Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 05:40:07 -0400

From: "M. Lynne Murphy" 104LYN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MUSE.ARTS.WITS.AC.ZA

Subject: Re: Another Lexical Item



Do any of you have any idea how common it is to use the word "sidewalk"

to refer to the strip of concrete that runs from the street to the front

door of a house? I had always assumed it was the standard term, but a

a recent discussion on Words-L got confusing for a few minutes because

I was using "sidewalk" to mean the sidewalk that comes to my door, while

other people thought that a "sidewalk" had to be parallel to the street.

When I asked what they called the strip of concrete that comes to the

front door, they said "walkway." I've never heard anybody say "walkway"

for what I call a "sidewalk." (I also use "sidewalk" for one that runs

parallel to the street, of course.)

--Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)



"sidewalk" is another thing that i didn't realize was an americanism

til i moved here. the brit/sa english is "pavement"--which i have a

hard time with, b/c they're often brick and, to me, a pavement is

concrete.



if i said "it's on the sidewalk" i'd mean the parallel one--if i

meant the one coming up to the door, i'd be more specific "it's on

the sidewalk to the house" or some such thing. i might use "walk"

or something for the one coming to the house.



lynne



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