Transcription
Well, hello and welcome to this English lesson, which I've given the title "What's the Difference, Part Two." A couple of weeks ago, I did a lesson called "What's the Difference?" where I showed you two different English words and then I explained the difference between those two words.
In this lesson, I have chosen a lot of, a lot more words. I think there's over 30 or 30. I think there's 30 more word pairs, and I'll tell you the difference between each. Now, when I show you the English words, you might think some of them are quite simple. But I would tell you this: just make sure you realize that you might learn a new word in the description, and you might also learn a few new words as I describe that vocabulary word to you. So stick around. We'll be here for, about, I think, 25 minutes for the lesson itself. And hopefully, you learn a few new words. So welcome to this English lesson called "What's The Difference Part 2."
Hand tools and power tools. So, hand tools are tools you use with your hands that don't use electricity. Things like a hammer or a wrench or a screwdriver, or even something like a little utility knife. Power tools are tools that run on electricity from an outlet or from batteries. Okay, so power tools, lot of noise. You plug them in, you charge the batteries if it is cordless, and then you use them. I have both kinds of tools. I keep a lot of my hand tools in a toolbox, and I keep them on my workbench in my workshop. So again, in this lesson, if you're familiar with the word "hand tools," pay attention because you'll learn words like "toolbox," "workbench," "cordless," "battery," "charging a battery." I have a number of power tools as well. I have the same amount of power tools that plug in as that use batteries, and they're corded and cordless. I'll get to that later. So, hand tools and power tools. Hand tools are tools you use with your hands that don't use electricity. Power tools, tools that run on electricity from an outlet or battery.
Pickup truck, dump truck. Now, again, you might know these words, but this isn't a basic vocabulary lesson. This is where you learn a few extra words as I describe them. So, pickup truck: a small truck with an open back for carrying things. And it has a tailgate that you can open and close, so that it's easier to put things in. I actually had a pickup truck like that a long time ago. It's very handy. You know, someone with a pickup truck. A dump truck is a large truck that can tip its back to dump out dirt and rocks, or dirt or rocks. So a dump truck, they're very, very large and they're very, very loud. Sometimes when I'm trying to make a video in town, the dump trucks go by. And there are a lot of them, in this, at this time of the year, because there's a lot of road construction.
Sailboat and motorboat. A sailboat, a boat that uses sails and the wind. A motorboat, a boat that moves using an engine. So with a sailboat, sometimes you have to sail back and forth. I think it's called tacking against the wind. You unfurl the sail so that you can catch the wind, and the wind is what makes your boat go forward. With a motorboat, you just have a motor on the back. We sometimes call it an outboard motor. It sticks out from the back, or an inboard motor if it's inside the boat. Motorboats are very fast, and often people will use them for water skiing. They will pull someone on water skis behind the boat so that they can enjoy some summertime fun. So, sailboat, a boat that uses sails and the wind. Motorboat, a boat that moves using an engine.
Cargo ship and cruise ship. I have never been on a cargo ship or a cruise ship. A cargo ship is a ship for carrying goods and containers across the ocean. A cruise ship, it's basically a floating hotel. A ship for traveling with rooms, restaurants, and entertainment. Many of you, I think, have probably been on cruise ships. I think I would find it a little crowded. Not sure I would enjoy it. And then cargo ships are obviously large ships with not very many people on them. It could be a ship full of oil or a ship full of wheat, or a ship like the one in the picture with lots of containers. So we might also call that cargo ship a container ship. So, a cargo ship, a ship for carrying goods and containers across the ocean. A cruise ship, a ship for traveling with rooms, restaurants and entertainment.
Mountain bike and road bike. We sometimes say street bike. A mountain bike is a bicycle made for riding on rough paths. That guy, though, is not on a path. He has gone off the beaten path. He is, he's kind of, I don't know. I hope he lands this jump. So he's doing a jump with his mountain bike, and I hope he lands it. Road bike is a bicycle made for riding on smooth roads. So notice I use two words there, bike and bicycle. They are probably both used equally. Bike is maybe a little more common in informal speech. So a mountain bike might have shocks on the front so the front wheel can absorb trying to make a shock symbol can absorb some of the impact. A road bike will be very light so that it doesn't extra energy to to, to pedal. So you pedal a bike.
