So in this article we are doing something different, a bit more educational. We shall look at the vocabulary connected to the word rubbish. This will include the synonyms and related words.
Basically, rubbish are the things that dispose of from our homes. You may also be familiar with the words that mean the same thing: garbage, refuse, trash, litter as well the words dustbin or trash can.
So the question is, why are there different words for rubbish, and what is the difference ? In some cases it actually depends whether it is written in British (BrE) or American English (AmE).
So let us try to make some sense out of all this garbage shall we!
| rubbish [uncountable noun] | This is British English (BrE). British people throw away rubbish |
| garbage, trash [uncountable nouns] | American English (AmE) – Americans throw away garbage and trash. |
| garbage vs. trash | Americans differentiate between type here: garbage is used for waste from the kitchen – ‘wet’ waste, you could say; trash is things like paper and packaging – ‘dry’ materials. |
| litter [uncountable noun] | This is not household waste. Litter is small things such as cans, bottles and paper that people leave lying on the streets and in other public places. |
| refuse [uncountable noun] | This is a more formal word for rubbish, garbage and trash. The pronunciation is /ˈrefjuːs/ |
| dustbin, rubbish bin [countable nouns] | (BrE) A dustbin is a container for rubbish, mostly outside. The modern type, with wheels, is called a wheelie bin or wheel bin |
| garbage can, trash can [countable nouns] | (AmE) A small container for garbage and trash, usually outside. |
| litter bin [countable noun] | A small container in a street or other public place where people can put litter. |
Now we need to collect all this waste with the following:
| refuse collector, waste collector | These are formal words for the person who takes away refuse/rubbish/garbage. |
| dustman, bin man | These are informal words used in BrE for a refuse collector. |
| trash collector, garbage collector, garbage man | These are informal words used in AmE for a refuse collector. |
| dustbin lorry, dustcart (BrE), garbage truck, trash truck (AmE) | This is the vehicle used to take away refuse/rubbish/garbage. |
Unknowingly we interchange both British and American English in our conversations and writing when dealing with waste bins. It might not be wrong, however at least now we know what are the differences. A special thank you to Mr. Stuart Cook for the information.
Reference:
Stuart Cook: https://speakspeak.com/confusing-words/rubbish-trash-garbage#:~:text=Litter%20is%20small%20things%20such,and%20in%20other%20public%20places.&text=(BrE)%20A%20dustbin%20is%20a,is%20called%20a%20wheelie%20bin.
