Letter in today's local rag:
Regarding Harry Flynn's letter in the Mail (original at bottom of page) pulling our Gill Adams to
bits for calling a bicycle a push bike - what a snobby attitude this man has.
"It's a derogatory phrase from a bygone section of the human race," he claims.
Most people call a cycle or bike a push-bike - try looking up the word velocipede in your dictionary
Mr Flynn - "an early form of cycle pushed along with the feet".
No pedals, no chain, also known as a push bike and, if they still have one, you can see one in the
Hull Transport Museum and I believe they were the thing to get about on before people worshipped the
internal combustion engine and the drivers even then hated cyclists.
If you don't like the way Gill Adams abuses the beautiful English language and all the abominations
used these days, stick to the Times, Observer or Telegraph.
Leave our paper alone, and our Gill. She was only writing about three policemen riding the wrong way
down a one-way street.
R Hetherington,
Rawcliffe Grove,
Hull.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗
In A recent article about men in uniform, Gill Adams refers to three policemen on "smart push-bikes"
who flew past her when she was walking down a one-way street.
Most dictionary definitions confirm that "push-bike" is slang for a pedal cycle.
It would help restore good journalism and good English if slang terms could be avoided. Our
beautiful English language already suffers from far too many abominations, such as "cuppa" and
"pinta" - the products of banal advertising.
"Push-bike" is a most ridiculous expression. You may push a barrow, a handcart or a pram but you do
not have to "push" a bicycle unless you dismount. You ride it by sitting on its saddle and rotating
the pedals.
"Push-bike" is a derogatory phrase resulting from the snobbish attitude of a bygone section of the
human race who worshipped the internal combustion engine but hated the pedal cycle - and all who
chose to ride one.
Harry P Flynn,
Cyclists' Touring Club (Hull & East Riding District Association),