Gill, over at That British Woman had a recent blogpost "What do you call this:"and that inspired my blogpost title today!
I have called these things handbags for years because that was the first dialogue in my First Things First Book by L.G. Alexander when I started learning English in 1977. Happy memories...
Then having spent too much time in NYC area, I started calling them pocketbooks and meanwhile I knew that they were also called purses. Oh boy!
Anyway, as I have mentioned yesterday, I have looked at the bags I had on hand and decided to offer three really nice ones to my sister.
I am keeping one nice looking fairly new, barely used Anne Klein bag for myself along with most of the small bags that I know I use. Most of them are from T.J Maxx or Marshalls and some are brand names like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren , Etienne Aigner and etc. I am sure I have purchased them well below USD 30.
I am going to offer the cleaning lady four bags. One has never been used and real suede, quiet beautiful. It is not something my sister would use. She is very particular about bags that she likes.
I am keeping two bags for sentimental reasons. One was a gift from my dad from a business trip from Germany over 35 years ago. It is rather small so, I never used it very much. That is why it still looks new. The other is a gift from mom, a nice leather bag that I want to keep.
A lot of women would change their bags in accordance with what they are going to wear the next day. I am not one of them. I have currently been using a small backpack for months now and my sister made fun of it when we were all together recently. She teased me saying that I was using a 5 buck backpack and at my age wasn't that kind of embarassing! I told her to shut up because I was also wearing 180 buck (new Balance 990s never come cheap) athletic shoes with it. Lol! Actually with today's exchange rate, that bag is well below 5 bucks...
After sorting through the handbags, I have decided that I am not buying any more for at least 5 years. If I rotate what I own well, there is no reason to buy a new one. If I keep on using the 5 buck backpack till it falls apart, make that 10 years!
Yesterday was a nice, warm day and today it looks like winter is back. If someone says there is no such thing as global warming I will strike him on the mouth with my slipper (idioms sound pathetic when translated).
I've always called them purses, occasionally handbag. I think pocketbook is an east coast thing. You rarely hear anyone on the west coast saying pocketbook, LOL. I'm sure your cleaner will like having some bags to choose from! I always just use one for several years, then I will finally break down and get another one when it wears out.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to purses, I think what you do is the most logical. One at a time. Saves money and space.
Deletehandbag for me, though when I speak to a fellow Canadian I may say purse.
ReplyDeleteThere is no right or wrong but surely confusing :)
DeleteI've never heard pocketbook used except on US blogs, here a purse is what you keep your cash and cards in and a handbag is what you keep your purse (&other stuff) in, so much larger.
ReplyDeleteThat is how I learnt when I was a young student. In the US, they call your purses, wallets.
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