Some things are so very different. But other things are alike. And some seem even interchangeable. Which led me to wonder. When these things happen, just what is the difference?
Say. Between a:
Turtle and a Tortoise?
Both turtles and tortoises are reptiles. They both belong to the order Testudines, just for the record.
Turtles and tortoises have slight physical differences in their limbs. But. Their main distinction is habitat.
A tortoise spends most of its time on land. And those turtles spend a significant amount of time in the water. Turtles mostly only emerge onto land for the purpose of laying eggs.
A good way to keep this straight? Think about that good old story. Remember that it was the tortoise, not the turtle, who ran against the hare. And that race happened on land.
The next one.
A Typhoon, a Hurricane, and a Cyclone?
The terms typhoon, hurricane, and cyclone all describe a similar type of tropical storm. They always include strong, rotational winds.
Mostly, though, the differences among them lie in their location. All of them are technically considered cyclones.
The breakdown? Hurricane is typically applied to rotating storms in the Atlantic and Northern Pacific oceans. Typhoon is applied to such storms when they occur in the region of the Philippines or the South China Sea.
Again, both are cyclones. The mightiest winds blow.
And then
A Shotgun and a Rifle?
A shotgun and a rifle are those long guns. They both are designed to be fired from the shoulder.
What makes a rifle a rifle is the spiral grooving, or rifling, that lines the barrel. These grooves direct the spin of the bullet. And that causes it to travel faster. But the shotgun’s insides are smooth. And that produces a more spread-out shot. And we have overkill on both.
What about.
A Coffin and a Casket?
The coffin. It is that rough-hewn wooden box. You know the kind. The ones from which you might see Dracula emerge, like in a Bella Lugosi film. Here is another thing. They came in assorted shapes as different cultures would bury their dead in different positions. Some of them even sat upright. But the mainstream coffin has a roughly hexagonal shape. It is tapered at the head and foot and wider at the shoulders to accommodate the human body.
But a casket originally referred to an ornamental box for jewelry or other valuables. The use of the term for those burial containers only took hold after the undertaking began to flourish as a profession during the 19th century.
And finally.
A Jail and a Prison
We have so many of them. Jails and prisons are correctional institutions housing those who are in trouble with the law. In most instances, a jail is used for temporary detention. Most typically, this happens while an inmate awaits a trial or sentencing. A prison is where one is delivered to carry out a long-term sentence after conviction, especially for more serious crimes.
So there they are. A few of the similars.
There are so many more.
Alligators and Crocodiles
Wasps and Bees – Both sting, but bees are fuzzy pollinators; wasps are sleeker, more aggressive predators.
Meteors and Meteorites
Jam and Jelly
Bison and Buffalo
Venomous and Poisonous
Yams and Sweet Potatoes
Apes and Monkeys
Shrimp and Prawns
Moose and Elk
Perhaps this is a reminder. Even though we are all unique, each and every one of us, we all share things in common. We may not be interchangeable, but we are changeable. And in that, may we all appreciate our differences and especially, our likenesses.
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“Everything is the same, and everything is different. That is the paradox of life.” — Alan Watts
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“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” — Audre Lorde
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“Things which seem alike in many ways are sometimes profoundly different in others.” — Carl Sagan
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“There are no two leaves alike, and yet there is no antagonism between them or between the branches on which they grow.” — Mahatma Gandhi
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