Pedal not peddle!

[bode]

OK, time for my regular rant; I don't think I've done it for a while, and I was trying to resist, but a head of steam builds up, and I have to say something. Not that it will do any good, but I like banging my head on the wall!

The things we put our feet on on bikes are "pedals". The act of turning them is "pedalling".
There is no such thing as "a peddle". It is a verb, a "doing word". It means:

1. to carry (small articles, goods, wares, etc.) from place to place for sale at retail; hawk.

2.to deal out, distribute, or dispense, especially in small quantities: to peddle radical ideas.

3.to sell (drugs) illicitly.



You can obviously peddle a bike, but only in the sense of selling or promoting it.

I really think that on a cycling forum like this we should all try to get our terms right, especially for such a basic component and action.

Right, that's it for another year or so; sorry about that.

 

[smudger1956]

So...If one brought a job lot of pedals, you can become a peddler of pedals..........

 

[JuicyBike]

Bode. You've got to do this more. We need telling how it should be!
Take a leaf out of Lee Scratch Perry's book...
Hat's off to you: "Top Judge" Bode


or should that be hats-off... I meant, (My) hat (is) off, by way of respect, but equally all our hats should be at the very least, tipped in your direction sir.

 

[neptune]

It is interesting to note that H G Wells, in his 1898 novel "Wheels of Chance", refers not to pedals, but to Treadles. Before the bicycle, the most common foot operated device would be the treadle sewing machine. Is worrying about the spelling of pedal being pedantic? And does pedantic come from the same root? What does pedantic have to do with feet?

 

[bode]

Bode. You've got to do this more. We need telling how it should be!
Take a leaf out of Lee Scratch Perry's book...

I didn't mean to be that apocalyptic!

 

[flecc]

Is worrying about the spelling of pedal being pedantic?

No, I can't agree it's pedantic, because pedal and peddle have two entirely different meanings and are two very different parts of speech.

Pedantry usually relates to nitpicking about academic points like split infinitives an' stuff, innit.

 

[bode]

Is worrying about the spelling of pedal being pedantic? And does pedantic come from the same root? What does pedantic have to do with feet?

Yes, it probably is.

No, "pedant" comes from old French and Italian words for "teacher", whereas "pedal" comes frro the Latin word "ped" = "foot".

Not much. Except in my case, evidently.

 

[jerrysimon]

Oh gosh this makes me want to go back and check my posts, but then I remember life is too short and I really can't be bothered

I will try and remember for future posts.

Regards

Jerry

 

[timidtom]

Yes, it probably is.

No, "pedant" comes from old French and Italian words for "teacher", whereas "pedal" comes frro the Latin word "ped" = "foot".

Not much. Except in my case, evidently.

So a know-all teacher who walks to school is? My head hurts, nurse ...
;-)

 

[neptune]

Then, of course there was the Lady-of-the-night, who bought a bike and peddled it all over town...

 

[Confab]

Wow. Pre-emptive grammar Nazism. I frequent a lot of (non-ebike) forums, and none of them would tolerate that. Talk about being up your own bum...

 

[flecc]

So a know-all teacher who walks to school is?

A polymath pedantiped of course.

 

[mike killay]

Could of loosed it just then!

 

[Scimitar]

It is interesting to note that H G Wells, in his 1898 novel "Wheels of Chance", refers not to pedals, but to Treadles. Before the bicycle, the most common foot operated device would be the treadle sewing machine. Is worrying about the spelling of pedal being pedantic? And does pedantic come from the same root? What does pedantic have to do with feet?

In some parts, the bikes are known as 'treaders'.

 

[Scimitar]

Could of loosed it just then!

Hanging's too good, etc.

 

[jackhandy]

NO NO NO.....don't go down the Apostroff trouser leg - We're likely to disappear into the "Proper English" black 'ole - Never to be heard of again!

Pete

Bode. You've got to do this more. We need telling how it should be!
Take a leaf out of Lee Scratch Perry's book...
Hat's off to you: "Top Judge" Bode


or should that be hats-off... I meant, (My) hat (is) off, by way of respect, but equally all our hats should be at the very least, tipped in your direction sir.

 

[Eaglerider]

Indeed, spelling is important, as is grammar and most importantly, punkchooayshun.

However, we must also endeavour not to appear intolerant of the efforts of others in their textual manifestations. A close buddy of mine has either Dyslexia, or a form of word blindness, or possibly both. His spelling is atrocious and his sentence construction appalling. He's a bright chap and runs a large firm employing fifteen people, but despite many endeavours on my part to correct this shortcoming, it has not made one jot of difference.

Dyslexics, and there are a large number of them in society, do not recognise text as others do. I can show my colleague how to spell a short simple word many times, but he just doesn't see it from the same perspective that I do, and always applies the 'sounds like' method, very much like my spelling of the word 'punkchooayshun' above.

I do believe grammar and spelling are very important, and drilled my children at length on the issue over some years. Nonetheless, we do need to cut some slack for the less able. I know modern education seems not to attach any importance to spelling, but we must not be too judgemental.

Cos we izz lyke intytelled innit!

 

[flecc]

Indeed, spelling is important, as is grammar and most importantly, punkchooayshun.

However, we must also endeavour not to appear intolerant of the efforts of others in their textual manifestations.

I agree when someone obviously has difficulty. Like Bode though, I do have a problem with those who obviously have a reasonable command of and ability in English, but nonetheless still use peddle in cycling terms.

 

[JuicyBike]

I used to teach programming, when C and C++ were popular languages. Dyslexics loved it, being able to make up their own words which had meaning within the context of the source code. They were generally very successful at it, but that could well have been due to my brilliant teaching, of course. Certainly not my grammar!

 

[grasshopper]

... Certainly not my grammar! ...

My Grammar died in 1976; my Momma done told me!