More Vagaries of the English Language

MaryWalkerBaron's post of yesterday reminded me of when I first moved to Claremont. It was over 100 degrees - welcome to the Inland Valley - and my car, which had just been driven from New York, was being repaired. I had a telephone account and a telephone, but no telephone cord. I set out on foot to find one. I walked along Foothill Boulevard for a couple of blocks and found a computer store. I went in and asked if they sold phone cords. They did not. "You'll have to go to Staples", one of the two store clerks said. "Is it far?, I asked, "I don't have a car." "It's not far - just a block or so", one clerk said. "It's across town", the second clerk added. Confused, I looked at both of them. "The next big intersection", said the one. "On the other side of town", said the other. I left the store and continued walking on Foothill until the next big intersection, which was: Towne Avenue. And, there, on the other side of Towne, was Staples. English. Ya gotta love it.