I know that "spill" will sound natural with "liquid detergent". But will it sound natural with "powder detergent"?
I spilled some detergent on the floor. (It is a "powder detergent", not a liquid one)
Is the use of "spill" natural here?
asked Jun 14, 2019 at 7:21
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3Yep! And you can even "spill beans"– katatahitoCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 7:24
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But spill the beans is an idiom used in relation to revealing secrets...– shinCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 7:36
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1@shin yep, that is what the link I included says. I thought it would also be useful to point out that even less "fluid" things than powders can be considered "spilled". The list of (non-idiomatic) usages can even include M&M's, grapes, or pebbles– katatahitoCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 7:50
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1I think it's a pragmatic requirement that anything which spills must be doing so under the influence of gravity, but that doesn't mean it has to be a liquid. For example, carbon dioxide is heaver than air, so in high concentrations it tends to sink rather than diffuse into the atmosphere. As in That fateful day in 1969, carbon dioxide spilled out of the Mauna Ulu vent, and the windless conditions permitted the gas to collect in a pool along the trail that Don and I walked.– FumbleFingersCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 13:29
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1@katatahito Or my lazy handwriting spilled into the margins of the page.– Jason BassfordCommented Jun 14, 2019 at 16:01
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1 Answer
Combining answers from the comments section :
Yes powder laundry detergent can be considered "spilled"
In general "spill" should be used:
a. For substances that move fluidly (liquids, gasses, powder, pebbles) if they move outside of a container, general moving under the influence of gravity (i.e. toward the floor\ground /etc.)
b. It can also be used figuratively when semi-continuous things "move" outside of their intended constraints
My handwriting spilled into the margins
The wedding planning spilled into the next month, past the intended deadline
c. There is also the idiom of "spilling the beans" to mean telling a secret to someone. Similar in meaning to "letting the cat out of the bag."
