Baby's dummy, soother etc.

English translation: baby's dummy

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Baby's dummy, soother etc.
Selected answer:baby's dummy

11:06 Jun 5, 2012
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2012-06-09 09:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Retail / UK English
English term or phrase: Baby's dummy, soother etc.
Perhaps fifty years ago, the "dummy" (dummy teat) was commonly used to soothe babies and small children. My impression is that this term is less used nowadays and that "soother" or "comforter" are more usual terms in the UK ("pacifier" seems to be the US version, but that doesn't concern me). I've heard "Dodie" used but I imagine that's quite rare - it's basically a French trademark.

If you were to walk into a UK shop tomorrow and ask for one of there items, what word would you use?
DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 08:51
baby's dummy
Explanation:
Though it is usually used to mean a dummy, a "baby's soother" can be a variety of other things too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Babies-Soother-Bear-Cloth-Teddy/dp/B...

I think that parents would use the term "dummy", while marketing people may prefer the term "soother" as it is more positive sounding. If you google them restricting the search to UK sites, "baby's dummy" gets over 80K ghits, while "baby's soother" only gets 8K ghits.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:51
Grading comment
There's obviously no "right" answer to this, but I find the p.c. argument persuasive.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5baby's dummy
B D Finch
4 +4soother
Lindsay Spratt


Discussion entries: 11





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
soother


Explanation:
I would go for 'soother' because it seems to be more fashionable in the UK these days than 'dummy'. 'Comforter' I think can refer to other items which comfort the baby such as blankets, etc.


    Reference: http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/department/soothers/
    Reference: http://www.babysleepshop.com/baby-comforters.html
Lindsay Spratt
France
Local time: 09:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Liam Quinn
28 mins
  -> Thanks, Liam!

agree  Veronika McLaren
40 mins
  -> Thanks, Veronika.

agree  carly kelly
45 mins
  -> Thanks, Carly.

agree  Suzanne Donnelly
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Suzanne.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

56 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
baby's dummy, soother etc.
baby's dummy


Explanation:
Though it is usually used to mean a dummy, a "baby's soother" can be a variety of other things too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Babies-Soother-Bear-Cloth-Teddy/dp/B...

I think that parents would use the term "dummy", while marketing people may prefer the term "soother" as it is more positive sounding. If you google them restricting the search to UK sites, "baby's dummy" gets over 80K ghits, while "baby's soother" only gets 8K ghits.


B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:51
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
There's obviously no "right" answer to this, but I find the p.c. argument persuasive.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sarah Mathrick: This is the term I would naturally use, and have heard used by parents all over the UK.
4 mins
  -> Thanks Sarah

agree  Charles Davis: This matches my own instincts.
16 mins
  -> Thanks Charles

agree  Evans (X): Agree, as I said in the discussion box.
54 mins
  -> Thanks Gilla

agree  Dr. Andrew Frankland
1 hr
  -> Thanks Andrew

agree  ANNIE BATTEN
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Annie
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