Whelps are Puppies

Whelps are Puppies Whelps are Puppies Whelps are Puppies By Maeve Maddox A lot of people use the word whelp informally in the sense of a raised place on the skin. On the left side [of my face] †¦ I had over 20 whelps (not bumps), and they were red and hot. Recently my 12 year old daughter has been breaking out in large whelps. I have red whelps on my arm my side and down my legs Both the OED and Merriam-Webster acknowledge the dialect use of whelp to mean welt, but seeing the nonstandard use in a formal context is jarring, as in this example from a news item written by a reporter for a state daily: [the husband] grabbed a broom and hit her on the back, leaving a large red whelp†¦ whelp: 1. The young of the dog. Now little used, superseded by puppy. welt: a raised area, ridge, or seam on the body surface (as from scarring or a blow) The word welt originated as a shoemaking term for a rolled over strip of leather. The meaning ridge on the skin from a wound is first recorded 1800. Whelp can also be used as a verb, either transitively or intransitively: Red Girl whelped a litter of seven puppies. Three of the fox hounds whelped on the same day. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Cannot or Can Not?Preposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms