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4/13/09

Brit' Word of the Day

Today's BWOTD refers to something you see everyday:

"I accidentally hit a bollard in town"

'Bollard' = a small concrete or metal post that stops drivers entering certain areas

I understand that you call these pylons! Well a pylon to us is a huge metal tower that carries the national grid power lines, I'm not sure if you call those pylons too?

I am not a lover of bollards, having at least twice wrapped cars I owned either around them or reversed into them! On one occasion I turned too early and didn't see the darned thing, until I heard it crunch into the passenger door of a car I had literally just picked up from the dealer - luckily it was a company car!

11 comments:

  1. MikeHApril 13, 2009 at 3:06 AM

    While reading a tourist map in Amsterdam (and walking along the street at the same time) I ran straight into a Pylon, I mean a Bollard. It was half as high as I am tall - figure it out. I've been wary of them ever since.

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  2. KayApril 13, 2009 at 3:18 AM

    Thanks for teaching us about bollards. Two cars? Wow!

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  3. karenApril 13, 2009 at 4:21 AM

    Yes, with my British colonial African upbringing, I also call a pylon one of those gigantic electricity towers. I also fairly recently wrapped the front bumper of our car around a bollard (same word here, too!)

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  4. UnknownApril 13, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    Mike - OMG sorry to LOL but OUCH!

    Kay - yes two cars, as I said I'm not a lover of the things at all!

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  5. DarylApril 13, 2009 at 11:52 AM

    I call them 'those thingies' ... ;-)

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  6. Iota April 13, 2009 at 2:09 PM

    And of course "bollards" is an exclamation if you're trying to avoid uttering a ruder word.

    And what do they call pylons over here? I can't think.

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  7. Rob The Builder.April 13, 2009 at 3:54 PM

    I've kept my current car for 6 years. It has a dent for each year. Two were caused by bollards ( it was the bollard's fault, not mine, each time, honest ).

    I've never hit a pylon.

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  8. Expat mumApril 13, 2009 at 4:58 PM

    I say "bollards" a lot, much in the style Iota is referring to!

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  9. CJApril 13, 2009 at 9:58 PM

    I love the BWOTD! In India we are still taught the Queens english,though now its most common to hear american words in spoken english.We write it as colour and humour too :D!!

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  10. Tonya StaabApril 14, 2009 at 3:28 PM

    bollard. Remains me a little of bollocks. I hadn't heard it called that before and I thought I was pretty savvy with Brit words. I guess not.

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  11. david mcmahonApril 14, 2009 at 7:20 PM

    I see what you mean about being a bollard-bumper.

    Sounds like it was ``crunch time''!

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So go on, go on, go on....leave a comment and make my day ;-)