Revised as of
14 July 2023
I have a hard time imagining a wonton woman. I don’t really understand why someone would want to fuss with a wonton wrapper to make it look like a woman. It certainly didn’t fit the context of what I was reading. I suppose the writer may have meant a woman who makes wontons. Or maybe that was her title in the kitchen . . .? Nah . . . No, wait. It’s a costume . . . yeah, that’s it.
It’s much more common to use the simple form of wanton to indicate a loose, licentious woman of low morals.
As for using wanton as a verb . . . This was a first for me. And it certainly sounds and feels awkward!
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Wanton | Wonton |
|---|---|
Sexy Model in Black Lingerie by shanphotografi is in the public domain, via PxHere. — She’s a wanton woman. |
Wonton Noodle Soup, Boston, by mooogmonster from unknown (Flickr) is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Just looking at this picture makes me hungry for wonton soup! Hmmm, does that make me a wanton woman? |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: wantons Third person present verb: wantons |
Noun
Plural: wontons, won tons Alternative spelling: won ton |
| Adjective: [Of a cruel or violent action] Deliberate and unprovoked
Without regard for what is right, just, humane, etc.
[Especially of a woman] Sexually immodest, promiscuous, lawless, or unrestrained
Dissolute, licentious, or immoral [Literary]:
Extravagantly or excessively luxurious, as a person, manner of living, or style Noun: Verb, intransitive:
[Archaic or literary] Play [Archaic or literary] Frolic Verb, transitive:
|
[In Chinese cooking] A small dumpling or roll with a savory filling, often of minced pork, usually eaten boiled in soup |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: It was sheer wanton vandalism. ‘Tis where the wanton ivy twines that thou shalt find thy love. There was a wanton fawn in the backyard. Wanton breezes wafted erratic moments of coolness. A wanton brook burbled happily down the slight incline. It was a wanton attack I’ve never seen such wanton cruelty Why jeopardize your career in such a wanton way? Many terrorists are wanton attackers of religious convictions. “She exhibits such wanton behavior,” Miss Eliza whispered. Noun: She’d behaved like a wanton. Little is lacking for our spirits to become wanton” (Nietzsche). Verb, intransitive: They sat gazing at the white-flecked pure blue sea and the various gulls that wantoned in the wake. The sea breeze wantoned among the quivering leaves of the chestnut tree. They were women who have wantoned with suitors. Verb, transitive: She wantons away her youth. They wantoned their money away. |
I love wonton soup.
Don’t forget to order those fried won tons that I like. Wontons make a good appetizer. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: unwanton Adverb: wantonly Noun: wantonness |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Middle English wantowen meaning rebellious, lacking discipline, from wan- (badly) + Old English togen (trained). | From Chinese, a Cantonese dialect: wān tān |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Wanton versus Wonton
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: wanton
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book For All And None. Grapevine, 2019. EBook. Originally published 1883. <https://amzn.to/3VpG8r6>.
Oxford Dictionaries: wanton
Pinterest Photo Credits
Woman Eating Croissant by Alberto Varela is under the CC BY 2.0 license and Wonton originally by Oldies~commonwiki is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Both are via Wikimedia Commons.
