The author of that article, however, is American. And the article is not an encyclopedia entry. And I don't know what editorial standards they have when it comes to global usage.
So you may take it from me, a British person, that the general usage is different. I also briefly checked that Australia did not match the American usage, but cannot personally vouch for it.
As an Australian, my understanding is that tortoises walk around on land, and turtles swim. Sometimes people say one when they mean the other, but that's a bit like confusing bees and wasps (i.e. people understand they are different, but in some circumstances that difference isn't important enough to try to get it right!)
That's exactly the distinction in British English too. I don't think I've ever heard someone say one for the other, but of course it probably does happen.
16 Comments
alexquiniou@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 68d
Ok but ... Why the crow is smoking !
nycvin@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 68d
https://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/bird-with-cigarette/
tutter@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 68d
That's great 😂
tutter@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 68d
Same reason the turtle is rocking a beret i imagine
LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 10 pts · 68d
Cause it looks badass?
tutter@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 68d
Hell yeah brother
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 68d
Have you heard their voices? They’re all smokers.
charonn0@startrek.website · 9 pts · 68d
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 68d
I thought turtles were fast AF
Tortoises are slow
Lol and the drawing is of a tortoise
NotEasyBeingGreen@slrpnk.net · 7 pts · 68d
https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-a-turtle-and-a-tortoise
FishFace@piefed.social · 2 pts · 68d
Not outside of the USA, where general usage is that turtles are aquatic creatures.
NotEasyBeingGreen@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 68d
I am pretty sure that the Britannica is not an American publication.
FishFace@piefed.social · 3 pts · 67d
The author of that article, however, is American. And the article is not an encyclopedia entry. And I don't know what editorial standards they have when it comes to global usage.
So you may take it from me, a British person, that the general usage is different. I also briefly checked that Australia did not match the American usage, but cannot personally vouch for it.
blind3rdeye@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 67d
As an Australian, my understanding is that tortoises walk around on land, and turtles swim. Sometimes people say one when they mean the other, but that's a bit like confusing bees and wasps (i.e. people understand they are different, but in some circumstances that difference isn't important enough to try to get it right!)
FishFace@piefed.social · 2 pts · 67d
That's exactly the distinction in British English too. I don't think I've ever heard someone say one for the other, but of course it probably does happen.
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 67d
I guess we'll just never know.