On Fri, 29 Sep 1995, Jerome Keller wrote:
> Hmmm....I have always thought the "near side" was the side nearest the
> driver, which in jolly old England, of course, is the Right side of
> the vehicle. And the "off side" would natually be the other side, the
> passenger side, and the Left side of a Home model MG.
>
> See, what's been puzzlin' ME is....for an EXPORT model, like a TD made
> for the US market and having Left Hand Drive, would the "near side" be
> the Left side?
Good grief, you guys. You get onto a horse on the near (left) side. If
you try to get on the right side, the horse will throw you *off*. So the
right side is the off side, in England or the US.
This is some of humanity's oldest terminology--haven't you ever heard of
"Adam's off ox?"
Of course, the brits themselves have trouble keeping it straight, and many
british cars have their ww knockoffs marked "nearside" and "offside" so
that their owners can remember which side is called what. I have not
looked all that closely, but I suspect some cars are marked "top" and
"bottom" as well, or maybe it is upside and downside, to keep their
owners properly oriented.
Beg pardon for two such posts in a day. Quit giving me openings.
Your source of esoterica and mimsy, not to mention borograves:
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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