Any differences in the meaning / usage of the four words?
Thanks
Big differences!
Silverware: plates, bowls, knives, forks etc made of silver (or these days probably just silver in colour)
Crockery: plates, bowls, tureens. Usually made of ceramic or pottery.
Utensils: things like wooden spoons, spatulas, whisks - things with practical applications used while making, preparing and cooking food, not for eating it.
Cutlery: Knives, forks, spoons used for eating food.
In the US, silverware is knives, forks, and spoons, not matter the color or the substance.
We even have "plastic silverware."
You will very rarely hear crockery in the US, and cutlery is not very common.
I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.
* So, generally, there can sometimes be some overlap between silverware, cutlery, and utensils. So, given the four options in the OP, crockery is the only one that doesn't overlap.
b
PS *The thumbs up was for the post before Barb's.
Last edited by BobK; 28-Jan-2012 at 15:11. Reason: Added PS