Skip to main content

‘Fall’ Versus ‘Autumn’

Quick and Dirty Tips
  • Podcasts
    • Grammar Girl
    • Get-Fit Guy
    • Money Girl
    • Project Parenthood
    • Relationship Doctor
    • Modern Mentor
    • Nutrition Diva
    • Savvy Psychologist
    • Who Knew?
    • Curious State
    • Unknown History
    • Modern Manners Guy
  • Books
  • Categories
    • Health & Fitness
    • House & Home
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Pets
    • Education
    • Tech
    • Productivity
    • Business & Career
    • Money & Finance
  • Offers
  • About QDT

What's Hot

What Should You Wear to the Gym?

December 1, 2023

Your Money and Cybersecurity with Adam Levin

December 1, 2023

10 Best Personal Finance Tools and Budgeting Apps

November 22, 2023
opens in a new window Facebook opens in a new window Twitter opens in a new window Instagram
Quick and Dirty Tips
  • Podcasts
    • Grammar Girl
    • Get-Fit Guy
    • Money Girl
    • Project Parenthood
    • Relationship Doctor
    • Modern Mentor
    • Nutrition Diva
    • Savvy Psychologist
    • Who Knew?
    • Curious State
    • Unknown History
    • Modern Manners Guy
  • Books
  • Categories
    • Health & Fitness
    • House & Home
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Pets
    • Education
    • Tech
    • Productivity
    • Business & Career
    • Money & Finance
  • Offers
  • About QDT
opens in a new window Facebook opens in a new window Twitter opens in a new window Instagram opens in a new window Pinterest
Quick and Dirty Tips
You are at:Home » ‘Fall’ Versus ‘Autumn’
Grammar Girl

‘Fall’ Versus ‘Autumn’

The Pumpkin Spice Latte has arrived, and so has fall. Or wait, is it autumn? 

By Mignon FogartyAugust 19, 2014No Comments2 Mins Read
opens in a new window Facebook opens in a new window Twitter opens in a new window Pinterest opens in a new window LinkedIn opens in a new window Tumblr opens in a new window Email
opens in a new window Apple Podcast Page opens in a new window Spotify Podcast Page opens in a new window Google Podcast Page opens in a new window Amazon Play Podcast Page
opens IMAGE file
Share
opens in a new window Facebook opens in a new window Twitter opens in a new window Pinterest opens in a new window WhatsApp opens in a new window Email

Fall officially starts Tuesday, September 22, this year in North America, but Starbucks doesn’t care; the Pumpkin Spice Latte—a hallmark of fall—has been available for weeks. All the excitement online got me thinking about seasons and why this one seems to have two names: fall and autumn.

And just to make it more confusing, the first day of fall is also called the autumnal equinox. On the first day of fall (and spring actually), day and night are the same length, and the word “equinox” comes from the same root as the word “equal,” showing that in this 24-hour period, day and night are equal.

‘Fall’ is more common in the US. ‘Autumn’ is more common in Britain.

The Origin of ‘Fall’

Fall gets its name from the longer phrase “fall of the leaf” that was first used in the mid-1500s. (Spring comes from a similar phrase: “spring of the leaf.”) For whatever reason, the name “fall” became more popular in America more than it did in Britain, and in the US, “fall” is the standard season name.

The Origin of ‘Autumn’

British speakers are more likely to use the older name, “autumn,” which came into English from Old French in the late 1300s. The first reference in the Oxford English Dictionary is from Chaucer:

Autumn comes again, heavy of apples.

Season names such as “fall” and “winter” are lowercase unless they are part of an official name such as the Winter Olympics.

I love that both “fall” and “spring” describe what’s happening to leaves in those times of year. Now that I know about “fall of the leaf” and “spring of the leaf,” when I’m out on a walk, I look at the trees and their changing leaves in a whole new way.

References

Wickman, F. “Why is autumn the only season with two names?” Slate. on this link (accessed September 12, 2019).

“Days of the weeks, months, and seasons.” Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, online. Section 8.87.  opens in a new windowClick this link (subscription required, accessed September 12, 2019).

“seasons.” AP Stylebook, online.  opens in a new windowCLick this link (subscription required, accessed September 12, 2019).

“fall.” Oxford English Dictionary, online edition. click this link (subscription required, accessed September 12, 2019).

“autumn.’  Oxford English Dictionary, online edition. Click on this link (subscription required, accessed September 12, 2019).

Mignon Fogarty is Grammar Girl and the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips. Check out her New York Times bestseller, “ opens in a new windowGrammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.”

Mignon Fogarty
  • opens in a new window Facebook
  • opens in a new window Instagram
  • opens in a new window LinkedIn

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Her popular LinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better. Find her on Mastodon.


Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Don't Miss

What Should You Wear to the Gym?

By Kevin DonDecember 1, 2023

Workout Gear and Supplies  A few weeks ago, I spoke about training shoes. What kind…

Your Money and Cybersecurity with Adam Levin

December 1, 2023

10 Best Personal Finance Tools and Budgeting Apps

November 22, 2023

HSAs in 2024–Understanding Changes and Maximizing Benefits

November 21, 2023

Stay In Touch

  • opens in a new window Facebook 12K
  • opens in a new window Twitter 25.7K
  • opens in a new window Pinterest 18.5K
  • opens in a new window Instagram 123K
  • opens in a new window YouTube 23K
  • opens in a new window Vimeo 11.2K

Our Picks

What Should You Wear to the Gym?

By Kevin DonDecember 1, 2023

Your Money and Cybersecurity with Adam Levin

By Laura Adams, MBADecember 1, 2023

10 Best Personal Finance Tools and Budgeting Apps

By Laura Adams, MBANovember 22, 2023
opens in a new window Demo

Subscribe

opens in a new window Mignon Fogarty for Apple Podcast Page opens in a new window Mignon Fogarty for Spotify Podcast Page opens in a new window Mignon Fogarty for Google Podcast Page opens in a new window Amazon Play Podcast Page

Books

Book Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing
opens in a new windowBook Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing image for Amazon.com opens in a new windowBook Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new windowBook Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing image for IndiBOund opens in a new windowBook Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing image for  Apple iBookstore opens in a new windowBook Cover for Quick and dirty Tips for Better Writing image for Teaser
Ultimate Writing Guide
opens in a new windowUltimate Writing Guide image for Amazon.com opens in a new windowUltimate Writing Guide image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new windowUltimate Writing Guide image for IndiBOund opens in a new windowUltimate Writing Guide image for  Apple iBookstore
The Grammar Daily
opens in a new windowThe Grammar Daily image for Amazon.com opens in a new windowThe Grammar Daily image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new windowThe Grammar Daily image for IndiBOund opens in a new windowThe Grammar Daily image for Teaser
101 Words to sound
opens in a new window101 Words to sound image for Amazon.com opens in a new window101 Words to sound image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new window101 Words to sound image for IndiBOund opens in a new window101 Words to sound image for  Apple iBookstore
101 words every high school graduate
opens in a new window101 words every high school graduate image for Amazon.com opens in a new window101 words every high school graduate image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new window101 words every high school graduate image for IndiBOund opens in a new window101 words every high school graduate image for  Apple iBookstore
101 misused words
opens in a new window101 misused words image for Amazon.com opens in a new window101 misused words image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new window101 misused words image for IndiBOund opens in a new window101 misused words image for  Apple iBookstore
101 troublesome master
opens in a new window101 troublesome master image for Amazon.com opens in a new window101 troublesome master image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new window101 troublesome master image for IndiBOund opens in a new window101 troublesome master image for  Apple iBookstore
Punctuation 911
opens in a new windowPunctuation 911 image for Amazon.com opens in a new windowPunctuation 911 image for Barnes and Noble opens in a new windowPunctuation 911 image for  Apple iBookstore
Clean up your wrirting
opens in a new windowClean up your wrirting image for Amazon.com opens in a new windowClean up your wrirting image for  Apple iBookstore opens in a new windowClean up your wrirting image for Teaser

Don't miss

Never miss another tip! Join our list to get updates from your favorite hosts delivered straight to your inbox
Sign Up

ABOUT US

logo-img

Whether you want to manage your money better, rock your professional life, stay fit and eat healthy, or discover the keys to better mental health, Quick and Dirty Tips delivers short-form podcasts and articles every week to keep you at the top of your game, usually in ten minutes or less!

Email: contact@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email

QUICK LINKS

  • opens in a new windowHealth & Fitness
  • opens in a new windowHouse & Home
  • opens in a new windowParenting
  • opens in a new windowRelationships
  • opens in a new windowPets
  • opens in a new windowEducation
  • opens in a new windowTech
  • opens in a new windowProductivity
  • opens in a new windowBusiness & Career
  • opens in a new windowMoney & Finance
  • opens in a new windowHow to listen
  • opens in a new windowPrivacy notice
  • opens in a new windowYour Privacy Choices Button Image
  • opens in a new windowAds & Cookies
  • opens in a new windowTerms of Use
  • opens in a new windowAbout QDT
  • opens in a new windowOur Hosts

OUR PICKS

What Should You Wear to the Gym?

December 1, 2023

Your Money and Cybersecurity with Adam Levin

December 1, 2023

10 Best Personal Finance Tools and Budgeting Apps

November 22, 2023
opens in a new window Facebook opens in a new window Twitter opens in a new window Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.