What's The Difference? - Common Things

What's The Difference?
COMMON THINGS

AC vs. DC (electricity)
ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) - rotating electric currents; easy; safe; can be used over long distances; invented by Nikola Tesla
*things that use alternating current - power cables, kitchen appliances, motors
DIRECT CURRENT (DC) - straight electric current; used in batteries; championed by Thomas Edison for his version of light bulbs
*things that use direct current - flashlights, cell phones, computers
…
*Tesla was working for Edison when he uncovered AC; Edison rejected the idea and deemed it dangerous, so Tesla quit and sold his patents to a rival of Edison’s, George Westinghouse
*common wall sockets around the world (currently 15 different versions) all use AC but look different because inventors produced their own systems according to the region’s safety standards; the British ones are considered safest

ALUMINUM FOIL vs. TIN FOIL
ALUMINUM FOIL - introduced in 1910 by a Swiss company; malleable, no infectious taste
*known by most of the world as aluminium foil
TIN FOIL - popular in the 1800s and early 1900s; stiff; leaves metallic taste in food; also used in tooth fillings and early phonographs

AM vs. FM
(both are radio waves that transmit sound; the main difference is technical but the quality of the signal is most important)
AM (amplitude modulation) - longer wavelengths to be broadcast farther; cheaper but has worse sound quality
FM (frequency modulation) - shorter wavelengths for local broadcasts; more expensive but better sound quality

BLIMP vs. ZEPPELIN
(both are dirigibles (a.k.a. airships) with large balloon-like chambers filled with lighter-than-air gas, such as helium or hydrogen, and have a cabin below to hold people)
BLIMP - Giant balloon called an “envelope” made of a tough fabric (such as polyester); loses shape when deflated; first built in 1852 France
ZEPPELIN - Metal skeleton made of aluminum; does not deflate; developed by German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the 1890s for transportation and war-time scouting missions
*unlike hot air balloons, which can only be guided, dirigibles were made to be steered
*the Hindenburg, which infamously crashed in 1937 New Jersey, was a zeppelin
*the tall spire atop New York’s Empire State Building was installed as a mooring post for zeppelins but was abandoned before any attempts were made due to fast winds
*the band Led Zeppelin got its name when it was called The New Yardbirds; backstage before a performance, The Who’s drummer Keith Moon told them their sound would “go over like a lead zeppelin”, meaning fail quickly

BOAT vs. SHIP vs. FERRY vs. YACHT
BOAT - commonly used for recreation.
*Examples: canoes, motorboats, inflatable rescue vessels
SHIP - large vessel for commercial or military purposes
*Examples: cruise ships, aircraft carriers, barges
FERRY - can be a boat or ship, depending on size
YACHT - can also be a boat or ship, but with awful music

BULLSHIT vs. HORSESHIT
BULLSHIT - something perceived as untrue; from the English word bollocks, which means ‘nonsense’
HORSESHIT - expressed with anger in an unfair situation; from English peasants using the word angrily while cleaning equine dropping from roads

COUNTRY vs. NATION
COUNTRY - officially-recognized land with distinct borders, permanent residents, and sovereignty (power over itself)
*could also be referred to as a State with a capitalized S
NATION - has its own land but does not officially govern itself, like Greenland, Bermuda, and the Navajo Nation
*these criteria were set at the 1931 Montevideo Convention in Uruguay

CONCRETE vs. CEMENT
CONCRETE - building material used to make things like highway dividers and curbs
CEMENT - an ingredient mixed with others to make concrete

COLLEGE vs. UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE - relatively small; offers only bachelor’s and associate degrees
UNIVERSITY - relatively large; also offers master’s degrees and doctorates
*several colleges can make up one university

COMMUNISM vs. SOCIALISM
COMMUNISM - all property is public; people are given basic necessities; government controls everything
*established by 1848’s The Communist Manifesto because authors Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels thought Socialism was too Utopian
*China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam are considered Communist countries, though none has fully realized the notion of public property or money; in these places, one can be arrested (or worse) for speaking against the government
SOCIALISM - everything is owned and shared equally by the people, with elected officials overseeing it all
*established during the Industrial Revolution because workers were getting poorer while the higher-ups made a bunch of money
*with Socialism, if a company does well, all employees would receive bonuses

