Anonymous  +  277968 Mon, 09 Oct 06 12:39 AM Hi! What are the differences between 'friable' , 'brittle' , 'crumbly' and 'frail' ? In which contexts should we use them ? I mean with food...bones...figurative sense... Thanx Kamil Anonymous

	Clive  +  278016 Mon, 09 Oct 06 05:12 AM Hi, What are the differences between 'friable' , 'brittle' , 'crumbly' and 'frail' ? In which contexts should we use them ? I mean with food...bones...figurative sense... I'm not exactly sure what you mean by figurative in this context. Anyway, here are a few general comments. 'friable' I never hear this word spoken, and I very, very rarely read it. 'brittle' Food or bones that is/are easy to break. Dry, not wet. 'crumbly' Food that breaks easily into very small pieces. For bones, too, but only for long-dead bones. 'frail' Not for food. Bones that have no strength, perhaps due to age or disease. Best wishes, Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,680 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

	Grammar Geek  +  278029 Mon, 09 Oct 06 05:45 AM I used friable It means it breaks into very tiny pieces when disturbed. This was important in places like a clean room where semiconductors are assembled (are you listening, Goodman?), and also with asbestos, which causes problems with people's lungs. But it's hardly conversational - it's scientific. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,683 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	J Lewis  +  278088 Mon, 09 Oct 06 08:43 AM Yes, it's a technical word. Also used for kinds of rock. Brittle too is used technically to indicate that under stress a material deforms very little before breaking. J Lewis Joined on Tue, Sep 5 2006 Italy Regular Member 518