Which Nouns are Verbs?

We've been taught a lesson by our youngest daughter on the art of using nouns (or prepositions) interchangably with verbs. A few samples:

• Cupping (v.) - To fill a cup with water; to place a cup into a cupholder or on a coaster; to carry a cup.
• Hairing (v.) - To sweep up hair from the floor, especially with a wisk broom and dustpan.
• Carring (v.) - To ride in and/or drive a car.
• Booking (v.) - To look at pictures in a book; to put a book on the shelf.
• Bibbing (v.) - To tie a bib around one's own or another's neck.
• Downing (v.) - To sit. (i.e. "sit downing")
• Upping (v.) - To stand; to lift; to ascend a staircase.
• Forking (v.) - To place forks on a table; to put silverware of any kind into a dishwasher; to stab and/or cut a piece of food with a fork.

Enter her world and it's easy to see how this happens. She spends her day swinging on a swing and sliding on a slide. If you dump water on flowers it's called watering. Yet dumping the same water on your hands isn't called watering, handing, or even soaping. It's called washing.

Why is it that some nouns can be verbs and others can't? What's the criteria?

Meke has none. Any noun can be a verb.

I'm becoming fond of her method. It's not only amusing but also an efficient way of saving wear and tear on the vocal cords. Imagine how many words could be saved. Instead of saying "I'm putting the cup into the cupholder," a simple, "I'm cupping," would suffice. A "I'm going out to the garden to pick tomatoes", could be replaced with "I'm tomatoing."

All this discussion begs the question: When using one of these words are you "nouning" or "verbing"?