“I followed your receipt for the lasagne.”
Confusables Entry 1247 / 1605 60-second read
Recipe vs. Receipt
Instructions for a dish versus proof of payment.
The comparisoni
“I followed your recipe for the lasagne — "receipt" is the proof-of-payment (or historical British for a medical receipt/recipe).”
The ruleii
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RECIPE = instructions. RECEIPT = payment.
RECIPE is cooking instructions. RECEIPT is proof of a transaction — what the shop prints out. Historically, English sometimes used "receipt" for a cooking recipe (as in "Mrs Beeton's receipt for trifle"), but modern usage is clear: food = recipe; shop = receipt.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Recipe cooks. Receipt pays.