…
*if you live in a housing community and your neighbor needs a new roof, Communism would require everyone in the community to pay for it while only your neighbor benefits, while Socialism would have everyone in the community benefit because they co-own the house

COUCH vs. SOFA
COUCH - made for lounging
SOFA - meant for display or formal sitting

DEATH vs. GRIM REAPER
(these terms can be used interchangeably)
*the idea of an entity summoning each person at the end of life has existed throughout history and has been seen as a murderer, guide, or something else

DEMOCRACY vs. REPUBLIC
DEMOCRACY - "majority rules"; laws are passed based on the number of votes they get
REPUBLIC - people who propose and pass laws are elected by the public
*the United States bases its government on aspects of both systems, making it a Democratic Republic

DINNER vs. SUPPER
*these terms are often used interchangeably but, depending on the region and/or generation, can mean different things
…
DINNER is a full meal that can be eaten at any time of day, but was formerly had during what we now call ‘lunch’
*can be formal and eaten outside of the house
SUPPER is a light meal usually enjoyed around 6pm and consists of several small plates of food as opposed to a single large one
*is usually informal and eaten at home

DYNAMITE vs. TNT
DYNAMITE was patented in 1867 by Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, who was seeking a stable explosive and later regretted his invention because people used it to kill others
*Nobel used dynamite’s profits to establish the Prizes named for him
*an explosive experiment in their father’s laboratory killed Alfred's brother, Emil
TNT (trinitrotoluene) was invented in 1863 by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand to be mixed with other substances for various uses, mostly relating to military weapons
*TNT is more versatile but dynamite has more explosive power and is easier to detonate
*AC/DC's Bonn Scott could have been one of these things but not both

ETHICS vs. MORALS
ETHICS are principles put in place by a source of authority, such as a job or government and are not necessarily laws but guidelines that should be followed
*doctors and police officers, for example, swear to obey the ethics specific to their professions
MORALS represent what people think is right/wrong or good/bad and can be influenced by outside factors such as religion or tribal culture
*topics of morals include political issues, how to properly behave in public, and what to eat for dinner
*a defense attorney may morally (personally) object to something a client did but has an ethical obligation to defend the person, per the job description

FARM vs. RANCH
FARM - a large piece of land where plants (crops, flowers, etc.) are grown
RANCH - large piece of land reserved for livestock (goats, cows, etc.)

FATALITY vs. CASUALTY
FATALITY - death resulting from an event, such as a car crash or war
CASUALTY - any injury sustained by such an incident
*the casualty rate is always higher because it includes fatalities.

FILIBUSTER vs. GERRYMANDER
(though quite different, these are both strategies used to give certain politicians and/or parties an advantage)
FILIBUSTER - first used in ancient Rome and is a tactic employed by U.S. Senators to block or delay voting on a proposed bill
*United States Congress has allowed this technique since 1806
*each Senator is given the chance to speak, but there is no limit to how long the talking can go
*the issue does not have to be the focus of the time, evidenced by past Senators singing and reading from the phone book
*the current record is 24 hours and 18 minutes by Strom Thurmond in 1957, who was opposing the Civil Rights Act
*the House of Representatives allowed filibusters until 1811 because the body was sick of listening to Representative Barent Gardenier, who was known to hold the floor at length simply because the House had no legal ability to prevent him from speaking
*if it seems a Senator will continue to prevent a vote from happening, the Senate can stop the person by invoking cloture, which is an immediate vote requiring a 60% majority, as opposed to the usual minimum of 51%, also known as a simple majority
*since the 1970s, Senators are no longer obliged to speak at length (or at all) for a filibuster, namely because the Senate has many other important matters needing attention; instead, a filibuster may simply be declared, essentially blocking the bill
GERRYMANDER - named for James Madison’s vice president Elbridge Gerry, whose last name was combined with ‘salamander’ because the ploy he signed into legislation was said to be slippery
*the act means to redistrict the boundaries in an area for the benefit of a political party, which has historically hurt non-white voters
*redrawing a map so certain supporters are in more districts can unfairly diminish the opponent’s voters' votes
*while gerrymandering for political gain is illegal, there have always been ways to do it, sneakily yet within the law

