Comments on: A wallet is a purse, which is also a handbag

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:11:59 +0000

To me a purse is something very specific – a certain size (not big enough to carry the requisite book and water bottle!), something that hangs from the shoulder, that’s a little fussy. It reminds me of my grandmother, because she was the only woman in my family who ever carried one.

I don’t know too many people who carry purses – most of my friends carry what I would call a bag or possibly a handbag. Something funkier, bigger, more like a messenger bag.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:30:57 +0000

Ha–This makes me laugh. I am from Colorado originally and have since moved to NJ. In Colorado, we termed it “purse”. When I moved to NJ it is called “pocketbook” or “handbag”. Same type of thing when you are speaking of carbonated beverages such as Pepsi, or Gingerale. “Pop” vs. “soda”. Hee hee

By: Lovelee_79

Lovelee_79 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:11:08 +0000

I believe “purse” is a term that is on its way out, my friends and I (who are late 20’s, early 30’s) now use handbag or bag most often. I don’t believe it happened conciously, we just started hearing and seeing the term more and more.

By: Imogen

Imogen — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:53:01 +0000

In Australia When I was growing up a purse was a wallet for a woman, and wallet was for a man. A wallet folds in half is for carrying paper and cards, whilst a purse is for holding coins (and now credit cards and other money).

Now women call them either wallets or purses which hold money, and a handbag or just a bag (for short, we love to shorten stuff here).

A doona in Australia is a duvet in the UK and a Quilt (I think ) in the US.

So many regional differences!

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:08:38 +0000

Pocketbook, I think, is a Southern regionalism. My grandmother and aunt, from TN and VA, both used the word pocketbook exclusively. They also always said plaits instead of braids, among other things! Handbag, in my experience, is a bit old-fashioned; purse is usually used by the middle-aged, while just ‘bag’ is more common with younger people (which also makes sense because it’s often not a handbag, it’s a messenger bag or a backpack or a tote bag or whatever).

By: Susan D

Susan D — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:31:18 +0000

Minnesota – PURSE
Wallet – wallet, or maybe billfold, but that would be more masculine.

By: Luisa

Luisa — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:36:52 +0000

This is an interesting question, Angie! I wonder if the meaning of “purse” evolve overtime, too. In Hitchcock’s 1941 movie “Suspicion”, there is a scene where Cary Grant tries to kiss Joan Fontaine. At the last moment, Hitchcock cross-cuts to Fontaine closes her purse clasp. “Click!” Cary Grant looks down, the magic moment is gone. The purse (small handbag) clasp symbolizes Fontaine “pursing up” like a clam. And I thought, although this is an American movie, Hitchcock is undoubtably British, then is this “small handbag” a purse to Hitchcock as well? I wonder, maybe both meanings of “purse” were interchangable at some point in time? And maybe the meaning evolve from “something that has a clasp/closure and is used for holding money, amount other things”? I really wonder…

By: Dee

Dee — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:04:15 +0000

For all my coins, I use a coin purse.
I use the word bag and hand bag interchangeably. Sometimes still calling it a purse!
Dee

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:40:29 +0000

Interesting. It’s fun to hear what people from different regions call things. I’ve always said ‘purse’ for the bags I carry of various sizes, and heard other people here in the Mid-West say ‘purse’ as well. A ‘wallet,’ ‘pocketbook,’ or ‘billfold’ is inside the purse and carries cards, id, and change. Some people carry small ‘change purses’ in their ‘purses,’ but usually the ‘wallet’ also holds change instead. I’ve never heard a ‘purse’ referred to as a ‘pocketbook.’ ‘Handbag’ always seemed like an old-fashioned and formal word to me, or a word to describe a fancy purse. Not sure why. I guess most of the time when I carry a ‘purse’ small enough to fit in my hand it is an evening clutch. If it goes over my shoulder, it’s no longer a ‘handbag’ to me. ‘Bag’ is more of a general term to me that covers purses, plastic bags, paper bags, canvas bags, book bags, etc. That was good and cofusing.

By: austin

austin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:29:31 +0000

I grew up in North GA and am now living in FL. Growing up my Mom always called it a pocketbook. In it was placed a billfold. These days I call it a bag and and a wallet. If I’m talking with family, I will revert back and call them pocketbooks and billfolds.