beyond the pail

[Anne Gilbert]

Duane:

> I have been watching this thread with hope of enlightenment, in vain so
> far. Are you people saying that there is something non-standard about
> "pail"? I have always used "pail" and "bucket"  (PA and NY) as exact
> synonyms and never considered that there was anything regional about it.
>
> I live in a mixed crick/creek area, though crick is used more (but not
> exclusively) by older people. But even a creek speaker would never say,
> "Lord willin' and the CREEK don't rise."

*I* don't think there's anything "nonstandard" about the usage in your part
of the world.  I understand "pail" (garbage pail; you'd never say "garbage
bucket" around here)and bucket to be more or less synonomous, but "bucket"
for such a vessel is more "usual", that's all.  As for "creek/crick", my
"usual" experience is that "crick" is used mostly by older "natives" and
people(a lot of them)who come from somewhere else.  But "nonstandard"??????
I've learned too much on this list to ever fall into that hole.
Anne g