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enthusiast
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OP
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... what do you call it?
I was talking to my Aussie/Ozzie/Aushtryan roommate last night (although we do not actually share a room, 'housemate' just hasn't caught on - but that could be a whole nother thread), and told her one of my fears about becoming a lawyer was having to wear pumps and carry a briefcase. Apparently, Down-Under, pumps are called court shoes (which sounds to me like what you wear to play squash). Is pumps a Canadianism? Or a North Americanism? What do other people call a simple, tongue-less, high-heeled shoe, with closed or open toe? Just curious.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
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>What do other people call a simple, tongue-less, high-heeled shoe, with closed or open toe? Just curious.
Court shoes.
You do see the word "pumps" used in catalogues but in the part of England where I grew up, pumps are tennis shoes and where my children go to school pumps are a source of great hilarity - of the gaseous sort.
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addict
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addict
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I think we got ourselves a dyed-in-the-wool North Americanism - in the US I would have exactly the same read on it as our Canadian Boronian.
So is the Aussie version from the fact that you wear such shoes when appearing in a court of law? Seems their use is likely to be a little wider than that, but maybe you folks from Up Over are just a bit more casual than I've realized.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
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TEd
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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A pump..
and while we are on the subject-- what do you call the high heeled shoes so popular today, they are almost slippers, with open toes, and a strap or two over the instep, and open backed..but definately not slippers, with a heel from 1 to almost 3 inches high.
(i really have a problem seeing these shoes being worn to work.. but i seem to be alone in that opinion.) i would call them a mule
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Joined: Dec 2001
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What do other people call a simple, tongue-less, high-heeled shoe, with closed or open toe?
A pump here has always been considered closed toe...never open toe. I don't know what to call that shoe with an open toe.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
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A pump here has always been considered closed toe
Yes, true here in NEW England! ; ) An open toe is an "open toed pump" Then if there's just a strap instead of a closed heel it's a "sling back" The all-strap shoes are called "high heel sandals" *OR if they are very fancy "evening sandals"
At least that's the nomenclature around here.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
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in the part of England where I grew up, pumps are tennis shoes
- and when I were a lad, these "tennis shoes" were called "plimpsolls." I have always assumed that "pumps" is a contraction of the longer name.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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old hand
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old hand
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Simple unintelligent tongue-less mute high-heeled dangerous weapon
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- and when I were a lad, these "tennis shoes" were called "plimpsolls." And in the case of my son, 6 foot 7 inches tall, and size 15 shoes, we call the shoes... expensive!
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