A vocabulary lesson to start the week
After a somewhat insistent discussion over dinner about the distinction between a "diary" and a "journal", I decided to look the two up in a dictionary. See, a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) is adamant that there is a difference...mainly because he's a guy, and while it's acceptable for a guy to maintain a journal, it would be completely unmanly for a guy to keep a diary. Now, I totally disagreed, because honestly? It's the same thing, right?
You bet I'm right! With the help of my handy Webster's dictionary (which I think we'd all agree is a relatively reliable source of info), I present a comparison of the two.
diary n. - a daily record
journal n. - a daily record of happenings
Sorry, Dave - no matter how you phrase it, you're keeping an online diary. (Oops...I forgot we weren't mentioning names. My bad...smirk.) It might be a very well-written diary, with lots of impressive food for thought...but it's a diary all the same. But don't worry...unless you start wearing that red blazer on a regular basis, I think your manliness is safe.
Where I am: Home
What I'm reading: The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw
You bet I'm right! With the help of my handy Webster's dictionary (which I think we'd all agree is a relatively reliable source of info), I present a comparison of the two.
diary n. - a daily record
journal n. - a daily record of happenings
Sorry, Dave - no matter how you phrase it, you're keeping an online diary. (Oops...I forgot we weren't mentioning names. My bad...smirk.) It might be a very well-written diary, with lots of impressive food for thought...but it's a diary all the same. But don't worry...unless you start wearing that red blazer on a regular basis, I think your manliness is safe.
Where I am: Home
What I'm reading: The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw
Comments
Just like we don't wear perfume, we wear cologne...d'oh!
According to Merrian-Webster online, a diary is a "a book intended or used for a diary". Since I have neither a book nor do I intend to use one as a diary, I don't keep a diary.
Now, it defines a journal as "the part of a rotating shaft, axle, roll, or spindle that turns in a bearing." I definitely keep one, if not many, of those.
I think I've proved my point. Your anonymous friend has been vindicated.