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twirl vs whirl vs wind



 
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ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Sentence: My change in party affiliation does not mean that... | Usage of thrust and twist
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twirl vs whirl vs wind #1 (permalink) Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:21 am   twirl vs whirl vs wind
 

1) He twirled his moustache up.
2) He curled his moustache up.
3) He wound his moustache up.


Can someone please tell me which of the above sentences are correct? Can someone please tell me the difference between curl, twirl, whirl and wind?
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twirl vs whirl vs wind #2 (permalink) Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:43 am   twirl vs whirl vs wind
 

I'd say all are correct, but #3 doesn't make as much sense.

The differences between the three are very minor.

Daemon99 wrote:
1) He twirled his moustache up.
2) He curled his moustache up.
3) He wound his moustache up.


Can someone please tell me which of the above sentences are correct? Can someone please tell me the difference between curl, twirl, whirl and wind?


'Twirled' suggests perhaps he's using the tip of his finger, pencil, etc., to play with his mustache.
'Curled' suggests perhaps he's purposely trying to style his mustache into a set position.
'Wound' sounds like he's wrapping the ends of his mustache tightly around something.

'Whirl' won't work for a mustache. 'To whirl' suggests spinning on an axis.
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twirl vs whirl vs wind #3 (permalink) Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:59 am   twirl vs whirl vs wind
 

Thanks a lot, Skrej! You are helping me a lot with these things and I truly appreciate it.

Another question:

The monkey curled its long tail around the rock and flung it at the man.

Can I replace curl with any other verb - say, wind or anything? Is flung fine in the sentence? How does shot fit in here?
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twirl vs whirl vs wind #4 (permalink) Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:08 am   twirl vs whirl vs wind
 

I think 'curled' is a good choice. 'Wrapped' would also work, but that's not on your original list.

Yes, 'flung' works. It is a better choice than 'shot' in this sentence. 'Shot' implies that something was projected with force by a device, and aimed at the target.

'Flung' implies a quick hurried throw in the general direction of the target.
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Location: Not-quite exact central USA

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