Question for the english speaking people.

[Phunkle]

Sup guys,


I have a question for people with english as their primary language.

I'm currently writing several text scenes for a project, one of which includes a girl finding a spittoon at a dead mans body. (Don't ask, just roll with it.)
My question now is - do you guys instantly know what a spittoon is? And I'm serious here, I know there are words in my language that I've never heard of.
But I need to know this so that I can see if I can keep using a spittoon or maybe come up with something different.

[Belize]

No idea what a spittoon is.

[Captain N]

No idea what a spittoon is.

It's one of those brass cans you see in Westerns that people spit their chewing tobacco into. There's also that scene in Back To The Future 3 where Marty jumps on the loose floorboard and the spittoon dumps all over Mad Dog Tannen.

[King Shark]

Most who read on a regular basis should have come across this word at least once, but you may want to just call it a bucket, just to be safe.

Or fuck it, make them look that shit up, sprinkle that bitch all over your project- spice it up. A 'lil bit 'a knowledge ne'er hurt nobody.

[Crissi]

I knew what it was, but Im also form Texas where that's been a historical thing here.

So if You're form the Western US you may know of it. ANywhere else is like to go "what?"

[Deleted]

Yeah I knew what a spitoon was

[Deleted]

I didn't immediately know what it was. I'd known but forgotten. But don't feel the need to dumb down your language for your audience. Teach them a new word. It's not like you're being pretentously flowery, you're using the correct terminology.

[Powerogue]

It's hard to say whether I just know that because I've read enough older books.

[shadowmouse]

I know what one is, but they're generally something from the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spittoon

While spittoons are still made, they are no longer commonly found in public places. There are a few companies that currently make spittoons for users of smokeless tobacco, such as Mud Bud, Mud Jug and Spitbud. A rare profession which commonly uses spittoons is that of wine taster. A wine taster will sip samples of wine and then spit them into a spittoon in order to avoid alcohol intoxication.[6]

Spittoons remained in use in the Southern United States in public buildings at least until the 1970s. For example, the Georgia Capitol Museum in the Georgia Capitol Building in Atlanta, Georgia has on display a spittoon of the type that was used in legislative sessions into the 1970s.

The United States Senate also has spittoons spread across the Senate Chamber as they are considered a Senate tradition.[7] Similarly, each Justice on the United States Supreme Court has a spittoon next to his or her seat in the courtroom. However, the spittoons function merely as wastebaskets; the last time the spittoon was used for its customary purpose was in the early 20th century.[8]

[s_bushido]

If it's in the context of a Western, the people who are interested in that sort of thing would know what it is.

[Stormspark]

Yes. It's freaking gross and something I never want to see IRL but I know what it is.

[Slant]

It's one of those brass cans you see in Westerns that people spit their chewing tobacco into. There's also that scene in Back To The Future 3 where Marty jumps on the loose floorboard and the spittoon dumps all over Mad Dog Tannen.

I knew that. And I'm not even a native speaker.

[Ripster42]

You know there's even one as a toy in wow? It's the thing you click on that goes ping ping ping. But ya, gross.

[Blueobelisk]

Errr. I didn't know that. I recognize the word from Western movies and I've heard it before, but I didn't realize what it was. I actually thought it was the names of the bars that cowboys went too.

[the game]

Errr. I didn't know that. I recognize the word from Western movies and I've heard it before, but I didn't realize what it was. I actually thought it was the names of the bars that cowboys went too.

those are called saloons.

[draynay]

While not a word in common usage these days, the majority of people should recognize it.

[Mistame]

Keep in mind, you shouldn't not use words because some people may not know what they mean. The onus of comprehension is on the individual.

[Tennis]

No. Appears it is a useless word.

[rogueMatthias]

Keep in mind, as I don't know the context behind the scene, although a large amount of readers would know what a splitoon was when mentioned few people would kknow something was a splitoon if they came across one next to a dead mans body. (unless it's set in a western)

[Gref]

As soon as I read I could somehow relate it to the buckets in wild west movies. Spit + on. Then again, It is my experience with watching too many of those movies. A regular person might understand it is something you spit but in today's daily life, it would sound absurd I think.