# Whine = Whinge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066 "2002-10-20T04:54:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/1 "2002-10-20T04:54:30Z")
I’ve seen a bit of **whingeing** on the boards and I was wondering how common it is to say “whinge” (pronounced "winj) rather than “whine” (pronounced “wine”). > [@](#): > > Main Entry: whinge > Pronunciation: 'hwinj, 'winj > Function: intransitive verb > Inflected Form(s): whinged; whing·ing or whinge·ing > Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English, from Old English hwinsian; akin to Old High German winsOn to moan > Date: 12th century > British : to complain fretfully : WHINE Does that last line mean British use whine? If so where is it common? Would that joke about a WASP (White AngloSaxon Protestant) wine being, “but I wanted a Beemer, not a Mercedes!” fall flat in England (or wherever) because it’s pronounced “whinge?” PC ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/2 "2002-10-20T05:06:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PosterChild \* > \*\*I’ve seen a bit of **whingeing** on the boards and I was wondering how common it is to say “whinge” (pronounced "winj) rather than “whine” (pronounced “wine”). > Does that last line mean British use whine? If so where is it common? > \*\* Australia, judging by the term’s use by posters from “Down Under” on other boards I frequent. When I first saw “whinge”, I assumed it was a typo, but looked it up and discovered it was indeed a word. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/3 "2002-10-20T05:23:25Z")
I’ve been told by brits on another board that they do use whine, but whinging is a more extreme form of complaining. Maybe some UK/OZ posters can confirm or deny that. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/4 "2002-10-20T05:36:10Z")
Whinge = whine in New Zealand and Australia as far as I can tell. It’s a little more specific though. Dogs can whine but they can’t whinge. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/5 "2002-10-20T05:40:42Z")
‘whinge’ or ‘whinging’ is used in Australia a lot. Where I live it outweighs the use of ‘whine’ by about 80% It may be different in other areas of Australia, though. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/6 "2002-10-20T05:42:15Z")
Now I have to have a whinge about **Skogcat** beating me to the punch ! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/7 "2002-10-20T12:57:43Z")
Whinge is used a lot in Ireland too. As somone mentioned it has a slightly more extreme tone than whine. For example “Stop yer whinging” feels more unjust than “Stop your whining”. Whinging also has (for me) the implication that the one doing it is less justified in their complaint, worse to be a whinger than a whiner. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/8 "2002-10-20T13:09:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PosterChild \* > **Does that last line mean British use whine? If so where is it common?** No, it means that in Britain they use “whinge.” As noted by others already, it’s generally understood to be a more intense or exaggerated whining. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/9 "2002-10-20T13:26:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PosterChild \* > \*\*Would that joke about a WASP (White AngloSaxon Protestant) wine being, “but I wanted a Beemer, not a Mercedes!” fall flat in England (or wherever) because it’s pronounced “whinge?” \*\* The explanations you’ve had are broadly correct, but I’d add that because whining is a noise and whinging is an attitude of mind you can whine while you’re whinging but not the other way around. There are two reasons why the joke might fall flat: 1. it’s not a very funny joke 2. WASP isn’t an instantly-recognisable social category over here ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/10 "2002-10-20T13:27:10Z")
> [@](#): > > British : to complain fretfully : WHINE is “dictionaryspeak” for: > [@](#): > > The entry word (whinge) is a Britishism meaning “to complain fretfully” and the Americanism for said meaning is “whine.” ---
**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whine-whinge/133066/11 "2002-10-20T14:48:35Z")
Thanks, It sounds weird to me, but I’ll stop whinging. PC