Date:  Fri, 6 Oct 1995 20:16:10 -0400

From:  "Cynthia L. Moore" <CLM777[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>

Subject: Re: Another Lexical Item



In a message dated 95-10-06 05:40:59 EDT, you write:



>"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.



The British/South African usage of "pavement" for "sidewalk" sounds the most

strange to me when they refer to the cafes common in Paris (and elsewhere) as

"pavement cafes," not "sidewalk cafes." "Pavement" takes some of the romance

out of the idea for me.



Cindie Moore

Attorney at Law

Arlington, VA