pan 
Pronunciation: 'pan
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English panne, from Old English (akin to Old 
High German phanna pan), from Latin  patina, from Greek patanE
1 a : a usually broad, shallow, and open container for domestic 
use (as for warming, baking, or frying) b : any of various 
similar usually metal receptacles: as (1) : the hollow part of 
the lock in a firelock or flintlock gun that receives the priming 
(2) : either of the receptacles in a pair of scales (3) : a round 
shallow metal container for separating metal (as gold) from waste 
by washing
2 a (1) : a natural basin or depression in land (2) : a similar 
artificial basin (as for evaporating brine) b : a drifting fragment 
of the flat thin ice that forms in bays or along the shore
3 : HARDPAN 1
4 slang : FACE
5 : a harsh criticism 

Well, pans are containers for "domestic use". What is domestic use though...kinda broad although some people would argue that domestic use equals cooking but I would argue the contrary. The definition of the word pan does not in any way specify that pans are objects with handles. If pans are only to be used for domestic usage involving cooking, then it would have made sense to specify the handle, since those purposes would require a handle to deal with the tempuratures associated with cooking. Can the word "ladle" be used to describe a cup? No, because a large part of the description of a ladle involves the handle. Since a handle is not specified as part of the definition of the word "pan", the word should be applicable for open containers involving domestic use that have very little or nothing to do with cooking. In fact, if garage mechanics can use a "pan" to catch motor oil when doing an oil change, I can at least use the word "pan" to describe a container of fish. Don't forget that pies are served in pie pans as well.

Good editorial catch though! Wow, it's like we have our own newsroom! Honestly, dish IS the better word to use in this case. But now we all know a little more about the true difference between dishes and pans.

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