Passenger train, freight train. A passenger train is a train that carries people. A freight train is a train that carries goods. When Jen and I go to Toronto, we go to the train station in Burlington and we hop on the Go Train. That's the name of the train that you can take for public transit in Ontario. And then we find a seat. In order to go on the train, we have to buy a, or a pass. A ticket lets you go on one trip. A pass lets you ride the train for a certain number of hours or days. We usually buy a day pass which allows us to go to Toronto and come home for the same amount of money. A freight train is just a train with a whole lot of cars attached to it. Train cars. And that train will be filled with all kinds of things. When a freight train goes by, it might be loaded with brand new cars coming from the United States or coal, or stone. All kinds of different materials. But, passenger train, a train that carries people. Freight train, a train that carries goods.
Push mower and riding mower. I prefer the riding mower. A push mower is a lawnmower you push. You use this to mow the lawn. You use this to mow the grass. You use this to cut the lawn. Use this to cut the grass. It basically takes a little bit of energy and it doesn't cut a very wide strip. A riding mower on the other hand is kind of a luxury. A lawnmower you sit on and drive. It cuts a much wider swath or path. And it's a little more relaxing. And it goes faster as well. And you can mow for longer because you don't get tired. So, push mower, a lawnmower you push. Riding mower, a lawnmower you sit on and drive.
Desktop and laptop. A desktop is a large computer that stays on a desk. We sometimes refer to the computer as a tower. But desktop is the most common word to use. A desktop computer requires a monitor and a mouse and keyboard. You need to plug them in to the USB ports. A laptop on the other hand, is a small portable computer that you can carry and you can put it on your lap. And I actually found a picture of someone with their laptop on their lap. We also sometimes, rarely now, but we might call it, yeah, I don't know if I should. Yeah, a notebook computer. It's not as common anymore. And if it is from Apple, a lot of people just call it a MacBook. So, desktop, a large computer that stays on a desk. Laptop, a small portable computer that you can carry. I have both. I have a desktop which you can see behind me. I have a desktop right there. And then I also have a laptop that I use for work that my work gave to me to use.
Hiking boots and work boots. So, boots are obviously things you wear to protect your feet. Hiking boots are boots for walking on nature trails and paths. Work boots look similar. They're strong boots for working indoors or outdoors with safety features. So the safety features that work boots might have is they might have a steel toe. So if something falls on your foot, it doesn't crush your foot. Often people will wear work boots in factories and when they are doing construction jobs. So if you are a carpenter or a plumber, work in a factory, you will be required in Ontario, Canada to wear work boots. Work boots have steel toes. They also have what's called a steel shank or a puncture proof shank. That means the bottom of the shoe. If you stepped on a nail, the nail would not go through. Hiking boots are usually waterproof. And they're a little higher than a running shoe. And they have more grip on the bottom. But, they kind of look the same, but they are definitely different. Hiking boots, boots for walking on nature trails and paths. Work boots, strong boots for working indoors or outdoors with safety features.
Baseball cap, cowboy hat. A baseball cap is a hat with a visor or front brim that is used by baseball players and ordinary people. So people like me, like, I wear a baseball cap. Where is my baseball cap? So I do not play for the Toronto Blue Jays, but I have a baseball cap. This part makes it so my eyes are shaded from the sun. But if you go to a baseball game, you will see a lot of people wearing baseball caps. A cowboy hat is a large hat with a wide brim that goes all the way around. Commonly seen in the western United States and Canada. So you may not have known this, but if you go to a state like Texas, you might see cowboy hats. If you go to the Province of Alberta in Canada, in western Canada, you might also see cowboy hats. So cowboy hats worn by cowboys. I don't have a cowboy hat. Maybe I should get one.
