordial reception'.

That is also one reason why there are different words for the animal and the meat, and the meat word is essentially the word for the animal in French.. ...

That is because the ruling classes/meat eaters were French speaking. In fact nearly the only animal whose name\meat name is the same is...rabbit. poor people's food.

[Pelleas]

I'd think of a 'beach hut' as being much smaller than that and often on the sand or directly above the beach. A beach hut is for changing in, storing beach gear in, sheltering in in the rain or picnicking in, but they normally come with byelaws meaning you can't spend the night there. In some high-end places they cost as much as a house would in a cheap area!

[june2007]

Chalet. in the picture.

[wowfudge]

The thing with English is that you usually have to learn the exceptions, there are many, for nearly every grammar, pronunciation and spelling rule. Then you get idiomatic use and dialect thrown in too. My granny used to say she was going to see her aunt when she meant she was going to the loo.

[iVampire]

And of course a chalet park usually means a place where you can hire a chalet ie static caravan or small prefab usually for a holiday

[Cedilla]

The wood i guess is 1x2 km, now you can flood me with even more expressions of a group of trees


Ever heard of a spinney, OP?

Seriously, I'd say 'there's a wood behind my house' OR 'there are woods behind my house'. Or perhaps 'there's woodland behind my house'.

To me your lovely holiday home would be a cabin. I think in English the term 'holiday cottage' conveys an image of something historic, maybe a thatched roof and perhaps stonework or timber framing (inaccurate though that may be).

[giantangryrooster]

Do you think there is a tearing hair out emojie? I need one now .

Thank you again, you are very helpful (yet confusing).

Pelleas despite the house being small and old, you could definitely buy a house/flat in cheaper areas. All due to overlooking the sea.

[LonginesPrime]

Cottage, holiday home, second home and what is the difference?

'The Cottage' is what you call your second home when you're visiting it during lockdown or when you're a politician being scrutinised by the press.

A holiday home is where you can't go at the moment unless you call it 'The Cottage' and imply that your vulnerable relatives who have run out of essential medicines live there.

[giantangryrooster]

Cedilla spinner 😂

[giantangryrooster]

Damn spinney

[wowfudge]

I concur with Pelleas on the description of a beach hut. That photo is of a seaside chalet or holiday home.

[wowfudge]

Just don't confuse spinney with spinet, which is a musical instrument.

[Sparklfairy]

@iVampire amazing

OP, as you can see, even within the thread there's discrepancies between posters about what would/should be called what. Don't sweat it too much