Don't thump the tree.

[dedicatedenglish]

The Cambridge dictionary defines "thump" as "hit something and cause a noise".

Is "don't thump the tree" the same as don't hit the tree?

 

[jutfrank]

It's not the same, since no words are really ever the same, but there is semantic relation, yes. Think of 'thumping' as one kind of hitting.

With 'thump', it's most easy to imagine that you're hitting the tree with your hand. Replaced with 'hit', that may be with your hand, or with a baseball bat, or by driving a car, or by shooting a gun, and so on.

 

[teechar]

The Cambridge dictionary defines "thump" as "hit something and cause a noise".

I'm not sure what you're trying to establish or clarify, but if you want to learn how "thump" is used, type "thump", "thumped", or "thumping" in the search box in www.fraze.it and browse through the results.

 

[dedicatedenglish]

With 'thump', it's most easy to imagine that you're hitting the tree with your hand.

Is thumping a tree similar to hitting it with a fist or hitting it with an open hand?

 

[Skrej]

Is thumping a tree similar to hitting it with a fist or hitting it with an open hand?

Possibly a fist, but more likely just flicking it with a finger. Hitting it with an open hand would be 'slapping' the tree.

None of these are commonly used phrases. You'd have to have some very specific, limited context to even use them, so it's a bit difficult to say exactly what the thumping motion actually is.

I could thump the tree with a hammer or block of wood, too. It's more about the sound made than the actual motion. Often it's for some kind of test - you're making a quality judgement based on the sound.

For example, sometimes people thump a melon to judge ripeness.

 

[dedicatedenglish]

For example, sometimes people thump a melon to judge ripeness.

In this case, would it be flicking a finger at the melon or hitting it with a fist or some other motion?

 

[Skrej]

Which makes more sense to you? The idea is to just create a sound, not damage it.

 

[emsr2d2]

You definitely can't thump something by flicking it with your finger, in BrE at least. If you thump something, you hit it hard.

 

[dedicatedenglish]

Which makes more sense to you? The idea is to just create a sound, not damage it.

I'm thinking hitting it with an open hand but I don't think I've ever tested a melon like that. In AE, could "thumping something" be associated with a variety of motion and varied degrees of force?

 

[Tarheel]

A light tap.

 

[5jj]

A light tap.

Are you saying that a light tap can be referred to as a thump in AmE?

 

[Skrej]

You definitely can't thump something by flicking it with your finger, in BrE at least. If you thump something, you hit it hard.

Are you saying that a light tap can be referred to as a thump in AmE?

That's exactly what it is in AmE. I test my melons by either flicking it with my thumb and forefinger or middle finger, or tapping with a knuckle. Some people do use a closed fist, but it's still a relatively light rap with the knuckles.

The idea's just to get a resonating sound, not to punch a hole in them.

Here's one such video of a thump test.

 

[emsr2d2]

It strikes me that that's a poor name for that melon test. All the definitions in the Merriam-Webster American dictionary agree with the BrE usage. See HERE.

 

[Rover_KE]

Here's one such video of a thump test.

I call that flicking the melons.

 

[Tarheel]

Are you saying that a light tap can be referred to as a thump in AmE?

No, but if I was going to "thump" a melon I certainly wouldn't hit it hard. Thumping a tree would be different.

 

[emsr2d2]

No, but if I was going to "thump" a melon I certainly wouldn't hit it hard.

In that case, you wouldn't be thumping it!

 

[Rover_KE]

There's clearly a good reason for thumping a melon, but why would anyone thump a tree?

 

[Tarheel]

In that case, you wouldn't be thumping it!

Maybe that was my point. However, in the video somebody posted it's called "thumping".

 

[emsr2d2]

Maybe that was my point. However, in the video somebody posted it's called "thumping".

And as you can see from posts #13 and #14, two of us are of the opinion that that's an inappropriate word for it.