Ceiling fan and bathroom fan. Ceiling fan is an open fan that is mounted permanently on the ceiling. Bathroom fan is an enclosed ceiling fan that pulls air out of a bathroom. So ceiling fans are pretty common. We don't have one in our house, but we would like to install one above our kitchen table. We have air conditioning, so it doesn't feel super necessary. But when it's just a little bit warm, but not warm enough to turn on the air conditioning, it would be nice to have a ceiling fan spinning above our heads. Bathroom fan is kind of crucial. I won't tell you why in too many descriptive words, but I will say this: when you use the bathroom, when you use the washroom in Canada, it might smell and you should turn on the bathroom fan because that will remove any odors that have been created.
Wood fence, chain link fence. A wood fence, a fence made of wood commonly found in backyards. So in my part of the world, in Canada, we have lots of trees, so we have lots of wood. Most things that can be built are built out of wood if wood works. That was, that was not a good description. But most people build fences using wood because we have lots of wood. So you will see fences like that sometimes in my videos when I'm out in town. A chain link fence is a fence made of woven metal wire and metal posts. You will see chain link fences in places where the fence needs to be very, very durable. So at a, a, park or around a baseball diamond. So it's a fence that it'll last longer than a wood fence for sure.
Brick wall and siding. So, a brick wall is a wall made of small hard rectangular blocks called bricks, usually red or brown. My house has brick walls. Siding though is something that goes on the wall. A wall covered with flat panels, often wood, vinyl or metal that protects the outside of the house. This might be very different in your country. In Canada, quite often the walls of houses on the outside are either brick or siding. We don't use wood very often because wood will rot. Brick lasts a long time, so siding lasts a long time. They're very resistant to the elements. Rain, snow, freezing, thawing. So we don't put wood. We sometimes we do, but it has to be like a special kind of wood that doesn't rot easily.
Flip phone and foldable phone. A flip phone is a mobile phone that folds in half, usually with the buttons on the bottom and the screen on the top. Was very common many years ago. Is kind of making a comeback. A foldable phone or a folding phone or a fold phone, we haven't decided on the name yet. Is a newer type of smartphone that can open to make a larger tablet-like display. I don't know if I'm going to buy one of these. They're a little bit too expensive for me. I usually buy like a mid-range phone. I don't usually buy something too expensive. But it's tempting because it's probably easier to read. And I should say there are newer flip phones similar to the foldable phone that open this way where the top and bottom are a screen. And we haven't decided whether we're calling them flip foldables or because they're not traditional flip phones, but we'll see.
Refrigerator or fridge. A large appliance that keeps food and drinks cold at 3 degrees Celsius or 2 or 4 somewhere in that range above freezing. A freezer though is a large appliance that keeps food frozen at -20 degrees Celsius or -18. You can also have. Anyways, a fridge often has a fridge at the bottom and a freezer at the top. But you can also buy a freezer separate where it's just a freezer and we call that a freezer or a deep freeze or a chest freezer or a deep freezer. We have one in our garage and that's where we keep a lot of our food. Let's see here.
T-shirt, a casual short sleeve shirt worn to relax. Dress shirt, a formal shirt with buttons and a collar for work or events. These can be worn by men or women. I often when I come home from work will take off my dress shirt and put on a T-shirt. I find T-shirts much more relaxing. It's just nice at the end of the day to put on something comfortable. So a dress shirt then is something that looks a bit nicer, the material is a little bit nicer, it has a collar. You can wear a tie with a dress shirt.
Butter knife and steak knife. So a butter knife is a small dull knife used for spreading butter or soft foods. A steak knife is a sharp knife used for cutting and cutting while eating and you don't have to use it for steak. Often use a butter knife to put butter on my toast and then I use a butter knife to put jam on my toast. When I'm eating vegetables, I might use a steak knife to cut up the vegetables or I may might use the steak knife to cut up chicken. You don't have to just cut up steak with your steak knife. So once again, a butter knife, a dull knife. Steak knife, a sharp knife.
Frying pan and saucepan. Frying pan, a shallow pan often used to fry eggs on a stove, eggs or bacon, or even to sauté some vegetables. A saucepan is a deep pan with, for boiling vegetables or making soup or other things. You can make stew, you can make a sauce. It's just better for when you have a lot of liquid that you have to heat up in order to eat it, which is cooking.
