shoes sans toes

Nancy Friedman nancyf at WORDWORKING.COM
Tue May 13 20:07:03 UTC 2008


At last--a subject on which I am actually an authority! (As opposed to
modals and recursion and all that.)
 
I've written copy for a shoe catalog for more than 15 years. Shoes with open
toes are usually called "open-toe shoes." (Sorry, Mr. Gray.) Footwear
manufacturer Cole Haan abbreviates the descriptor to "OT."
 
"Peep-toe" or "peeptoe" is acceptable. See this post on ShoeBlog:
<http://tinyurl.com/3m86p8> http://tinyurl.com/3m86p8:

"...everyone is also in love with the peeptoe Dior Extreme gladiator
platforms..."
 
If you don't know what gladiator platforms are--well, there are photos.
 
"Peek-toe": NEVER. "Peekaboo" is used occasionally, but not in reference to
toes: rather, it describes openings in the sides or vamp of a shoe.
 
As for toe cleavage, that's a whole 'nuther thing: the spaces between the
tops of the toes, not their tips. Toe cleavage is acceptable, nay desirable,
in closed-toe pumps. Just ask the many devotees of Manolo Blahnik.
 
Now ask me about skirtinis.
 
(Forgive me for starting a new thread. I tried repeatedly to reply to the
original thread, but was consistently thwarted on the ADS site.)
 
Nancy Friedman
the site: www.wordworking.com
the blog: http://nancyfriedman.typepad.com
Follow me on Twitter: Fritinancy
 
 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list