Here’s my newest problem: are we supposed to treat the phrase “down the road” (you can put whatever you want in the place of “road”) very seriously?
What I mean is, if we’ve got a man who’s walking on a road that leads up the slope, may we say that he’s going down the road? I’m not sure whether the road’s incline actually matters but I’ve seen many an instance of using the phrase “up the road” and I have no idea what it referred to.
Second, if we have a man who’s walking down the road, stops, turns around, and continues walking (but in the opposite direction), may we say again that he’s walking down the road?
What do you mean by ‘take it seriously’
You should not take it literally, but it is a genuine expression.
Then answer this question for me:
“Second, if we have a man who’s walking down the road, stops, turns around, and continues walking (but in the opposite direction), may we say again that he’s walking down the road?”
If we were to consider him to have been walking down the road in the first instance, we would now be likely to say that he is walking up the road.
OK, now what about the road on the slope that goes upwards? Is the guy walking on it walking up the road or down the road?
He is walking up the hill.
Whether or not he is walking up or down the road depends on a number of other factors (not all the factors will apply in every case):
The end of the road which is closest to the centre of a large town or city, even if it is not in the town/city.
Where the road begins, as indicated by house numbers.
What the locals say.