Hot dog and hamburger. You probably know the difference. Obviously look very, very different. A hot dog is a cooked sausage called a wiener in a bun. A hamburger is a flat cooked piece of ground beef called a patty on a bun. So it's interesting in my thinking on this, you put a wiener in a bun and you put a patty on a bun. Notice I use different prepositions. I think that's correct. I don't think I would put a hot dog on a bun, although that wouldn't be incorrect. You could say that I put two hot dogs on one bun, but I generally say in, I put my hot dog in the bun or I put the wiener in the bun. I put the patty on the bun. Anyways, they're both yummy.
Stand mixer, a large mixer that sits on the counter. Hand mixer, a small mixer you hold to mix things in a bowl. So remember, there are extra words to learn besides the actual word I'm teaching. So when I said counter, that's the flat surface that you use in the kitchen to prepare food. So the stand mixer sits on the counter. I don't have a stand mixer. It's something that I would like to have. I hear that it's just very, very handy. I do have a hand mixer, and sometimes when I'm mixing things, I take it out of the bowl while it's running too far and it splatters food everywhere. So, stand mixer, cool. Sits on the counter. Hand mixer, you use with your hand.
Teacup and coffee cup. So they can be the same. But when I think of teacup, I think of a small, usually fancy cup for drinking tea. I don't know why we have two different cups, but for a coffee cup, I think of a cup also called a mug for drinking coffee. Or think of this takeout cup right here. So when I go for a walk along the road, there's a lot of coffee cups in the ditch. The paper coffee cups that you get from a restaurant and then the white cup in the middle. I would also call a mug in English, at least in my part of the world. You drink a cup of tea. You have a cup of coffee or a mug of coffee, but you don't often say "drank a mug of tea." It just sounds weird to me. So you can get a cup of tea from Tim Hortons, or you can get a cup of coffee, and then you can enjoy your caffeine. Or not, if you like decaf.
Wired and wireless. Wired is electronics that have a wire and need to be plugged in. The most common would be headphones. When you wear headphones, it might have a cord you have to plug in. And we call it wired. I know cord and cable and wire. It gets confusing in English, but that's how I would describe it. Wireless electronics that do not have a wire and do not need to be plugged in. So, a wireless set of headphones does not have a wire or cord. It has batteries, and you can just put it on your head and listen. Corded and cordless, though, is what we use to talk about tools. So a tool that has a cord for power and needs to be plugged in is corded. If I say to Jen, "Can you go get the drill?" she might say, "Do you want the cordless drill or the corded drill?" We sometimes say "the drill with a cord," but corded is probably more common. Cordless, a tool that does not have a cord and runs on batteries. I love cordless drills. Cordless saws. It's very handy. And the technology just gets better all the time.
Snow shovel and garden shovel. A snow shovel is a wide shovel for clearing snow. If you live where I live, you need a snow shovel. Sometimes it's even made out of plastic. You can't use a plastic shovel to dig in the garden, though. Then you need a garden shovel, a small shovel for digging in soil. So a snow shovel is wide and big and made for moving light snow. When you clean the driveway, when you shovel the driveway. And a garden shovel is usually made of metal and it's good for digging in the soil.
Gas stove and electric stove. A gas stove is a stove that cooks food using flames from gas. An electric stove is a stove that cooks food using electricity. We have a, an electric stove. When I lived in the city, I had a gas stove. Jen and I do not have natural gas, so we can't have a gas stove. We have to use an electric stove.
Backpack and duffel bag. Duffel bag. That might be a new term for you, but a backpack is obviously a soft bag with straps that you carry on your back. Students very often have backpacks. It is the most common type of bag students will use in school, at high school or in university or college. A duffel bag is a soft bag with handles used when traveling or going to the gym. So a duffel bag, when it's empty, will fold up and then you can kind of unfold it and stuff it full of your gym clothes or maybe you're going on a quick trip and instead of a suitcase, you just take a duffel bag. So I think most of you probably have a backpack and a duffel bag somewhere.
