Washboard (belly) Vs Six pack (abs)

[Xavier da Silva]

Hello everyone,

When talking about "a stomach with well developed abdominal muscles", I found that there are two options in English: washboard (belly) and "six pack (abs)". I recently heard from a friend of mine that only "six pack" is used in current English in the USA. But the problem is that Merriam-Wesbter says "washboard" is also possible. My question: Which option is used in current everyday English?

Examples I made:

She has a washboard. Vs She has a six pack.
John has a washboard. Vs John has a six pack.

Meaning: their abdominal muscles are very developed and you can easily see it.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Barque]

If you just say "washboard", it'd mean the board used to wash clothes or the musical instrument.

You need "She/John has a washboard stomach".

I don't know about the US in particular but I hear both used, and I think "six-pack" is more common. "Six-pack" sounds more casual to me.

 

[You little ripper!]

The most common expression in Australia is 'six pack'.

John has washboard/six-pack abs.

 

[Xavier da Silva]

Thank you very much.

Let's wait for an AmE opinion on this.

 

[Delvo]

I hear both, but I also understand them with slightly different meanings. A washboard is flat; it doesn't have six distinct blocky bulges. So a flat belly is a washboard and one with the six bulging muscles is a 6-pack. As a result, "washboard" is more common for describing women, and "6-pack" is more common for describing men, although there's crossover in both directions.

 

[You little ripper!]

Washboard

4. resembling a washboard in being hard and ripply: washboard abs.

I don't see 'washboard abs' as completely flat. A washboard has ripples.

 

[Xavier da Silva]

A washboard has ripples.

I agree.

 

[jmichaelm]

The expression "six-pack abs" is more common today in the US due I think to advertising.

I've also heard men make the joke that their "beer belly" is a "six pack".

 

[pob14]

The expression "six-pack abs" is more common today in the US due I think to advertising.

I've also heard men make the joke that their "beer belly" is a "six pack".

Mine's a keg . . . .

I agree that "six-pack" has become more common than "washboard abs;" I suspect this is because six-packs are common but I haven't seen a washboard since I was ten. (I'm referring to the actual items, not the muscles.)

 

[Myridon]

A washboard has ripples.

The six-pack metaphor is also more apt than the older washboard metaphor. People's ideas of how much muscle is "good" have changed over the years as well.
If your abs are rippled like this, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Dale Texas]

(I want to quibble, though, with your opening statement that "there are two options" to say this in English. Only two ways? I think there might be hundreds of ways. I understood what you meant, though. )