varnishing her fingernails

[Tan Elaine]

She likes varnishing her fingernails.

Is 'varnishing' fine?

Thanks.

[konungursvia]

I think polishing is better. Varnish is a solvent usually used on wood.

[Searching for language]

If you mean having colour on the fingernails, generally painting is used. But it is "nail polish" that is used.

[Anglika]

If you mean having colour on the fingernails, generally painting is used. But it is "nail polish" that is used.

Here I buy Nail varnish, and have varnished nails. It can also be called nail polish, but the terms are interchangeable. However, if the nails are polished, I would expect it to be done with a buffer and a special rouge, similar to jewellers' rouge.

[konungursvia]

Ok, I guess it's like conveyancing... something we don't say here that much, but that is said in the UK.

[konungursvia]

The web seems to support my suspicion that varnish is mainly the type of solvent used on wood, actually:

Definitions of varnish on the Web:

* cover with varnish
* a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Varnish is a HTTP accelerator designed for content-heavy dynamic web sites. In contrast to other HTTP accelerators, many of which began life as client-side proxies or origin servers, Varnish was designed from the ground up as an HTTP accelerator. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish_(Software)

* Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish

* A type of paint with a solvent that evaporates to leave a hard, transparent, glossy film; Anything resembling such a paint; By extension: A ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/varnish

* varnished - stained: having a coating of stain or varnish
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* a thin, protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection or appearance
PolyPrint Design - Printing FAQs - Glossary

* A coating added on top of paper to serve as protection, add a finish, or add a tinge of color. Varnishes are very effective in adding emphasis or eye-appeal to printed material.
printing glossary of terms

* A liquid composition that is converted to a transparent solid film after being applied in a thin layer
Paint glossary at Ace Hardware and Hearth and Ace Home & Leisure

* A thin protective coating applied like an ink on printed material. It is in aid to protect the printing from dirt and damage.
Everfast Labels: Glossary of Printing Terms

* varnishing - The application of a protective coat of varnish to the surface of a painting.
Conservation Terms - Church Hill Classics

* varnishing - To apply oil, synthetic, spirit, cellulose or water varnish to printed matter by hand or machine to enhance its appearance or increase its durability.
Lithosphere Print Glossary

* varnishing - a finishing process whereby a transparent varnish is applied over the printed sheet to produce a glossy finish.
Purdue University Printing Services - Glossary R to Z

* A protective coating composed of a vegetable oil (linseed, tung, etc.) and a solvent, or of a synthetic or natural resin and solvent. A flooring material composed of a mixture of vari-ous vinyl compounds (Vinyl Chloride, Vinyl Acetate), asbestos, ground limestone, plasticizers, and colorants. ...
Misco Products Corporation - Home

* A liquid protective coating
community.thenest.com/cs/ks/blogs/decortricks/pages/decor-tricks-glossary.aspx

Find definitions of varnish in: Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) English all languages...

[konungursvia]

The web seems to support my suspicion that varnish is mainly the type of solvent used on wood, actually:

Definitions of varnish on the Web:

* cover with varnish
* a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Varnish is a HTTP accelerator designed for content-heavy dynamic web sites. In contrast to other HTTP accelerators, many of which began life as client-side proxies or origin servers, Varnish was designed from the ground up as an HTTP accelerator. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish_(Software)

* Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varnish

* A type of paint with a solvent that evaporates to leave a hard, transparent, glossy film; Anything resembling such a paint; By extension: A ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/varnish

* varnished - stained: having a coating of stain or varnish
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* a thin, protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection or appearance
PolyPrint Design - Printing FAQs - Glossary

* A coating added on top of paper to serve as protection, add a finish, or add a tinge of color. Varnishes are very effective in adding emphasis or eye-appeal to printed material.
printing glossary of terms

* A liquid composition that is converted to a transparent solid film after being applied in a thin layer
Paint glossary at Ace Hardware and Hearth and Ace Home & Leisure

* A thin protective coating applied like an ink on printed material. It is in aid to protect the printing from dirt and damage.
Everfast Labels: Glossary of Printing Terms

* varnishing - The application of a protective coat of varnish to the surface of a painting.
Conservation Terms - Church Hill Classics

* varnishing - To apply oil, synthetic, spirit, cellulose or water varnish to printed matter by hand or machine to enhance its appearance or increase its durability.
Lithosphere Print Glossary

* varnishing - a finishing process whereby a transparent varnish is applied over the printed sheet to produce a glossy finish.
Purdue University Printing Services - Glossary R to Z

* A protective coating composed of a vegetable oil (linseed, tung, etc.) and a solvent, or of a synthetic or natural resin and solvent. A flooring material composed of a mixture of vari-ous vinyl compounds (Vinyl Chloride, Vinyl Acetate), asbestos, ground limestone, plasticizers, and colorants. ...
Misco Products Corporation - Home

* A liquid protective coating
community.thenest.com/cs/ks/blogs/decortricks/pages/decor-tricks-glossary.aspx

Find definitions of varnish in: Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) English all languages...



Though I am sure you're right people sometimes use it for nails.

[Anglika]

All very interesting, but not really of relevance to what we women use as a hard coating on our nails.

[Tan Elaine]

Many thanks for the enthusiastic participation by all the members who responded to my query.

[Searching for language]

All very interesting, but not really of relevance to what we women use as a hard coating on our nails.

I think it has a great deal of relevance to the question posed. All the references mentioned by konungursvia support the answer that the term varnish is used generally on wood, not on nails.

I am not a teacher.