Coffee table and kitchen table. A coffee table is a small low table, usually in a living room. And a kitchen table is a larger table used for eating meals in a kitchen. I should have also added dining room table. We have a kitchen and we have a kitchen table in our kitchen. Some people have a kitchen and then they have a separate room called a dining room. And then they would have a table in there called a dining room table. But, I do have coffee table and kitchen table. We definitely have a coffee table in front of our couch in our back room. And we do have a nice. We have a really large kitchen table because when all of our kids come home for a meal, we, we had. We need a lot of chairs.
Swimming pool and kiddie pool. So obviously we all know this. A large pool filled with water where adults and children can swim is called a swimming pool. I don't have a swimming pool. Last week I wished that we had a swimming pool. A kiddie pool is a small, shallow pool made for children to safely play in water. Sometimes this. The kiddie pool is inflatable. Means it's made out of plastic or vinyl or rubber. And you have to fill it with air before you can fill it with water. So you have to inflate the kiddie pool before you fill it with water. But, yeah, it would be really nice to have a pool someday, but I don't know. It costs a lot of money, to fill it and to. You have to winterize it every year and you have to buy chemicals. I'm not sure, I'm not sure I actually really want one. I like going swimming, though.
Stoplight and street light. A stoplight, colored lights that control when cars can go through an intersection. And then street light, a tall outdoor light that makes roads and sidewalks bright at night. Both of these lights, by the way, are for safety. A stoplight or what we also call a traffic light or a traffic signal, made so that people know when they can go through an intersection. It's made so people take turns and so people are safe. A streetlight is obviously to light up places at night so that you can feel safer and so you can see when you are walking or going for a run or jog.
Power bar and extension cord. So, a power bar is a strip with multiple electrical outlets so you can plug in many devices. I think I actually own that one. Is that the Amazon Basics one? I can't see it clearly enough. But basically a power bar has a cord. You plug it into an outlet, and then it has four or five or six outlets on it. It also has an indicator light to say whether it's on or off. And most of them will have a circuit breaker. So that little red switch, if you plug in too many things, that little red switch will click. Then the power bar will turn off. You can use it as a switch as well to turn it on and off. An extension cord is a long cable that lets you use electricity far away from a power outlet. So you can. I just bought an extension cord yesterday. But it lets you plug into an outlet and then you can unroll or unwind the extension cord and plug in a power tool or something else.
Rubber boots and snow boots. So, rubber boots. Some people call them rain boots. I think in England they call them wellies, maybe in Australia and New Zealand as well, but we call them rubber boots. Rubber boots, rain boots, wellies, waterproof boots made of rubber used to keep feet dry in wet or muddy conditions. Snow boots, warm insulated boots designed for walking in snow and cold weather. Those snow boots look really, really cozy. You live somewhere where it's cold. You need a good pair of snow boots. We even sometimes call them snowmobile boots, because you most often wear them if you're going to go drive a snowmobile to keep your feet warm. And if you live somewhere where it rains, it's important to have rubber boots. One of the things I hate about rubber boots is when they start to leak or when they start to let water in and then your foot gets wet. Because the whole point, the rubber boot, is to keep your feet dry.
Bar soap and liquid soap. Bar soap is a solid block of soap used for washing your hands or body. And it sits in a soap dish. And I actually have a nice soap dish that Brent gave me. We keep it by the kitchen sink. From the state of Maine. It's really nice. Liquid soap is a soap is soap in liquid form in a bottle with a pump. Washing your hands or body. Quite often in my part of the world, if you go to wash your hands at a sink at home or at work or at someone else's house, they will have liquid soap, and you'll pump some soap onto your hands and wash your hands. I think a lot of people have a bar of soap in the shower, or they use it in the tub and they use liquid soap to wash their hands.
Picnic table and patio table. A picnic table is a wooden table with benches for eating outside. By the way, it doesn't have to be wooden. It can be metal, but most often it looks like that picture there. A picnic table. And then a patio table is a table used on a deck, patio, in a backyard for outdoor dining. So you can see the patio table is a little more like. It's like a kitchen table, but it's built to withstand the elements. It can be outside, and it does a good job.