FenrirIII@lemmy.world to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 3 days agoTIL the difference between Possums and Opossumswww.bobvila.comexternal-linkmessage-square43fedilinkarrow-up1123arrow-down19file-textcross-posted to: mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world
arrow-up1114arrow-down1external-linkTIL the difference between Possums and Opossumswww.bobvila.comFenrirIII@lemmy.world to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 3 days agomessage-square43fedilinkfile-textcross-posted to: mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world
minus-squarekbal@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up39arrow-down1·3 days agoopossum: The American one. possum: Could refer to either kind of animal. Failing to acknowledge that it’s like that in reality will only cause further confusion.
minus-square[deleted]@piefed.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up18arrow-down1·3 days ago possum: Could refer to either kind of animal. Yeah, in the US calling an opossum a ‘possum’ is just the shortened slang name and everyone know what you are talking about.
minus-squareusualsuspect191@lemmy.calinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3arrow-down1·3 days agoI like to think they’re saying 'possum so there’s no confusion when written
minus-squarecaseyweederman@lemmy.calinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·3 days agoNo, they’re saying “a possum”
minus-squareSirSamuel@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2arrow-down1·3 days agoThey are. You are correct Gold star
minus-squareOnomatopoeia@lemmy.cafelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up7arrow-down1·3 days agoYea, seems like the distinction is a scientific one, not a language one. Still interesting, I had no idea.
opossum: The American one.
possum: Could refer to either kind of animal.
Failing to acknowledge that it’s like that in reality will only cause further confusion.
Yeah, in the US calling an opossum a ‘possum’ is just the shortened slang name and everyone know what you are talking about.
I like to think they’re saying 'possum so there’s no confusion when written
No, they’re saying “a possum”
They are. You are correct
Gold star
Yea, seems like the distinction is a scientific one, not a language one.
Still interesting, I had no idea.