washing up

Question

Is this sentence right if the word 'up' is omitted?'She still does the washing up by hand because she is too poor to buy a washing machine.'Thanks

Milky · Accepted Answer

Minhuoc
Is this sentence right if the word 'up' is omitted?

'She still does the washing up by hand because she is too poor to buy a washing machine.'

Thanks

First, in British English, "wash up" is only used for plates, glasses, etc. "To do the washing", "to do washing", or "to do a wash" is for clothes, etc.

We can wash up by hand or use a dishwasher. A washing machine is used for clothes, etc.

Hena · Answer

I thought "to wash up" is only used in the meaning of "to clean oneself".

But you wash the dishes and the laundry. So your sentence will be right if only you avoid the word "up".

This is what I think but I am not a native. It is best to get a native speaker's opinion

Milky · Answer

HenaI thought "to wash up" is only used in the meaning of "to clean oneself".

But you wash the dishes and the laundry. So your sentence will be right if only you avoid the word "up".

This is what I think but I am not a native. It is best to get a native speaker's opinion

Here you go:

wash up (HANDS) phrasal verb US
to wash your hands, especially before a meal:
Go and wash up - your dinner's ready.

.......

wash (sth) up (PLATES) phrasal verb [M]
to clean the plates, pans, and other things that you have used for cooking and eating:
He washed up his mug and put it back on the shelf.
See picture .

washing-up UK http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=89134&ph=on
noun (US dishes)
the act of cleaning plates, pans, glasses, knives, forks' etc. after a meal, or the items needing to be washed:
You do the washing-up and I'll do the drying.
There's an enormous pile of washing-up in the sink.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=89134&dict=CALD

Nona the brit · Answer

Yes, in British English we wash clothes and wash up crockery, cooking pots etc.

So the original sentence doesn't make sense to us. It needs to be either

She washed up by hand as she didn't have a dishwasher.

or

She washed the clothes by hand as she didn't have a washing machine.

Hena · Answer

Wow, English is an interesting language indeed.

Thank you very much for the explanations Milky and Nona.[F]

But it still will be right in American English if I say "I washed the dishes", isn't it? In American English, you wash the dishes and the laundry, there is not any difference, right?

Milky · Answer

HenaWow, English is an interesting language indeed. Thank you very much for the explanations Milky and Nona.[F]

But it still will be right in American English if I say "I washed the dishes", isn't it? In American English, you wash the dishes and the laundry, there is not any difference, right?

Just one note, you can also say "wash the dishes" in British English, but not "wash up the clothes".

CalifJim · Answer

As an American, I don't hear "wash up" used to mean "wash dishes".
On the other hand, I don't hear "wash the laundry".

In the U.S., we generally "wash dishes" and "do the laundry" (or "wash clothes"). We do "wash up" in the morning before going to work or after doing dirty work, but that has nothing to do with dishes.

CJ

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