wipe yourself vs dry yourself

[hirashin]

Do (a) and (b) have the same meaning?
a) Here, use this towel and dry yourself.
b) Here, use this towel and wipe yourself.

Hirashin

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

You can't say they have the same meaning, but you can say they might have the same meaning.

To dry oneself means only to dry oneself, but to wipe oneself could mean to dry oneself or to clean off a substance/dirt.

 

[emsr2d2]

Generally, we use a towel to dry something, no matter what it is.

Pick up that towel and dry your hands.
Use that towel to dry yourself.
Dry your hair on this towel.

I would only use "wipe" if I was cleaning up a spillage with a towel.

 

[Grumpy]

In BrE, the expression "wipe yourself dry" is commonly used.

 

[Jill Dorchester]

In AmE, we usually only use "dry yourself" if that person is wet from water. If that person has spaghetti sauce on their face, or has fallen into a big mud puddle, then we'd hand them the towel and advise them to "wipe" themselves.

 

[BobK]

In BrE, the expression "wipe yourself dry" is commonly used.

Izzat so:-? Maybe it is up there, but down here (south of Watford) I don't think I've ever heard it. ;-)

b

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm with BobK. Down here in the sunny South of England, I've never heard "wipe yourself dry" when talking about using a towel. I've used "towel yourself off" and "towel-dry your hair".

 

[MikeNewYork]

In AmE, "wipe yourself" usually refers to one's rear end after defecation. Sorry to be crude.

 

[Tarheel]

In AmE, "wipe yourself" usually refers to one's rear end after defecation. Sorry to be crude.

Well, I don't know if it's crude or not, but that's pretty much what I was thinking.

:shock:

 

[MikeNewYork]

CMTA. Crude minds think alike. :roll:

 

[tedmc]

It may sound alien to Westerners but in Chinese and probably Japanese, which is OP's native language,the literal translation is actually 'wipe yourself dry with a towel'.

not a teacher

 

[riquecohen]

In AmE, we usually only use "dry yourself" if that person is wet from water. If that person has spaghetti sauce on their face, or has fallen into a big mud puddle, then we'd hand them the towel and advise them to "wipe" themselves.

Where I come from, we'd say "Wipe your face" (spaghetti) or "Clean yourself up" (mud.)

 

[Grumpy]

I'm with BobK. Down here in the sunny South of England, I've never heard "wipe yourself dry" when talking about using a towel. I've used "towel yourself off" and "towel-dry your hair".

Just as I thought. You soft, shandy-drinking Southerners ought to get out more and experience the grim realities of life "Oop North", where my neighbours regularly wipe their whippets dry using their flat caps as towels.
Well...maybe not in Lincolnshire exactly, but you get my drift.

And I will ignore the faecal references from our transatlantic correspondents.

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, there are plenty of North/South differences within the UK! You can, of course, ignore the faecal references but "wipe yourself" immediately made me think of "wipe your bottom" too.

 

[Tarheel]

our transatlantic correspondents.

I think that's what I'll call myself from now on. It kind of makes me seem important.


;-)