a vocabulary question

[supercheesegirl]

A guy teaching English in South America just asked me, what's the difference between a purse, a pocketbook, and a handbag? (I suppose it technically should be "difference among", but whatev.) I'm interested in hearing your answers--the response I sent to him is lj-cut so you can reply without looking at it.

Most modern women I know carry a "purse". My mental image of a "pocketbook" usually includes a clasp instead of a zipper and short handles instead of a long strap--the kind of thing women carry when wearing fancy dresses in 1940s movies--but that could just be me. I think of "pocketbook" as the most out-of-date term. "Handbag" for me is usually the larger-than-life monstrosity carried by an older woman. Overall, my understanding is that all three words refer to the same item: a bag usually on a strap that contains all of a woman's varied items. Personally, I carry a "purse," but your student would not be remiss in using any of these words in reference to this sort of object. Even just "bag" does the job fine.

Definitions from dictionary.com:

Purse: 1. A woman's bag for carrying keys, a wallet, and other personal items; a handbag. 2. A small bag or pouch for carrying money. 3. Something that resembles a bag or pouch. 4. Available wealth or resources; money. 5. A sum of money collected as a present or offered as a prize.

Pocketbook: 1. A purse; a handbag. 2. A pocket-sized folder or case used to hold money and papers; a billfold. 3. Financial resources; money supply: prices to fit your pocketbook. 4. often pocket book A pocket-sized, usually paperbound book. Also called pocket edition.

Handbag: 1. A woman's purse. 2. A piece of small hand luggage.

(I just took the first set of definitions for each word--there are a few other definitions that come up as well if you actually want to go look.)

If anyone wants to hunt me up a grammarwhore icon, it's swiftly becoming apparent that I need one.

Comments

[lizabethanqueen]

by grammarwhore icon do you mean an icon of a pimp surrounded by letters? or something like "i before e, except after c" in a cool font?

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Maybe, like, a sexy chick with glasses, and a caption like "Don't split my infinitives" or something. I really don't know what exactly I'm looking for, but hopefully I'll know it when I see it. :)

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

i would say a purse and a handbag are the same thing. a pocketbook is specifically a type of wallet.

now i'll look at your answers.

and dictionary.com justifies me. huzzah!

[ilikemytie.livejournal.com]

That's a difficult one. . . a couple years ago, I wrote an LJ entry about my loathing of purses. . . I like to say that I carry a 'bag'. . .but then, anything that I throw across my shoulder, I consider a 'messenger bag' - purses nowadays are horrible. Those little ones that you have to carry in your armpits! Ugh! To me, a pocket book is one of those checkbook/wallet combos. A lot like a 'clutch.' And a handbag to me, is like those large bags that people carry, but they still have short handles. I loathe purses with short handles. Don't like anything that I actually have to hold. That's why I have a shoulder bag, a rain coat, and don't drink coffee or smoke.