Comments on: Dirt and Filth

By: Harold

Harold — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:29:55 +0000

“Filthy” has a note of judgment or even contempt – almost like “disgusting”

By: Maeve

Maeve — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:57:41 +0000

“Night soil” reflects another meaning of the word “soil.” I suppose the expression derives from the verb “to soil,” to make dirty. A baby is said to soil its diapers.

By: Brad K.

Brad K. — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:47:12 +0000

I guess I think that ‘dirty’ needs washed; ‘filthy’ needs washed and disinfected.

The history of dirt, though, lends insight into the exclamation ‘cat dirt!’ in one of my favorite novels.

But what about the euphemism ‘night soil’ for emptying chamber pots?

By: Ali

Ali — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:57:06 +0000

Maeve, I completely agree with you on this one. “Filth”, to me, has connotations of excrement or something that’s rotting. It certainly implies something that needs deep cleaning, not just a wipe.

“Grime” would work, but “filth” is over the top. I think the juxtaposition with “moisture” (a mild, and not unpleasant word) makes it seem doubly odd.

By: Maeve

Maeve — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:12:22 +0000

I think that grime would be a better word than filth in the context. Grime suggests grittiness as well as well as dirtiness. I think filth is overkill for traffic dirt.