Do Americans not have Tea Towels?

[yvr girl]

CNN must be wrong on this.

[GOPisEvil]

1. I'm betting we have them, but we refer to them as something else.

[yvr girl]

6. Another thing different between Canada and the USA

[FuzzySlippers]

2. We call 'em dish towels. nt

[LSdemocrat]

3. What the hell is a dish towel?

[FuzzySlippers]

5. A dish towel is a tea towel.

:P

[LSdemocrat]

8. Thanks. That really clears things up.

:P

[Left Is Write]

7. A dish towel is the towel used to dry dishes.

Those absorbent white towels that you sometimes see embroidery on.

[LSdemocrat]

Paper towels?

Like Bounty and Brawny?

[Left Is Write]

10. No, cloth.

Like these.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13953&item=6168189790&rd=1

[LSdemocrat]

11. I don't think I have ever seen one of those.

[FuzzySlippers]

12. Are you just playing with us?

No, they're made out of cloth.

[LSdemocrat]

13. No I really had no idea what the hell you were talking about

[derby378]

4. We have washcloths instead of flannels

We wear flannels in America instead of washing our faces with them.

[Tom Kitten]

9. language is a virus

I begin to believe this as a big battle could ensue concerning the correct nomenclature of the smallsized towel known as the hand towel, the dish towel, or maybe the tea towel...

[drm604]

14. Are you talking about towels used to dry dishes?

My family has always called them tea towels although I have also heard them referred to as dish towels. I live just outside of Philadelphia, PA and both sides of my family have been in the US for generations. It may be a regional difference rather then a national difference.

It has struck me as kind of an odd name. After all, what specifically do they have to do with tea?

[sharonking21]

15. When I was a child

we called them tea towels but I don't often hear that anymore. They usually were made of thin cotton.

We also had a dinner guest once from Northern Ireland when I was small. As he departed, he congratulated my mother on the excellent cuisine and on being a "homely woman," to her great consternation until she had time to think it through.

[cajones_II]

16. I've got coffee towels

we threw our tea in the harbor long ago but I spill coffee every morning.

[Floogeldy]

17. Do Americans not have Tea Towels?

If Americans do not have Tea Towels, I think the answer is "Yes." Because you asked if Americans do not have something. What if you had asked, "Do Americans have Tea Towels?" The answer would have been "Yes."

But then if you ask, "Do Americans not have Tea Towels?", if they don't have them, the answer is "Yes." If they do have them, the answer is "No." It is very confusing because if one answers, "No," you might think that Americans do not have Tea Towels. However, when answering that question, "No" means "Yes, Americans do have Tea Towels."

[ofrfxsk]

18. We just wet hand towels, spin them and beat Canadians with them

Is that wrong?

[progmom]

19. I have tea towels

But I'm culturally confused.

[Floogeldy]

20. The question is whether you not have Tea Towels.

Do you not have Tea Towels?

Please answer the question.

[progmom]

21. no - i do not not have tea towels

...i think.