What does a mandoline do?

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• Thanks Jack.

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  by keithold is a prodigal bagger on November 21st, 2009

• Yeah...that's what I thought!

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  by SABOTEUR on November 21st, 2009

• Jack, look at the category. I'm pretty sure that guitars of any kind are not used as cooking utensils and tools. A mandolin, what you were referring to is a musical instrument in the lute family. The design common today has eight metal strings in four pairs which are plucked with a plectrum. It evolved from the mandore, a small member of the lute family which was in use in Europe during the Renaissance.
   
  There are many types of mandolins, but no specifically Chinese ones, and it's not really used often in Chinese music. Instruments of the mandolin family are very popular in Japan though. But Japan is very different from China and a guitar very different from a lute.

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  by Slightly less anonymous on November 21st, 2009

• I think we were both "generally speaking"...chinese or otherwise, we thought a mandoline was an instrument. To be more specific, Rod Stewart's song "Mandolin Wind" came to mind, in which (I believe) a mandolin is played. It's easy to see how the mandolin and the mandolinE can become confused.

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  by SABOTEUR on November 21st, 2009

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• that's a mandolin, not a mandoline.

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  by Grant aka Guybrush Threepwood on November 21st, 2009

• Oh sorry, I have never heard of a 'mandoline'.
  
  OK, I looked it up, and it appears to be a kitchen utensil! :)

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  by Prunesquallor on November 21st, 2009

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• It's just a mandoline, the kitchen part is unnecessary. The musical instrument is spelled mandolin.

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  by Slightly less anonymous on November 21st, 2009

• I was making the distinction for the musical jokers who'd already answered, but thanks!

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  by Chigg on November 21st, 2009

• And I have to add, if you Google mandolin, the 'kitchen' one is spelled both ways. :-)

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  by Chigg on November 21st, 2009

• I checked the OED, you are correct. mandolin can refer to both, though the cooking implement is frequently spelled mandoline, which appears to be the original spelling. mandoline is french, and so is the origin of the word...it appears that the spelling changes as the mandoline is used outside france and french publications
   
  while google offers an interesting point of view, don't trust it for answers, simply for collection of data. you don't know how trustworthy that data is, therefore, turn to the oed, always turn to the oed

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  by Slightly less anonymous on November 21st, 2009

• Shame I can't give you points for a comment, even an in-depth one like that.

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  by Chigg on November 21st, 2009

• isn't it though....*insert long-suffering sigh here* ;)

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  by Slightly less anonymous on November 21st, 2009

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