# cáscara de plátano



## God is love

Hola
En español: Pise una cáscara de platano y me cai
My attempt:I stepped on a banana's skin and fell down
Thanks


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## Zarcero

God is love said:


> Hola
> En español: Pise una cáscara de platano y me cai
> My attempt:I stepped on a *banana peel* and fell down
> Thanks


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## Chez

The usual saying would be 'I slipped  on a banana skin.' (This implies falling down, we don't usually say it.)


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## gengo

Chez said:


> The usual saying would be 'I slipped  on a banana skin.' (This implies falling down, we don't usually say it.)



Do you say banana skin in England?  We would never say that in the US.  We always say banana peel.


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## Chez

Oh yes, 'fraid so...


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## gengo

Chez said:


> Oh yes, 'fraid so...



Interesting.  Do you also say "orange skin"?


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## MiriamE

En españa no se dice "cáscara de plátano" sino "piel de plátano". "cáscara" se usa sólo para cosas más duras como los frutos secos.


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## Chez

Gengo, No, we say orange peel. 

Zarcero, je, je...!

Miriam: interesante...


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## macame

Yo siempre digo monda de plátano, pero como soy de Galicia... no sé si será cosa de aquí.


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## very_lost_in_translation

macame lo de monda es de Galicia total... al menos no de Madrid, aunque  se entiende, no se usa... Tengo una amiga gallega q estudio traducción conmigo y siempre tenemos debates de este tipo jejeje


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## macame

Es lo que tiene ser bilingüe...


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## Rivendell

Interesting!!

BANANA SKIN (Br)   -   PEEL (Am)
ORANGE PEEL (Br)   -   PEEL (Am)

And for other fruit (peaches, plums, grapes, apples, pears...)?? Do you generally use '_skin'_ or _'peel'_ in both, British and American English?


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## Chez

UK English:
Peach, plum, grape, pear - skin (noun)
Apple - peel (usually) but skin understood (noun).

To peel (verb) = take the skin or peel off the fruit: used for all fruit.


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## MiriamE

macame said:


> Yo siempre digo monda de plátano, pero como soy de Galicia... no sé si será cosa de aquí.


En Andalucía también alguna gente que dice "monda". A la piel de la fruta le dicen "la monda" y a pelar la fruta "mondarla".


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## Rivendell

Chez said:


> UK English:
> Peach, plum, grape, pear - skin (noun)
> Apple - peel (usually) but skin understood (noun).
> 
> To peel (verb) = take the skin or peel off the fruit: used for all fruit.


 
Thanks, Chez. So _"skin"_ is used for most fruit, except for apples. And I guess in American English you use _"peel"_ for all the fruit. Any Americans around??




> En Andalucía también alguna gente que dice "monda". A la piel de la fruta le dicen "la monda" y a pelar la fruta "mondarla".


 
In Madrid we don't use _"mondar",_ we usually say _"pelar"._


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## jw64

I don't think it is always "peel" in America (I am Canadian).  I think of, at least for peaches and apricots, children saying "I don't like the skin".  The verb is definitely "to peel"  We can also refer to the "peelings" - although that is more concrete and visual, the pile of peelings on the floor.


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## gengo

Rivendell said:


> So _"skin"_ is used for most fruit, except for apples. And I guess in American English you use _"peel"_ for all the fruit. Any Americans around??


 
 You rang?
No, we do not use peel for all fruits.  In fact, nearly all fruits have skin, and we only use peel for bananas and citrus fruits (for which we also use the word rind), as far as I can remember right now.  Watermelons and other melons have a rind (never skin or peel).  I think we use peel for the above fruits because they are easy to peel with the hands.

In Madrid we don't use _"mondar",_ we usually say _"pelar"._


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## Karma Police

Chez said:


> Oh yes, 'fraid so...



What does this mean? Thank you in advance.


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## gengo

Karma Police said:


> What does this mean?



It's colloquial for "I am afraid so" (Temo que sí).  We often pronounce it that way in speech.


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## dexterciyo

¿Piel? Uhmm... Aquí uno al plátano le quita la cáscara. Aunque hablando de la fruta en sí, uno podría decir «El plátano canario es característico por su piel». 

Saludos


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## Rivendell

> You rang?
> No, we do not use peel for all fruits. In fact, nearly all fruits have skin, and we only use peel for bananas and citrus fruits (for which we also use the word rind), as far as I can remember right now. Watermelons and other melons have a rind (never skin or peel). I think we use peel for the above fruits because they are easy to peel with the hands.


 
Ok, let me clear this out...

                     British   -   American 
BANANA          SKIN     -   PEEL
ORANGE          PEEL     -   PEEL
APPLE             PEEL     -  SKIN
PEACH            SKIN     -   SKIN
MOST FRUITS  SKIN     -   SKIN
MELONS          RIND     -   RIND

So, as far as I can see the only difference is in the banana...