HIGHWAY vs. FREEWAY vs. TURNPIKE vs. PARKWAY vs. THRUWAY vs. BELTWAY
HIGHWAY – any road connecting major towns and/or cities
*every major road is a highway but some are called other things for technical reasons or just to make them sound more appealing
FREEWAY – designed for efficient travel over long distances
TURNPIKE – has tolls
PARKWAY – usually excludes heavy vehicles
*originally described paths that went through parks
BELTWAY – main road stemming from an even bigger one that usually goes around and/or to suburban areas
EXPRESSWAY – no stop signs nor traffic lights; lacks steep grades and sharp curves
THRUWAY – limited entrances; sometimes has tolls

ICELAND vs. GREENLAND
ICELAND was likely accidentally discovered in the 800s by Vikings when they were blown off-course and was first settled by them and/or Irish monks
*an independent country that was once ruled by Norway, Denmark, and briefly the United States during World War 2, to prevent Nazis from overtaking the strategically-located island
*home to the world’s oldest democracy and parliament
*a dating app exists to tell potential partners if they’re related, due to the country’s atypical surname system
*was called Iceland because of its many glaciers and possibly to deter potential settlers
GREENLAND was settled by Norwegian explorer Erik The Red in 982 while exiled from Iceland for murdering his neighbor’s sons, but the island had been occupied by natives for thousands of years
*under the rule of Denmark but considers itself autonomous
*world’s largest non-continental island
*there are no roads between towns
*was called Greenland because of lush valleys in the south, which early explorers thought thrived throughout the island, and in the hopes that a pleasant-sounding name would attract more settlers

JAIL vs. PRISON
JAIL - typically houses people awaiting trial or those convicted of petty crimes who are serving a sentence of a year or less
PRISON - typically houses people who have been convicted of high crimes and are serving sentences of more than a year
*death row is always found at a prison
*both are mostly owned and operated by the state or federal government, though some are private
Opinion: wanting to own a jail or prison is strange

LIVER vs. KIDNEY vs. SPLEEN vs. PANCREAS
LIVER - largest internal organ; creates the digestive aid bile; stores vitamins and minerals; turns carbohydrates into usable energy (called metabolism)
KIDNEY - filters waste and toxic materials from the body; cleans blood
*humans are usually born with two kidneys but a person born with one stays healthy because it enlarges to make up for lack of the other
SPLEEN - removes old or damaged red blood cells, which distribute oxygen throughout the body, and returns carbon dioxide to the lungs for exhalation
PANCREAS - creates digestive juices called enzymes; regulates the level of sugar in blood

MILK- WHOLE vs. 2% vs. 1% vs. SKIM
WHOLE MILK contains 3.25-3.5% milk fat, which means that percentage is the amount of fat in the beverage
2% and 1% milk settles for about two hours while fatty globules rise to the top since they are lighter in weight than the liquid
*the fat is removed then reintroduced in different amounts to create the desired product
*excess fat is often used to make butter and cream
SKIM MILK replaces no fat but which has the same amount of nutrients as the other milks while getting rid of the “full” feeling
…
*homogenization is the process of reducing fats to very small particles that will disperse evenly within the milk to keep the taste consistent and ensure the fat will not collect at the top
*pasteurization (named for French scientist Louis Pasteur) is the process of heating raw milk to kill harmful bacteria then quickly cooling it
*when milk passes its expiration date, it is said to ‘curdle’, acidifying so the pH (potential of Hydrogen) level allows protein molecules to stick together in clumps called curds, which can be purposely done by introducing an acidic liquid (such as lemon juice) to create curds for cheese and tofu

MURDER vs. MANSLAUGHTER
*all categories fall under the broader term homicide
*laws vary between states so these are general definitions
FIRST-DEGREE MURDER (a.k.a. capital murder) involves killing someone after a deliberate plan to do so was in place
*example: stalking that ends with the victim’s death
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER is done without premeditation, meaning without a plan
*example: an argument escalating to murder, like in a case of road rage
FELONY MURDER (though every murder is a felony) is for an accidental killing while committing another crime
*example: a getaway driver running somebody over after a bank robbery
THIRD-DEGREE MURDER is the same as felony murder but is only an option in Minnesota, Florida, and Pennsylvania
VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER can be referred to as a ‘heat of the moment’ crime, meaning the attacker must have been provoked to the point of uncontrollable rage
*example: killing a cheating spouse or agitator in a bar
*can be difficult to prove because the attacker’s mental state is the main consideration
INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER happens when a person’s non-malicious negligence causes a death
*example: checking a phone while driving then hitting a person; the intent was not murder but a crime was definitely committed

