On 09 May 2009 21:00:14 GMT, wrote:

Nick Spalding wrote:

A push bike typically refers to bicycle (human powered). I was
talking to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in
the shop to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

Push bike is a terribly British affectation.

Nothing affected about it, it is just what it is called (or named).

In that case, what does the Englisman visualize when the term
"bicycle" is used?

A "push bike" or "pedal cycle".

The point is that the word "bicycle" was soon abbreviated to "bike" or
"cycle". The "motor bicycle", as it was originally called in Britain,
was then introduced. That name was then abbreviated to "motorbike"and
then just "bike". That meant there was a need to distinguish between a
bike with an engine and a bike powered by its rider. The terms "pedal
cycle" (1905), "push bicycle" (1906) and "pushbike" (1910) were
invented. (The dates are the first know written uses of the terms as
quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

In the USA, "bicycle" has always meant a pedal driven two wheeled
vehicle, just as in German, it has always been a "Fahrrad", whereas
in Italy it is a "bicicletta" unambiguously. In Switzerland the
term "Velo" is widely used although, depending on which of their
four languages is local, it could be German, Italian, French, or
Romansch usage.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/push-bike

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)