phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Thank goodness for you ESC!

Posted by Word Camel on July 02, 2003

In Reply to: Pedalling/peddling posted by ESC on July 02, 2003

: : Tour de France is the longest and the most scenic cycle race in the world. Along the way, hard-peddling cyclists pass through fashionable cities, peaceful countryside, fruitful vineyards and along breezy coastlines.

: : Peddling is the way the feet work to make the bicycle move. When the passage you gave describes the cyclists here as "hard-peddling", it means in effect that they are moving very fast or "peddling hard". This would make sense since the Tour de France is race.

: From Merriam-Webster online:

: Main Entry: 3ped·al
: Pronunciation: 'pe-d&l
: Function: verb
: Inflected Form(s): ped·aled also ped·alled; ped·al·ing also ped·al·ling /'pe-d&l-i[ng], 'ped-li[ng]/
: Date: 1888
: intransitive senses
: 1 : to ride a bicycle
: 2 : to use or work a pedal

: Main Entry: ped·dle
: Pronunciation: 'pe-d&l
: Function: verb
: Inflected Form(s): ped·dled; ped·dling /'ped-li[ng], 'pe-d&l-i[ng]/
: Etymology: back-formation from peddler, from Middle English pedlere
: Date: 1532
: intransitive senses
: 1 : to travel about with wares for sale; broadly : SELL
: 2 : to be busy with trifles : PIDDLE
: transitive senses
: 1 : to sell or offer for sale from place to place : HAWK; broadly : SELL
: 2 : to deal out or seek to disseminate

I had an inkling there was something wrong about the spelling... *grin*

Camel
Who relies upon the kindness of strangers (and their spelling too)

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.