3 ms·

I was taught “Edible (fit to be eaten as food) vs Eatable (capable of being chewed up and swallowed)” but modern usage seems to treat them as synonyms (the form

I was taught “Edible (fit to be eaten as food) vs Eatable (capable of being chewed up and swallowed)” but modern usage seems to treat them as synonyms (the former just being more pleasant to eat than the latter).

doubled112 6mo ago
Hah, old memories unlocked. As a kid I remember using “eatable” to mess with people because it “wasn’t a word”. Is it edible? Yeah, it is eatable. Here I am, years later, learning I was right all along.
Clamchop 6mo ago
That's backwards, eatable is the stronger claim that means fit as food while edible just means safe to eat.
- IAmBroom 6mo ago
  Pedantic difference; most people would reasonably assume either meant "OK to eat".
  - Clamchop 6mo ago
    No more pedantic than the comment I was replying to. My advice would be not to use "eatable" at all because others will just think you're saying edible incorrectly.