cry or weep

[golukhanna]

when to use cry and when weep? similarily fight or quarrel?

 

[mykwyner]

In American English, weep and quarrel sound archaic and stilted.

 

[bhaisahab]

In American English, weep and quarrel sound archaic and stilted.

In BrE "a fight" means a physical battle. "A quarrel" is a verbal argument.

 

[Barb_D]

So in BrE, if you say "I had a fight with my boyfriend last night" it would imply physical violence?

 

[bhaisahab]

So in BrE, if you say "I had a fight with my boyfriend last night" it would imply physical violence?

Yes, to me it would. I would say "row", argument" or "quarrel" to mean a verbal dispute.

 

[Barb_D]

Thanks, good to know. If I hear of a British couple that is "always fighting" it will have a different connotation to me now than it did before.

 

[golukhanna]

Yes, to me it would. I would say "row", argument" or "quarrel" to mean a verbal dispute.

i thought fight is used for short term arguments and quarrel which never ends up!!!!!

 

[bhaisahab]

I thought fight is used for short term arguments and quarrel which never ends up!!!!!

Not in BrE.

 

[5jj]

Thanks, good to know. If I hear of a British couple that is "always fighting" it will have a different connotation to me now than it did before.

Unlike Bhaisahab, I feel that a fight with your wife or boss can be just verbal.I am a native speaker of BrE.

 

[bhaisahab]

Unlike Bhaisahab, I feel that a fight with your wife or boss can be just verbal.I am a native speaker of BrE.

I'm very surprised by that!

 

[mayita1usa]

In American English, weep and quarrel sound archaic and stilted.

I disagree with this. In my experience, they are not often used in conversation in American English, but they are both used regularly in writing.

As others have mentioned, a quarrel is normally a verbal argument; the connotation is less serious than a fight.

Weep means cry, but the emphasis is on the tears and not on the sound the person is making. At the opposite end of the continuum, you have sob, which is louder than cry and produces lots of tears! ;-)

 

[5jj]

I'm very surprised by that!

Perhaps I have been mixing with too many Americans;-).

Let's not fight over/about this, bhaisahab.

I readily concede that, in that last sentence, disagree/argue/row/squabble/etc might be more to be expected than fight, but I feel that fight is possible. Since the only contact we have is through UE (and since we are both old-fashioned gentlemen), physical violence is inconceivable.