Difference between Crash and Crush Hi Guys, The other day I used the expression, "My spreadsheet crashed" and my colleague corrected me saying "Your spreadsheet crushed you mean?" What is the differ

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Dan Tami

Difference between Crash and Crush Hi Guys, The other day I used the expression, "My spreadsheet crashed" and my colleague corrected me saying "Your spreadsheet crushed you mean?" What is the difference between Crash and Crush? And when do we use each one of them? Appreciate any help. Cheers! Dan

Corrections · 4

Difference between Crash and Crush

Hi Guys,

The other day I used the expression, "My spreadsheet crashed" and my colleague corrected me, saying {or "corrected me by saying"} "Your spreadsheet crushed you mean?" {it's a direct quote, so I don't if he said this verbatim and left it as-is, but it should be "Do you mean, your spreadsheet 'crushed'?"}

What is the difference between "crash" and "crush"?

And when do we use each one of them?

Appreciate any help.

Cheers!
Dan

First, I think you were correct in using "crash", since I gather from your description that you were working on a spreadsheet that was probably software-based, like Excel and it stopped working all of a sudden. Software or computers "crash", they don't "crush". A crash implies that something stops working, usually because of an impact or something unexpected and sudden. But it can also be figurative. For example, someone who has been drinking coffee all night to stay awake will "crash" in the morning, i.e. his energy and alertness are gone once the caffeine wears off.

"Crush" is the deformation or "physical squeezing" of something due to impact or force. For example, you crush a can of soda. You are crushed in an elevator that is full. You can also have an emotional crush on somebody, meaning that you like/fancy/are attracted to this person.

Thanks Jacob!

You were correct the first time. Crash can be used when referring to things hitting each other; like a car crash, but it can also mean a computer program stopped working. Crush has nothing to do with computers on its own. It usually means something being squished in a violent manner.

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