I’ll cook the potatoes if someone will ____ them first.
A. skin
B. peel

Note: I thought the answer was “to skin, but I found the correct answer is “to peel.” Both verbs are very similar in meaning so I wonder if there are general rules that people go by, such as “vegetables are peeled, animals are skinned”?

Question

I’ll cook the potatoes if someone will ____ them first.
A.	skin
B.	peel

Note: I thought the answer was “to skin, but I found the correct answer is “to peel.” Both verbs are very similar in meaning so I wonder if there are general rules that people go by, such as “vegetables are peeled, animals are skinned”?

Answer

Thats a great question.  I think it has more to do with what is used to being used.  Because we call the outside of a potato the "skin".  You can even order "Potato Skins" at some restaurants loaded with cheese and toppings.  The act of peeling something is a verb.  But its also common if you fall down to "skin your knee" so here "skin" is used to mean that your skin peeled off.  So I think either are correct, but you would normally hear "peel a potato" becasue that is what has been used habitually.

Answer

both are fine, but peel sounds better.  Skin sounds a little old-fashioned.

Answer

Oh I see, so shrimps are an exception. Thanks Steve!

Answer

Here its peel shrimp (and de-vein)  SOme restaurants actually have a dish called "Peel and eat Shrimp"

Answer

Thank you Rosia I was waiting for someone to confirm it thanks. 
One more question, do we peel shrimps or skin shrimps?

Evden çıkmadan dil öğrenme fırsatını kaçırmayın. Deneyimli dil eğitmenlerimizden oluşan seçkimize göz atın ve ilk dersinize şimdi kaydolun!