RE: [CR]terminology

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

From: Edward Brooks <ebrooks@eriwine.com>
To: "'Sheldon Brown'" <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>, "'Kristopher Green'" <kristopher.green@gmail.com>, <tperry1@verizon.net>, <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: RE: [CR]terminology
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:03:57 -0600
Organization: Edward Roberts International
Thread-Index: AcXq1Rmy1xtUC87pR4m0NbGA75cz7QAAXYnw
In-Reply-To: <p06230910bfa11d7a9166@[10.0.1.4]>


This terminology does originate from horseback riding. Knights, soldiers and polo players, all mounted and dis-mounted on the left side (offside), and hit or cut on the right (near) side. To hit or cut on the left side they had to reach over the horse's neck. Hence the distinction. Similarly there are to this day many car related terms which now seem confusing but originated in the days of horse coaches and carriages...

Edward Robert Brooks Managing Director Edward Roberts International Auctioneers of the Fine and Rare 1262 West Winwood Drive Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 Phone- 847.295.8696 Facsimile- 847.295.8697 Email- ebrooks@eriwine.com Website- http://www.eriwine.com

-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Sheldon Brown Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 11:36 AM To: Kristopher Green; tperry1@verizon.net; Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]terminology

Kristopher Green wrote:
>
>And I add, in a moment of off-topic confusion, what about the terms
>"nearside" and "offside", which are regularly used by British car
>magazines and repair manuals? It appears to me that "nearside" is not
>the side nearest the British curb, when driving, but the right. But
>why?

Au contraire,

"Nearside" is left. I think this may actually relate to horseback riding--it is customary to mount horses from the left side, and some horses get hinky if you try to do it the other way.

Now, the French have their own confusion..."gauche" is left, "droit" is right...but "toute droit" ("all right") is straight ahead!

Sheldon "Perdu" Brown +-------------------------------------------+ | Ah, but I was so much older then, | | I'm younger than that now. | | -Bob Dylan | +-------------------------------------------+ --
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