Believe it or not, there is much debate over the difference between a purse and a handbag!  But is there really a difference between the two? Or do they mean the same thing?

Well the answer really depends on where you are from.  In the United States we do not really have a distinction between the purse and handbag, we used the two words interchangeably.  The British however, refer to the purse as much smaller bag. It is often called a coin purse, wallet or pocketbook.  A handbag is seen as a much larger bag that hangs on your shoulder. To make things even more confusing, if you are from England you might even carry a purse inside of your handbag!

Now there are several explanations as to why some say “purse” and others say “handbag”.  Some theorize it has to do with age and gender. This is just speculation, but rumor has it that men say purse more often than women and that older generations prefer purse as well.  The term handbag was not introduced until the 1900′s, so it is a much newer term than purse.  I have also read that some prefer to say purse when describing shoulder bags and handbags when describing bags carried by the hand, such as satchels and clutches.

When it comes down to it, I think that the use of purse vs. handbag is simply a personal preference!

So which do you prefer?  Vote below and let us know!