Thread: What to buy...S2a or S3 Game

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I have never heard them used in this country except by the occasional expat,

Same here - never used in common car language here - drivers side, passenger side was all that is used.

Even Left Hand & Right Hand seem to get ballsed up by some, depending which direction they are facing the vehicle.

Originally Posted by gromit

Now maybe we could discuss 'nearside' & 'offside'.

Colin

Hello from Brisbane.

I had understood - perhaps wrongly - that these terms are much older than motoring terms but rather go back to the days of driving teams of bullocks and horses.

Just like it’s near universal practice to get on a horse from the left hand or nearside it was same with driving teams. The lead horse or bullock of pairs or trebles would be placed at the left front. The driver always stands on the left or nearside. If he had an assistant this person would stand on the other or offside. Hence the term “who’s your offsider”. If a third person was needed they would often work behind the driver and would be the “onsider”.

The same applies if the drivers etc were riding the animals such as with artillery limbers.

Cheers,

Neil

I think you are right - just that they have never been used in motoring in Australia, possibly because motoring pioneers here tended not to be horse riders. Or at any rate, perhaps rather the mass users in the twenties did not follow the lead of the horse owning squatters who were some of the pioneers.

Originally Posted by S3ute

Hello from Brisbane.

I had understood - perhaps wrongly - that these terms are much older than motoring terms but rather go back to the days of driving teams of bullocks and horses.

Just like it’s near universal practice to get on a horse from the left hand or nearside it was same with driving teams. The lead horse or bullock of pairs or trebles would be placed at the left front. The driver always stands on the left or nearside. If he had an assistant this person would stand on the other or offside. Hence the term “who’s your offsider”. If a third person was needed they would often work behind the driver and would be the “onsider”.

The same applies if the drivers etc were riding the animals such as with artillery limbers.

Cheers,

Neil

Talking to a horse riding mate it seems they always mount from the left of the horse or nearside. It dates back to when gentlemen wore swords so you mounted from the left (assuming you were right handed) so the sword didn't get in the way when you mounted.

Even today mounting from the right is frowned upon !

Can't find an explanation as to why the terms nearside & offside came about but when the horseless carriage came on the scene the terms stuck (at least in the UK).

Colin

left (assuming you were right handed) so the sword didn't get in the way when you mounted.

That could have had dire results.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I think you are right - just that they have never been used in motoring in Australia, possibly because motoring pioneers here tended not to be horse riders. Or at any rate, perhaps rather the mass users in the twenties did not follow the lead of the horse owning squatters who were some of the pioneers.

A horse was a great expense. City workers did not own horses as they were not paid enough and had nowhere to keep them in a Sydney/Melbourne slum terrace.

Originally Posted by S3ute

Hello from Brisbane.

I had understood - perhaps wrongly - that these terms are much older than motoring terms but rather go back to the days of driving teams of bullocks and horses.

Just like it’s near universal practice to get on a horse from the left hand or nearside it was same with driving teams. The lead horse or bullock of pairs or trebles would be placed at the left front. The driver always stands on the left or nearside. If he had an assistant this person would stand on the other or offside. Hence the term “who’s your offsider”. If a third person was needed they would often work behind the driver and would be the “onsider”.

The same applies if the drivers etc were riding the animals such as with artillery limbers.

Cheers,

Neil

My grandfather was a noted horseman and reinsman. Photos we have of him driving Cobb & Co show the reinsman on the right hand side of the seat.