ladle out
B2Informal
Definition
Meaning
To serve or distribute a liquid or semi-liquid substance (e.g., soup, stew) using a ladle.
To distribute something, especially in a generous, measured, or sometimes careless/unthinking way.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily literal (serving food), but often used metaphorically for dispensing advice, money, criticism, etc., with the connotation of doing so in large, unconsidered portions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage, though the literal sense might be slightly more common in everyday UK food contexts.
Connotations
Both varieties share the same literal and figurative connotations. Figurative use is equally common.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in the UK for the literal sense due to cultural prevalence of soups/stews; overall equally used figuratively.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] ladle out [O] (to [IO])[S] ladle [O] out (to [IO])Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Ladle out the blame”
- “Ladle out platitudes”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorically, e.g., 'The government ladled out subsidies to the struggling industry.'
Academic
Rare; potentially in historical/sociological texts describing resource distribution.
Everyday
Very common in cooking contexts. Common in informal speech for figurative uses (advice, blame).
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you ladle out the gravy while I carve the joint?
- The committee just seems to ladle out the same old recommendations every year.
American English
- She ladled out huge portions of chili for everyone.
- Politicians love to ladle out promises during election season.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Mum ladled out the soup for dinner.
- The chef carefully ladled out the stew into the bowls.
- He's always ladling out advice, even when nobody asks.
- The charity ladles out food to hundreds of homeless people every night.
- The manager ladled out criticism without offering any constructive solutions.
- The new policy effectively ladles out public funds to well-connected corporations with little oversight.
- She tired of the platitudes he ladled out whenever she sought genuine empathy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LADY with a LADLE, serving out soup. The 'lady ladles out' lunch.
Conceptual Metaphor
GIVING IS SERVING (often in a non-discriminatory or excessive manner).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation with 'черпать' alone; Russian 'разливать ложкой' is literal. For figurative sense, use 'раздавать направо и налево', 'распределять щедро/без разбора'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'ladle out' with 'shovel out' (for solids). Incorrect particle order: 'ladle out the soup' (correct), not 'ladle the soup out of' as a single phrase.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'ladle out' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a phrasal verb with optional separation. You can say 'ladle out the soup' or 'ladle the soup out'.
Not typically for discrete solids. It's for liquids, semi-liquids, or abstract things distributed 'in portions' (money, advice). For solids, 'dish out' or 'dole out' is better.
Not inherently. Literal use is neutral. Figurative use can be neutral ('ladle out praise') or negative, implying distribution is excessive, unthinking, or indiscriminate ('ladle out blame').
They are very close synonyms. 'Ladle out' more strongly implies a liquid or a deep container (ladle) and can sound slightly more generous/careless. 'Dish out' is more general for food and metaphors, and can imply a quicker, more casual distribution.