Seltzer

English translation: soda (water) [UK]

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	Seltzer (water) [US]
Selected answer:	soda (water) [UK]
Entered by:	Tony M

03:20 Nov 25, 2006

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Popular

English term or phrase: Seltzer

I've seen the translation for seltzer to Portuguese and it's translated as a word that means "tonic water". Are seltzer and tonic water alike? Is seltzer bitter?

kseraph

soda (water)

Explanation:
Not really the same, no!

Seltzer is what we cal 'soda (water)' — not as in Coke etc., but as in whisky-and-soda — simply carbonated water, often out of a soda syphon.

As W/M says, 'tonic' is a specific carbonated drink that contains quinine and has a bitter flavour. For reference, this is often called 'schweppes' in FR, or simply 'tonic', of course!

Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 06:03

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +8

similar

Will Matter

4 +3

soda (water)

Tony M

Answers

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

seltzer similar

Explanation:
They are similar but different. "Seltzer" is just carbonated water and "tonic water" has carbonation but it also contains quinine. Both are used as a 'mixer' when making drinks. 'Seltzer' isn't bitter but 'tonic water' is, because of the quinine. HTH.

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Note added at 8 mins (2006-11-25 03:28:40 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonic_water

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonated_water

Will Matter
United States
Local time: 21:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

swisstell: cheers and have a Gin Tonic on me

32 mins

-> Prost. ;0) Thanks for the 'agree'. How's life?

agree

RHELLER

1 hr

-> Thank you.

agree

Caryl Swift: An answer as crystal-clear as a mountain stream - what a tonic! :-)

3 hrs

-> Thank you.

agree

Maria Luisa Duarte

3 hrs

-> Gracias.

agree

Mara Ballarini: My parents used to have sth like a cylinder with a seltzer aerosol they used to spray in their aperitiv - to make bubbles - so to say

4 hrs

-> I know the thing that you mean. They used to have them in the UK also, I believe it was called a 'gasogene'. Sherlock Holmes reputedly had one. 'Mille grazie' for the 'agree'.

agree

Daniel Mencher

5 hrs

-> Thank you, sir.

agree

Dave Calderhead

5 hrs

-> Thank you, sir.

agree

Alfa Trans (X)

2 days 16 hrs

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

seltzer

soda (water)

Tony M
France
Local time: 06:03
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 309

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