OSCAR vs. EMMY vs. TONY vs. GRAMMY
OSCAR (officially called the Academy Award Of Merit)
*presented by the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences since 1929
*male figure holding a sword symbolizes a “crusader” in the film industry
*made of bronze with 24-karat gold plating
*weighs 8 ½ pounds, stands 13 ½ inches tall
*designed by Irish art director and production designer Cedric Gibbons in 1928 then created by American sculptor George Stanley
*the origin of calling it Oscar is not known for certain but the most-popular hypothesis says that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick simply thought the figure resembled her uncle, Oscar
EMMY (officially called the Emmy Award)
*presented by the Television Academy since 1948
*female figure has wings to symbolize the nine Muses from Greek Mythology and holds an atom to represent science
*made of copper, nickel, silver, and gold
*weighs 6 ¾ pounds, stands 15 ½ inches tall
*created by television engineer Louis McManus using his wife as the model
*desperate for a name, the Academy accepted Immy (which eventually became Emmy to better represent the statue), suggested by television engineer Harry Lubcke after a nickname for a tube found in early television sets
TONY (officially called the Antoinette Perry Award For Excellence In Broadway Theatre)
*presented by the American Theatre Wing since 1947
*coin-like award features the masks of comedy and tragedy on one side with the winner’s name on the other
*made of brass and bronze with nickel plating on the outside
*weighs 3 ½ pounds, stands 9 ½ inches tall
*created by Dutch architect Herman Rosse
*the award was given actress and producer Antoinette Perry’s nickname of ‘Tony’ by Vera Allen, then-chairwoman of the American Theatre Wing
GRAMMY (officially called the Gramophone Award)
*presented by the National Academy Of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) since 1959
*statuette is a metal depiction of a gramophone (phonograph)
*made of a trademarked zinc alloy called grammium
*weighs five pounds, stands 8 ½ inches tall
*created by American artist John Billings

PASSPORT vs. VISA
PASSPORT - proves citizenship of a country and therefore allows you to re-enter it after travelling abroad
VISA - required by some countries for entry and is an official document attached to your passport; can be for tourism or work, depending on your reason for visiting
*one can travel with a passport and no visa, but not the other way around

RACISM vs. PREJUDICE vs. BIAS vs. DISCRIMINATION vs. BIGOTRY
RACISM – one group gaining advantage(s) over another and seen as superior based exclusively on their race, which is defined as a mix of physical, behavioral, and cultural traits
*example: sending anyone of (at least suspected) Japanese ancestry to internment camps during World War 2
PREJUDICE – a pre-conceived idea about a person based on the “group” they are in, also known as a stereotype
*example: assuming a person is too old to get something accomplished without consideration of whether the individual could actually do it
BIAS – a weighted way of thinking toward a person, favorably or not
*example: seeing O.J. Simpson as a murderer even though he was acquitted
DISCRIMINATION – treating a person as inferior based on gender, color, religion, etc.; used mostly in workplaces and other situations where people have authority
*example: not hiring a qualified candidate solely because she is a woman
...
*a bigot practices any or all of the above and will probably never change views
*example: Archie Bunker on 1970s TV show All In The Family

SEX vs. GENDER
SEX has to do with biology and anatomy, specifically what is between a person’s legs at birth
*when a hospital assigns a person as male or female, that determines the sex
*this has nothing to do with how the person appears or acts later in life
GENDER is how a person identifies, which is why their gender may differ from what their birth certificate says
*conforming to or rebelling against society’s typical behaviors and roles determines a person’s gender

SOCCER vs. FOOTBALL
SOCCER is the world’s most popular sport and involves kicking or head-butting a round ball past a goalkeeper into a net
*the term ‘soccer’ is believed to have been coined by an Englishman as some sort of abbreviation for ‘association football’
*most countries no longer use the term after the British deemed it ‘too Americanized’ in the 1980s
FOOTBALL describes the same sport, arguably making more sense because primarily feet are used to play
*in the United States, ‘football’ usually refers to what other countries call ‘American football’
*the National Football League, among other entities, plays this sport, which involves using hands, helmets, a curious scoring system, an oblong ball, and additional factors to differentiate it from soccer
*fun fact #1: FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association
*fun fact #2: ‘Association Football’ differs from ‘Union Football’, which is the primary league of rugby