Thanks for making it clear!!


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## gengo

Google hits:

"banana skin" site:uk = 14,700
"banana peel" site:uk = 2610

Al parecer hay gente británica que usa peel, pero es más común usar skin.

En Estados Unidos:
"banana peel" site:com = 249,000
"banana skin" site:com = 78,300


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## Zarcero

gengo said:


> Google hits:
> 
> "banana skin" site:uk = 14,700
> "banana peel" site:uk = 2610
> 
> Al parecer hay gente británica que usa peel, pero es más común usar skin.
> 
> En Estados Unidos:
> "banana peel" site:com = 249,000
> "banana skin" site:com = 78,300



Lol!  That pretty well settles the issue


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## macame

Dándole la fiabilidad que se le pueda dar, si hacemos una búsqueda similar con las palabras usadas en español, obtenemos:

Páginas en español:
"cáscara de plátano": 55.000
"piel de plátano": 14.700
"monda de plátano": 1.090

Conclusión: "cáscara" arrasa en el mundo hispanoparlante.

Si solo efectuamos la búsqueda en páginas de España:
"cáscara de plátano": 13.600
"piel de plátano": 21.200
"monda de plátano": 12.100

Conclusión: en España impera la "piel" y los de "monda" somos minoría en el mundo mundial.


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## Red Blood

¡¡Hola !!, 1er mensaje  En Argentina no se le dice plátano, sino, banana, por lo que sería cáscara de banana.

Saludos


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## RoRo_en_el_foro

Sí, acá ninguna fruta tiene piel ni monda, solamente cáscara.


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## Daria315

En Argentina también es "cáscara de banana" (el plátano no es una fruta usual por aquí...)


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## sandpiperlily

Since this thread has jumped up again, maybe this observation will help future translators:

In American English, I think of *skin* as being a part of the fruit that is *soft and usually eaten* along with the fruit.  Peach skin, grape skin, pear skin, etc.

A *peel* is *soft, but usually removed* before eating. Banana peel, mango peel, orange peel, etc.  (Possible exception: we say apple peel, which most people eat but some remove)

A *rind* is *hard* *and can't be removed* -- you have to cut the fruit up and eat it until all that's left is the rind. Watermelon rind, honeydew rind, cantaloupe rind, etc.


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## duvija

sandpiperlily said:


> Since this thread has jumped up again, maybe this observation will help future translators:
> 
> In American English, I think of *skin* as being a part of the fruit that is *soft and usually eaten* along with the fruit.  Peach skin, grape skin, pear skin, etc.
> 
> A *peel* is *soft, but usually removed* before eating. Banana peel, mango peel, orange peel, etc.  (Possible exception: we say apple peel, which most people eat but some remove)
> 
> A *rind* is *hard* *and can't be removed* -- you have to cut the fruit up and eat it until all that's left is the rind. Watermelon rind, honeydew rind, cantaloupe rind, etc.



coconut? figs?


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## gengo

sandpiperlily said:


> In American English, I think of *skin* as being a part of the fruit that is *soft and usually eaten* along with the fruit.  Peach skin, grape skin, pear skin, etc.
> 
> A *peel* is *soft, but usually removed* before eating. Banana peel, mango peel, orange peel, etc.  (Possible exception: we say apple peel, which most people eat but some remove)
> 
> A *rind* is *hard* *and can't be removed* -- you have to cut the fruit up and eat it until all that's left is the rind. Watermelon rind, honeydew rind, cantaloupe rind, etc.



I agree, but we also sometimes say rind for citrus fruits, especially when it is used in cooking or in cocktails.  Still, "peel" is more common with those, so for a general rule, English learners can stick with what you have written.



duvija said:


> coconut? figs?



Coconut shell (the hard, brown, inner part) and husk (the part you see when the coconut is on the tree).  For figs, I would say skin, because we eat it.


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## sandpiperlily

gengo said:


> I agree, but we also sometimes say rind for citrus fruits, especially when it is used in cooking or in cocktails.  Still, "peel" is more common with those, so for a general rule, English learners can stick with what you have written.



Ah, good point.  I still usually say peel in that context (or "twist" for the garnish, or "zest"), but I'd recognize "rind."



> Coconut shell (the hard, brown, inner part) and husk (the part you see when the coconut is on the tree).  For figs, I would say skin, because we eat it.



Agreed.


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## duvija

gengo said:


> For figs, I would say skin, because we eat it.



Mmm. My husband's Italian grandmother would peel the figs, and even the grapes, for her grandkids. (Yea, peel me a grape). So I wouldn't go with 'eatable' vs. non-eatable, because you have new stuff like kiwi, closer to a fig than to anything else, but you don't eat the skin/peel/shell. 
And what about pineapple? (I really don't know how to call it. I guess it's a shell). 
Pomegranate? (also a shell?)

I've never realized I didn't know many of these...


