by foot or on foot

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi,
Below is the answer to an evergreen (“BY” OR “ON”):
I’ve never met a hard and fast ‘rule’, but my usage agrees with your correction: by or on a…] car/plane/bike but on foot - and ‘on Shanks’s pony’ (an idiom that means “on foot”). However, there are so many more by options that it’s easy, and tempting im many contexts - especially in lists - to say “by foot”.
usingenglish.com/forum/ask-t … -foot.html
What prompted me to investigate was:
Traveling by public transport and by foot instead of by cab or tour bus is probably the most aggravating factor.

  • Do you agree it works well only in lists?
    Thanks.
2

To my ear, “by foot” sounds like a mistake in any context (albeit one that might sometimes go unnoticed). In my opinion it should always be “on foot”.

3

As it turns out, NY journalists are bravely bending the rules again.