STREET vs. AVENUE vs. other things…
*each word falls under the term road, which refers to any path between two points that has been designed specifically for vehicular travel
STREET - buildings on both sides; runs perpendicular to an avenue
AVENUE - buildings on both sides; runs perpendicular to a street
*major cities commonly have grid-patterned roads, with north-south streets and east-west avenues
*Tucson, Arizona, has ‘stravenues’, which run diagonally
BOULEVARD - wide road (generally with a median) for taking higher-speed traffic to or from a residential area
PLACE - has a dead end
COURT – ends with a cul-de-sac (paved, round area; French for ‘bottom of a bag’)
WAY - generic term for a side street
LANE - narrow; tends to be in a rural area
DRIVE - goes near a natural landmark, such as a mountain, lake, or scenic overlook
TERRACE - has a noticeable slope
*these are not official rules and there are many exceptions, though planners often abide by the definitions

SWEET POTATO vs. YAM
*both are known as tubers, which includes carrots and beets, and are commonly confused for each other but not as closely related as thought, though the differences are more scientific than practical
*the interchangeable usage likely comes from African slaves, who saw sweet potatoes as being similar to their native yams, so they referred to the softer variety by that name to distinguish them
*sweet potatoes are frequently found in American supermarkets while (true) yams are more likely to be available in specialized and international markets
SWEET POTATO
*sweet taste
*red or orange skin
*orange or purple inside
*part of the morning glory family of flowering plants
*originates from Central or South America
YAM
*dry, neutral taste
*dark skin
*white or orange inside
*related to lilies and grass
*native to Africa and Asia

SYMPATHY vs. EMPATHY vs. PITY vs. COMPASSION
SYMPATHY - feeling sorry for someone’s situation although you cannot personally relate
*example: when a person’s dog is lost but you never had one
EMPATHY - directly relating someone’s situation to your personal life
*example: helping a friend deal with a break-up by using knowledge you gained from one of your own
PITY - feeling sorry about the predicament of somebody you do not know personally
*example: having sadness for people without houses
COMPASSION - actively trying to help a person who is less fortunate
*example: giving a card or hug to someone whose relative died

VIOLIN vs. FIDDLE
*same instrument, the difference being how it gets played
VIOLIN - performed in orchestras for powerful, tonal compositions
FIDDLE - used in genres such as bluegrass and country for fast riffs and upbeat tempos

WORLD WAR 1 vs. WORLD WAR 2
*there are numerous differences but the focus here is on the basics
WORLD WAR 1
*originally known as The Great War
*fought from July 1914 to November 1918
*main catalyst was the assassination of Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by a Serbian nationalist in an attempt to free the Balkan countries from the oppressive rule of Austria-Hungary
*Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Italy, Romania, the United States, Japan
*Quadruple Alliance (a.k.a. Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, which was based in Turkey
*important names: Max von Baden (German chancellor), Franz Joseph I (emperor of Austria-Hungary), Woodrow Wilson (president of the United States), Nicholas Romanov II (last tsar of Russia), Winston Churchill (Britain’s Lord of the Admiralty)
*introduced trench warfare and tanks
WORLD WAR 2
*fought from September 1939 to September 1945
*main catalyst was the invasion of Poland by Germany
*Allied Powers: composed of many countries but the Grand Alliance leading them was comprised of Great Britain, the United States, the USSR
*Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan
*important names: Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill (British prime ministers), Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman (American presidents), Dwight D. Eisenhower (American general), Josef Stalin (leader of the USSR), Hirohito (emperor of Japan), Benito Mussolini (Italian prime minister), Adolf Hitler (Austrian-born German chancellor and leader, a.k.a. the führer)
*key events: the German Blitzkrieg (‘lightning war’) attack on the United Kingdom; Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s attempted invasion of the USSR after signing the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact; the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; the Battle of Midway; D-Day, when Allied troops stormed France’s region of Normandy; Americans dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki