To Do the Dishes – Disambiguation

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The word “dish” in the Englisn Language may refer to a wide variety of containers used in the kitchen, such as plate, bowl or even cup. Hence the expression, “to do the dishes.”

What does it mean to do the dishes? To “do” the dishes means to “wash” the dirty dishes that often pile up the kitchen sink after they had been used. The word “do” doesn’t necessarily mean “wash,” however, it’s an idiomatic expression passed down for generations.

You can either say, “I’m going to wash the dishes,” or “I’m going to do the dishes.”

Here are some more examples of the word “do” used in a adaptive context:

To do the laundry – to wash the dirty clothes.

To do one’s hair – to comb one’s hair or style it in a certain manner.

In some English speaking communities, the words “bowl” and “dish” are often used interchangeably. There is a difference however. A bowl refers to a kitchen utensil that has higher edges than a plate. A plate is also two-dimensional. A bowl can hold much more liquid, proportionally speaking, than a plate. And a dish is a generic term which may refer to plate, bowl and cups.

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