Thursday, July 15, 2021

Sneakers?


As per my normal early morning ritual, I fire up the computer and key in "bbc.co.uk". The website flicks up and almost immediately defaults to www.bbc.com. This makes sense as I'm logging in from Canada.

Today's headlines on the Beeb's website included the above. Those of you who have been to the UK will know that "sneakers" would be more properly referred to as "trainers".

My news reading has been North Americanized.

I should read the article, but that headline does not sit well with me:

My sneakers say nothing about me, pal... I mean, mate!


Postscript: When in England, years ago, I took the tube (subway) to North London and while there popped into a shoe store. The storeowner, sorry, shopkeeper, asked how he could help me. I said: "Do you have any runners?" Pause. "Oh, you mean trainers." An ol' codger was sitting in a chair, walking stick in hand, and he laughed at the enlightened conversion.

Agreed: "Zed", not "Zee".

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