50mm lens. Equivelant or actual?

So, when people say "A 50 is a staple. Go get one.", are they referring to a 35mm equivalent (~35mm) or a 50mm lens (equivalent to ~75)? I'm assuming it's whatever gets you closer to an equivalent focal length.

I have BOTH of these lenses and am just wondering what the general consensus is on that statment.
Tomorrow seems as if it's going to be a good walk around the woods type of day for me. I'm wondering weather to bring my 50mm AF-D (no autofocus, boo) or my 35mm AF-S. I'm curious as to which lens is sharper too. Might test this out.
Ahh, first-world decisions!

Oh no here we go!

It is all about the distance my friend...

Just try them both and use the one you prefer. Both are great sharp lenses.

Haha, "here we go" indeed..

I love the 35mil. Just...LOVE it. It's so versatile. I've only taken it off once or twice in months simply because I needed the kit's 18mm performance for a select few shots. the 50mm, well.. I used to not use it at all. But I've noticed more and more that it's proving to be one of the funnest lenses to own.
I'll do some testing, but I already know the results. The 35 is great because it has AF. the 50 is great because it's well.. one of the sharpest lenses nikon has made. great for portraits and throwing out a background with incredible bokeh. The 35 is more versatile in enclosed spaces which is why it's still going to be my fav at the end of the day. (i can never get the 50 to focus that sharp manually, however. maybe i'm just not that great at it :/)

I love how a 50 works on a crop camera it is just the distance factor doesn't work for me although I haven't really tried that hard...I much prefer my 28 over the 50 so I'm guessing I'd like the 35 over the 50 too...I really like shooting my 105 with the crop camera but I have a feeling I would prefer a 85...I think it has something to do with "personal comfortable distance factor"...

I had a 50mm AF-D f1.8 that I used with my D3100 for a while. To me It didn't work. Just a bit too much lens for indoor shooting. It was OK for outdoor shooting. Most of the time I kept going back to the 18-55mm and using about 30-35mm of focal length.

That was a clue. I bought the DX 35mm AF-S f1.8 and it's perfect for what I need a prime for. It also does a commendable job of imitating a macro lens.
The 50mm AF-D has been sold to a D7000 owner that loves it.

This is the only reason I'm keeping mine, waiting it out for the new 7000 to release
The verdict is thus: I love the 50's sharpness and clarity. I don't like it's focal length on a crop sensor..
I love the 35's focal length, but don't feel it's quite as crisp and full looking as the 50. So, to me it's a toss up. The 35 will stay in my bag for the AF capability, but as soon as I get my 7000, I'll play with the 50 more often.