Spade or shovel?Light hearted.

Simple enough. Yes. I shovel snow and sh*t (horse sh*t).

Just asked DH the difference between a spade and a shovel.

“A spade is for digging, a shovel is for shovelling”.

I recall, I think Michael Portillo, visiting a spade maker at the Patterson's Spade Mill in County Antrim. Fascinating stuff, where we learned that there were over 100 different types.
A grave digger's spade, a turf cutter's spade to name but two!

Take a look at this - no shovels tho!

www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/place/patterson%27s-spade-mill
www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/results?Collections=4259aef5fffffe0736b14667aefc1497&Sort=collection

Now a 'heritage craft^.

FannyCornforth

It’s ironic really Yammy, as MrC was a self employed builder for 40 odd years and we have every type of building based implement, tool, gadget, widget, and gizmo known to man.
We even have a blooming concrete mixer in the garden

You should see what the builders left us. Like you a cement mixer with lots of tools. When he came back for them he suggested he could get rid of all the rubble we had and we agreed. He took all the Shap and Skiddaw slate and big pieces of red sandstone they are probably his garden patio now. We were very naive.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202303/medium-559810-dab87e52-1663-4058-9c5a-9225a2b08b81.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202303/medium-275979-278e122e-e558-471b-87d2-95dbc83a9d12.jpeg

I’ve just found this!
One is definitely more preferable

NotSpaghetti

What were you using for your shoveling Yammy?
I might well use a spade if I was removing moss off some flat surface and didn't have something easier.

I might then shovel it up with the same tool! ...but if there was s lot I might use a shovel...

I was using a builder's shovel that was left behind. I also have a garden spade but I'm afraid where I come from all spades are called shovels and garden forks called gripes. I live among farmers and have reverted to type .

toscalily

I like the idea of your blooming cement mixer FannyCornforth which particular blooms are they?

That’s not a bad idea, toscalily, I may as well get some use out of it

Yes- same over here. A shovel is something a builder would use more . A spade is something you use in the garden.

Oh dear, when is a spade a shovel? Coal shovel, garden spade? I hate being told what to say by a know-all and it seems like splitting hairs in this instance, doesn't it?

I'm a bit of a know-all myself (on the quiet) and I can't stand being told by another know-all as it feels like they're muscling in on my territory if you see what I mean.

NanaDana

A spade has a flat blade, whilst a shovel has raised sides. So it's not a case of using different words for the same item. They are different items.

This is correct. They are different things.

Although I do tend to call a spade a spade and sometimes it feels like I'm shovelling s+++ up hill.

No idea why in bold ooops!
Sorry!

Put very simply, a shovel is for moving material, while a spade is primarily for cutting soil and digging holes. With a flatter, shallower face, the spade is meant for digging, piercing, cutting. It's an edge tool, first and foremost
› blog › sh...
Shovels and Spades: What's the Difference - Garrett Wade

To me :
a spade has a long handle and I use it for gardening .
A shovel has a shorter handle .

I've had to be really careful with the word spade - a Jamaican guy who worked for me took great offence when I described my garden implement as a spade and I reverted to shovel .

I read recently someone was going to have their dog ‘spade’ !! Poor thing didn’t deserve that I’m sure 😳

2 totally different tools. I have several spades for the garden, and shovels for other jobs, with short and long handles. And forks, with fork handles, ahahah.

Blossoming

Tempted to say I call a spade a spade

For me it depends on the shape. A spade is flat, e.g. a garden spade, whereas a shovel has curved edges, e.g. a coal shovel.

I wouldn’t dream of correcting someone else’s name for the things, how rude.

Hear hear!

I use a snow shovel ,never a snow spade!

I like the idea of your blooming cement mixer FannyCornforth which particular blooms are they?

Spade for gardening..shovel for building work,

It’s ironic really Yammy, as MrC was a self employed builder for 40 odd years and we have every type of building based implement, tool, gadget, widget, and gizmo known to man.
We even have a blooming concrete mixer in the garden

FannyCornforth

I rarely have need to refer to either (insert snooty emoji)

One's servants shovel the sh.... do they Fanny.

Yes, a shovel can have a long handle FannyC you are right! Digging would be hard work with a shovel but shovelling is tricky with a spade

NanaDana

A spade has a flat blade, whilst a shovel has raised sides. So it's not a case of using different words for the same item. They are different items.

So I was using a shovel it was one the builders left and better for getting under the moss.

Sorry, eazybee I’ve just almost said word for word what you said

Does a spade have a longer handle too, or is that optional?
A spade is for digging, I suppose; and a shovel for shovelling

(This thread is strangely compelling. We should have one like this every day.)