On 2017-06-05 11:10 AM, Michael Blair wrote:
> http://www.sowanddipity.com/a-shovel-and-a-spade/
>
> The Oxford English Dictionary concurs.  For serious evidence though look
> at the logo for Germany's Spaten brand beer. :-)
>
> Mike in Woodland

My reading of the OED online is that shovels are for shoving or shifting 
materials ( snow for example) , whereas spades are for digging. In other 
words, the name is reflects the function rather than the shape or the 
handle. This is generally the way ww tools are named too - think rip 
saw, mortise chisel, tack hammer etc.

IME, good shovels are rectangular in shape, though a round-ended or 
pointy spoon-like spade can serve for shifting almost as well. When it 
comes to digging, I want a pointy spade to dig a hole, but a 
square-edged one to turn a garden bed.

FWIW
Don

-- 
The harder they come, the bigger they fall - Ry Cooder