English lesson sought

[ChrisM]

Hi - I need help from a native speaker of English: Which side is "off" - Left or Right?

I am reading a Dick Francis novel and various bad things keep happening to the horses, always on their "off foreleg." I have previously encountered this word in other books, referring to one side of a car - the "off" side.

Could one of you help an American decipher this? Is "off" left or right?

And, once that's solved, what do you call the other side? "On" perhaps? (Methinks it's "near" - but again I have no idea "near to what?")

Thanks,

Chris M
"...The Americans haven't spoken it in years..."

[Miket]

In England, as you probably realize, we drive on the left, with our steering wheel in the right. The LEFT side of the car (or horse) is next to the KERB (sidewalk) and this side is called the NEAR side. The OFF SIDE would be the RIGHT SIDE of the vehicle (or Horse).

I won't go into the placings on a cricket field where the opposite of OFF is LEG. Leg side is the half of the field on the side of the batsman's legs, and the OFF SIDE is the other side.

Dick Francis is a wonderful author, but I had no idea that the language complicated things so much.

I hope that this helps.

Miket

[Stevie D]

There is also, of course, the off-side rule in football (soccer), which I'm not even going to begin to attempt to explain. I'll let someone else more foolhardy than me have a go at that....

[prof]

Footer, I've always called it. Though never attempted to play it. Nomenclature probably dates back to prep. school days.

[ChrisM]

Thank you Mike. Yes, I suspected it was as you say, but I couldn't convince myself definitively whether 'near' would be near the curb or near the driver, and so forth. I do appreciate your assistance.

Of course, it's not a real barrier to comprehension, as I seem to have made it these past 50 years without any real problems despite not having this knowledge, but it's nice to have it straight at last.

Thanks for painting "Look Right" in whacking great letters on the street for me when I step off the sidewalk - I've many times started across only to remember at the last minute and glance into the face of an arriving taxi or bus!

I shall be in London (Victoria) 3/4 July, then take a week of narrowboating, and then a week of walking in the Cotswolds, ending around 19 July. Perhaps by the end of the visit I will be adapted! Perhaps I'll even be bilingual: English as well as American. <smile>

Thanks again,

Chris

[iain]

Hey, hope you enjoy your trip to London in July. There is so much to see, what with museums, galleries, markets, standard sights -- even a week wouldn't be nearly enough. Weather should be good too.

[ChrisM]

Thanks for the kind wishes. I've not spent enough time in London to really have a feel for the city. I find London a lot harder to get to know than, say, Paris. Of course, our management of our own economy hasn't helped any - London is expensive at $2=1!

And this trip will be little help, as I'll only be in London a short while - I am giving a small paper at the Royal Institution of Naval Architects - and then we'll pretty much immediately head off to the canals, probably near Oxford.

Thanks again!

CHris

[Big and Bashful]

ChrisM,
Where are you narrowboating? do you know which canals? It is one of my favourite holidays.

[Since1982]

I had an Off - sided girlfriend for 7 years.

[ChrisM]

No, we don't know yet. We are VERY open to suggestions.

We're a bit thin, thanks to the national economy, so we're looking for the budget class boat. (Under a thousand definitely, preferably under 700 / week).

We are experienced yachtsmen, but have never canal'ed before. I would prefer a loop over an out-and-back. We are coming from London, spending 4-11 July on the boat, then we have to race back to LHR to meet the arriving children, before rumbling up to the Cotswolds for our walk.

Given those parameters, have you any suggestions? I'd love some local advice!

tks...Chris M.

PS: SKIP: Welcome back - missed ya!

[prof]

All depends how much you like to travel per day. When my wife and I used to do this several times each year, we usually went with a group on a 70' narrow boat, and generally get up at about 4am, travel all day with no stops, and finish at sunset. This way, one can, and we have, navigated the Cheshire Ring, for example, in 3 days. Of course, one has to send people off at one bridge to go to a village, buy food, stock up with bitter in containers, and meet the boat further along the cut at another bridge. Takes a bit of planning, but is eminently 'do-able'.

This mode of travelling on the boat sprang from the need in the drought year (1976) to travel between towers we had booked for ringing (our early trips all involved a crew of ringers). Of course, with a 70' boat, it's possible to take a crew of around 12 - so several can go off 'lock-wheeling' at flights, so the boat has no unnecessary delays.

The habit stuck, and all our trips have had the same regime of keeping moving, eating whilst travelling, and only stopping finally for dark, and to get to a particularly good pub. (The definition of which is, no muzak, no children, no food, and more-ish bitter.)

Still, one can throughly recommend the Cheshire ring, and the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

[Big and Bashful]

Our favourite ring is the Four Counties, but last time we did a there and back trip up the Llangollen which is a fantastic journey. The last bit is high, spectacular and the rest of the canal is easy going. Wonderful waterside food and beer as well. The Jack Mytton is incredible, not sure of the spelling of that either!
Back to the 4 counties; an energetic week or leisurly fortnight, I recommend at least 3 people ready for pushing lock gates around with another on the tiller. The route has all types of English canal from the locks up and down type to the contour following type. Also a decent 40 minute tunnel and even a flyover. A great intro to UK canals.
Both these are not too far apart, the Llangollen joins the 4Cs, I found the kilt went down well on the Llangollen (see my photo on the Frappr map) I wouldn't hesitate to kilt on either route and if I could get myself to skirt anywhere that would be as good a place as any.

[ChrisM]

Well, Debbie (after countless hours studying narrowboat sites on line, God bless her!) suggested that, since we have to start in London, spend a week, and then return to London (LHR) to meet the kids, perhaps we should look for a narrowboat in that area.

She has found a hire company on the River Lee, northwest of London, with the possibility of going either NW up the Lee and Stour (I think that's right), or SE to the London ring. That way if we decide we want more city, we can go that direction, or if we are citied-out we can go the opposite way.

And the price is within our budget - less than 700 for a 7 day hire.

So - she has sent an enquiry, but we still haven't firmed it up - we have a last chance to change our plan. So I ask you gentlemen, is there any glaring flaw in this logic? Have we just set ourselves up for a scenic visit to The Smokestacks of Mordor, rather than the English countryside?

Thanks guys!


All the best,

Chris

[Big and Bashful]

Never had a boat in the London area but I think that the further north you go the more welcoming the locals are.
Still since you are operating out of London it makes sense to take a route there. I will read up on the canals round there and get back to you later.

[Big and Bashful]

Looking at my 1987 Waterways book Enfield to London is Mordor territory, better further away from London, but it doesn't look like it joins to much at the North end.
Look up the Kennet & Avon, which goes through a lot of wonderful places, not too far from London either