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## sandpiperlily

I eat the kiwi skin / peel!  Yumyumyum.  That's way less weird than peeling a grape. 

Pineapple I would probably say "rind" or "peel," but google search results:
"Pineapple rind" = 8k
"Pineapple peel" = 19k
"Pineapple skin" = 47k, giving the lie to my suggested taxonomy...


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## aloofsocialite

Let's not forget the zest of a citrus fruit! That is, the outer most layer of the shell surrounding the inner meaty portion.

In my daily usage:

Citrus fruits: peel
Apples: skin/peel
kiwis: skin
guavas, papayas, mangos: skin
melons: rind
figs: skin
grapes, blueberries, cranberries, cherries: skin
coconuts: shell
nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, apricots: skin
bananas, plantains: peel
pineapple: skin
pomegranate: shell

Mmmm… I think it's time to make a fruit salad.


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## duvija

So there are no generalizations valid for each and every one of them. 

This is what I was trying to say. Stuff 'is' because it's 'called' like such. No need to find reasons, unless you want exceptions all over. That part of the fruit becomes lexicalized, and that's it.


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## gengo

duvija said:


> Mmm. My husband's Italian grandmother would peel the figs, and even the grapes, for her grandkids. (Yea, peel me a grape). So I wouldn't go with 'eatable' vs. non-eatable, because you have new stuff like kiwi, closer to a fig than to anything else, but you don't eat the skin/peel/shell.



Well, the rule was about being able to eat the skin, and whether it is commonly eaten (which is the case with figs and grapes), not about whether some people do not.  So I think the rule, which is only a rule of thumb as stated above, still applies.  I agree that kiwi is an exception, because its hairy covering would be called a skin, although we don't eat it.



> And what about pineapple?



I don't think there is a set word for this.  I just asked my wife, and she couldn't think of a word, either.  Neither skin nor peel sounds right to me, but I can't think of any other noun.  I would probably refer to the action by saying something like "Would you cut up the pineapple?," and that would by implication include removing the outer part/skin/whatever.



sandpiperlily said:


> I eat the kiwi skin / peel!  Yumyumyum.



Please tell me you are joking.


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## gengo

duvija said:


> So there are no generalizations valid for each and every one of them.
> 
> This is what I was trying to say. Stuff 'is' because it's 'called' like such. No need to find reasons, unless you want exceptions all over. That part of the fruit becomes lexicalized, and that's it.



But it is very useful to learners to have general rules, even if there are exceptions.  It is too much to ask a learner to memorize all these situations at once, especially since even we natives have trouble with a few, so if there is a rule that applies in the majority of cases, that is helpful, and I think Lily's rule does indeed apply in the great majority of situations.


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## sandpiperlily

gengo said:


> Please tell me you are joking.



Not at all. It's full of fiber and not much tougher or fuzzier than peach skin. You can cut the kiwi into slices and eat it that way so that the skin is only a small part of each piece you eat, or you can just eat it whole, in bites like an apple!

Sorry if my attempt at taxonomy created confusion... perhaps it's hopeless!  Totally agree with duvija that at the end of the day "Stuff 'is' because it's 'called' like such."


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## gengo

sandpiperlily said:


> Not at all. It's full of fiber and not much tougher or fuzzier than peach skin. You can cut the kiwi into slices and eat it that way so that the skin is only a small part of each piece you eat, or you can just eat it whole, in bites like an apple!



Um, yuck.  As we say in Japanese, 蓼食う虫も好きずき (tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki), which translates roughly as "there are even bugs that eat knotweed," o como se dice en español, para gustos se han hecho colores.  In this case, I think _you_ are the exception, rather than the word usage.


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## RoRo_en_el_foro

Since this thread is up again may you clarify me if a pepo "shell" (watermelon, melon, squash, pumpkin) is the same as "rind", and if it's ok to say they have a "skin", that part you peel when you want to use the watermelon white rind that tastes a bit like a cucumber?


Also, if you have to talk about the visible color, the external color when the fruit is still uncut, ¿it's ok to say "skin color" on any fruit?


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## gengo

RoRo_en_el_foro said:


> Since this thread is up again could you clarify for me whether a pepo "shell" (watermelon, melon, squash, pumpkin) is the same as "rind", and if it's ok to say they have a "skin", that part you peel when you want to use the watermelon white rind that tastes a bit like a cucumber?



I don't know the word pepo (and it doesn't appear in the WR dictionary), but melons have rinds, which is the part that you do not eat (along with any seeds, etc.).  If you wanted to remove just the green part of a watermelon to use the white part, I would say "remove the outer (green) skin down to the white part of the rind."



> Also, if you have to talk about the visible color, the external color when the fruit is still uncut, is it ok to say "skin color" on any fruit?



Hmmm, maybe, but skin color usually refers to humans, so I would just say "the outer color of the fruit" or something similar, depending on the context.  But there is nothing really wrong with saying skin color here.


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