Wish vs Pish - What's the difference?
wish | pish |
a desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen
an expression of such a desire etc.
the process of expressing or thinking about such a desire etc. (often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power(s)
the thing desired or longed for
* 1901 , , (w, The Monkey's Paw)
(Sussex) a water meadow.
(label) To desire; to want.
* (William Shakespeare)
*
, passage=Yesterday, upon the stair / I met a man who wasn’t there / He wasn’t there again today / I wish', I ' wish he’d go away …}}
To hope (for a particular outcome).
* (John Arbuthnot) (1667-1735)
* 1901 , , (w, The Monkey's Paw)
To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
* (William Shakespeare)
* Bible, (Psalms) xl. 14
To request or desire to do an activity.
* {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
, title= (label) To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
* (Ben Jonson)
A sibilant noise (e.g. "psshh") made by birders and ornithologists to attract small birds.
To try to attract birds by making a sibilant noise (e.g. "psshh").
To express contempt.
As nouns the difference between wish and pish
is that wish is a desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen while pish is a sibilant noise (e.g. "psshh") made by birders and ornithologists to attract small birds.As verbs the difference between wish and pish
is that wish is to desire; to want while pish is to try to attract birds by making a sibilant noise (e.g. "psshh").As an interjection pish is
an expression of disdain.wish
English
Noun
(es)- Your dearest wish will come true.
- "I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?" / "Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.
Usage notes
* Collocates with make for the common expression make a wish . SeeDerived terms
(Terms derived from the noun "wish") * death wish * best wishes * good wishes * make a wish * wishbone * wishful * wish list/wishlist/wish-list * your wish is my commandSee also
* precatory * velleityVerb
(es)- I would not wish / Any companion in the world but you.
- This is as good an argument as an antiquary could wish for.
- Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."
- I would not wish them to a fairer death.
- Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil.
Geothermal Energy, volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
- I was wished to your worship by a gentleman.
Usage notes
* In sense 3, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . SeeDerived terms
(Terms derived from the verb "wish") * as you wish * half wish * I wish * unwish * well-wisher * wisher * you wishpish
English
Noun
(wikipedia pish) (es)Verb
(es)- 1606 - act ii, scene 1
- Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland!
Usage notes
* Most commonly found in the gerund or present participle pishing .References
* * Dunne, Peter (2006). The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls . ISBN 9780811732956. * Langham, G. M.; Contreras, T.A. & Sieving, K.E. (2006).Why pishing works: Titmouse (Paridae) scolds elicit a generalized response in bird communities]. Ecoscience 13 (4): 485–496. doi:10.2980/1195-6860(2006)13[485:WPWTPS2.0.CO;2