On 2017-06-05 11:10 AM, Michael Blair wrote:
> http://www.sowanddipity.com/a-shovel-and-a-spade/
>
> The Oxford English Dictionary concurs. For serious evidence though look
> at the logo for Germany's Spaten brand beer. :-)
>
> Mike in Woodland
My reading of the OED online is that shovels are for shoving or shifting
materials ( snow for example) , whereas spades are for digging. In other
words, the name is reflects the function rather than the shape or the
handle. This is generally the way ww tools are named too - think rip
saw, mortise chisel, tack hammer etc.
IME, good shovels are rectangular in shape, though a round-ended or
pointy spoon-like spade can serve for shifting almost as well. When it
comes to digging, I want a pointy spade to dig a hole, but a
square-edged one to turn a garden bed.
FWIW
Don
--
The harder they come, the bigger they fall - Ry Cooder
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