[Grammar] spill over/all over/on

[kadioguy]

a. You spilled the wine over her dress.

b. You spilled the wine all over her dress.

c. You spilled the wine on her dress.
------
Two friends told me:

(a) technically means that you spilled it into a place that was above the dress. For example, you spilled it into the air above the dress, and because of gravity, now her dress is ruined.
It means that the glass was positioned above the dress and then it was tipped so that wine spilled down onto the dress.

(b) means that a whole glass went on the whole dress/the wine covered the majority of the dress. "All over" means "in all parts of".

(c) means that you just spilled it on one spot.

I agree with them; however, I would also like to hear your thoughts.

PS - I thought that (a) was a 'slight' version of (b).

 

[GoesStation]

It's hard to think of a context where A would be natural.

You're right about B. C is not so specific; it could be a few drops, a glass, a carafe, or a bucket of wine. The sentence doesn't tell us.

 

[kadioguy]

a. You spilled the wine over her dress.

d. Mind you don’t spill coffee over my best tablecloth.
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/over

------------
Please compare them: why does (a) sound strange while (d) doesn't? Is it because a cup of coffee can be placed on a tablecloth and be spilled, while a glass of wine is (nearly) impossible to be able to be placed on a dress?

 

[GoesStation]

a. You spilled the wine over her dress.

d. Mind you don’t spill coffee over my best tablecloth.
------------
Please compare them: why does (a) sound strange while (d) doesn't?

I wouldn't use D even if the verb "mind" existed in my dialect. It sounds strange.

 

[kadioguy]

I wouldn't use D even if the verb "mind" existed in my dialect. It sounds strange.

So what does "spill over" really mean? :-?

Am I right in the latter part of post #4?

 

[GoesStation]

So what does "spill over" really mean?

In the provided context, nothing.

Am I right in the latter part of post #4?

No.

 

[Tarheel]

You spilled wine on her dress.

That is, in my opinion, the most natural of all your choices
How much wine was spilled is not stated.

 

[kadioguy]

How about this illustration? 'over' is just the location you split the wine (not where the wine went, but where it started.)

Have I understood it correctly?

You spilled the wine over her dress.

 

[Tarheel]

If somebody went to that much trouble it seems that "They poured the wine onto the dress" is more appropriate.