1. zaffy

    zaffy Active Member

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    loaf of bread

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by zaffy, Sep 14, 2010.

    Silly one this but ...
    I was writing today and typed 'loaf of bread'. I have alway said 'loaf of bread'. In print it looks wrong. 'Of bread' seems redundant. Can I just put 'loaf'? Or can other things take on the form of a loaf? Does loaf mean a certain size? Can you have a loaf of cheese?
     
  2. Horizon Noise

    Horizon Noise New Member

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    Not a fan of heavy metal then.
     
  3. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    being from the North of England I can call it a loaf. Not sure about anywhere else. Use your loaf can also refer to your brain:)

    It is the shape you can get a loaf of sugar or butter. Less well used is for a lettuce head.
     
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Ever hear of meat loaf?

    A loaf is usually bread, but it can refer to any food shaped into a similar shape and baked. Tea loaves are cake, not bread, for instance.
     
  5. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    For the sake of clarity I would spell it out.
     
  6. zaffy

    zaffy Active Member

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    Ah yes, forgot about meatloaf. Apparently he became a vegetarian. A journalist wrote 'for clarity, he should change his name to veggie burger'.
     
  7. Horizon Noise

    Horizon Noise New Member

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    Ha, yeah. To give a slightly more considered answer, if your scene is set in a bakery then you could get away with it, otherwise probably best write it out in full.
     
  8. Trilby

    Trilby Contributor Contributor

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    I don't see anything wrong with 'loaf of bread'
    Being that you're not happy with it, what about:
    brown/white loaf
    sliced/unsliced loaf
    wholemeal loaf
    cottage loaf etc.
     
  9. zaffy

    zaffy Active Member

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    I decided to use 'loaf of bread' to denote size. Colour or pre-cut is immaterial. However, I did contemplate types, such as the aforementioned cottage but then I wondered if people referred to, cobs, split tins, bloomers etc. Are they descriptions from the past? Would young, cosmopilitan Britain know these terms? If I used cottage loaf would some think I meant the size of a cottage? Funny how something so everyday becomes complex on paper.
     
  10. Islander

    Islander Contributor Contributor

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    Not to mention loaf of cigarettes.
     
  11. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    you can buy all of them in Asda and Tescos. Although if you do use Crusty Bloomers in the UK it may also get a couple of sniggers:)
     

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