[Vocabulary] Half white and off white

[Aamir Tariq]

Correct me if I am wrong. To me "half white" is the color of skin like most brunettes are half white, so it is skin complexion.

"Off white" is the color of paints, emulsions etc that we use to paint homes or other things.

Tell me if "half white" is also one of the colors we use to paint our homes or something else. If that is so then what is the difference between "half white" and "off white".

Regards
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[bhaisahab]

We don't talk about people (or paint) being "half white".

 

[Raymott]

"Half white" is not a skin tone, in my experience. It can be used as a racial marker. For example if you have a one full-blooded Australian aboriginal parent and one Anglo parent, you could be described as half white (from an aboriginal perspective), in the right context, though this can be sensitive. Naturally, though, if you're half white, your skin tone would depend on what colour your other half is! .

Off white is a paint colour. Half white means nothing in paint colours. Paint companies usually think of fancy proprietary names for their off-whites, like Mountain Dew or Arctic Dawn or Vanilla Ice.

 

[Barb_D]

"Off-white" can apply to paper and fabric or any other surface, in addition to paint.

Cosmetics companies will have words for skin color (you want a foundation to match your natural color) but I've never seen the word "white" used (because if we are white, we are very sick!) -- have a look at 21 (yes, 21!) different colors here. I use Ivory.

https://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/face-makeup/foundation-makeup/liquid-foundation

 

[Raymott]

I think I'd rather be called "half-white" than something like "creamy beige D1".

 

[Barb_D]

Technically, it refers to the makeup, not the person. Some of them are rather delicious sounding.