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down/up the road
Hello forum!
I wonder, whether I'm right if I think,that in the next following sentences, the using of this prepositions is more appropriate.
Question:"Where is he?"
1)I saw him. He went down the road. (the answer saw his back)
2)I saw him. He went up the road. (The answer saw his face)
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 10:07:12
Location: Helsinki, Southern Finland Province, Finland
You can say it either way, but not in the sense you mentioned.
If you saw his face (he walked towards you), you could say "he came up/down the road"
If you saw his back (he walked away), you could say "he went up/down the road"
Up and down here can mean literally up or down (the road is on a hill), or North or South. If you look at any map the North is usually "up".
"Down the road" is also an idiomatic phrase meaning something will happen in the future.
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 10:16:27
Rank: Advanced Member
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ah Ghu, you ask such good but hard to explain questions!
There are many uses for both of these words. I have chosen a few.
Down -TFD
1.
a. From a higher to a lower place or position: hiked down from the peak.
b. Toward, to, or on the ground, floor, or bottom: tripped and fell down.
2. In or into a sitting, kneeling, or reclining position: knelt down; lying down.
3. Toward or in the south; southward: flew down to Florida.
Up - TFD
prep.
1. From a lower to or toward a higher point on: up the hill.
2. Toward or at a point farther along: two miles up the road.
3. In a direction toward the source of: up the Mississippi.
4. Nautical Against: up the wind.
You would use either 'up' or down' the road depending upon what verb you used to say what is happening.
You used the word 'went' so in both cases you would see his back as he is leaving you - to go up the road if the road leads up a hill or farther north. Or, if the road leads down a hill or farther south, (or even east or west), we say down the road. But you always see his back as he is LEAVING.
However, if you said he is 'COMING' up the hill or down the hill, that means he is coming towards you so you would see his face.
Hope this explains it.
Edit: JJ beat me to it.
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:12:24
Rank: Advanced Member
Hope2 wrote:
2. Toward or at a point farther along: two miles up the road.
Edit: JJ beat me to it.
Thank you both for your answer. But sometimes one doesn't know ,for sure, where the South is.
So, if one says, "he went up the road", while he went to the South, would it be OK?
Accordind to 2) one could say it?
But, if someone went to the North on the plain, but we say that he went down the road,would it be still OK?
PS, What does "JJ beat me to it."mean?
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:23:50 AM
Rank: Advanced Member
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
JJ beat me to it means that while I was composing my answer JJ posted before I did and explained it. However, I decided to post anyhow since I had taken the time to write it.
Do not worry about up and down and whether or not you are using it correctly geographically. Half the time we use either word either way. Up the road and down the road strangely enough can mean the same thing.
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2
Hope2 wrote:
Thank you for your answer,Hope2.
Could I say,"She run ahead me on it" or "She outrun me in it" instead of,"She beat me to it"? Is it the same?
I wonder when do "down" and "up" come to the English speech? It was after coming to America?
Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:16:49
Rank: Advanced Member
Location: Canada
.
In 1066 the inhabitants of the Br. Isles were already saying: "Will's comin' UP from Normandy. He'll go DOWN in hist'ry."
.
Brain-washing starts in the cradle. - Arthur Koestler
Posted: Saturday, August 18,
Rank: Advanced Member
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ghu,
To further confuse you, I just used the phrase 'down east' in an email.
It refers to a geographical part of my country that is definitely east of me, but may be either north or south of where I am.
However, we would never say 'up west' or 'down west'. It is 'out west'. Please do not ask me why!!   
It is what it is.
A BE native speaker might say it differently, but he would know what I meant.
That Is what I meant in your other thread about learning how the native speakers say it and what patterns they use.
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Back to top Hope2Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:55:55 PM
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Joined: 7/6/2012
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Ghu,
'Beat me to it.'
In this (and most applications of this phrase) it is a concise way of saying "I was going to do the exact same thing, but you did it first before I did".
We also say 'beat someone to the punch'.
Your other phrases are not really correct grammatically, nor are they idiomatic.
'Beat' can have a lot of meanings and if you google the phrase 'beat me to it', there are lots of websites explaining it.
Here is another website where you can search for specific idioms if you want to know what one means. There are lots of websites that do that too.
http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idioms_proverbs.html
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Back to top ghuPosted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 6:34:38 PM
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Hope2 wrote:
Ghu,
To further confuse you, I just used the phrase 'down east' in an email.
It refers to a geographical part of my country that is definitely east of me, but may be either north or south of where I am.
.
Maybe, it is because you are higher?Somewhere in mountains?
Back to top Hope2Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 9:07:49 PM
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Ghu,
No. It is just an idiom.
I have lived out west in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, but I only wish I were still there. We lived in Vancouver. But that was a while ago. I live in Ontario now.
You should google Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for some pictures. It is a beautiful place to live, on an island on the Pacific Ocean. There are double decker buses just as in England. The winters are moderate, and although everybody complains about a lot of raiin in BC, I did not find it to be bothersome. We spent six months in Victoria in the winter of 2000. The flowers are beautiful and there are famous gardens there called the Butchart Gardens. A wife decided she did not like the gravel pits made by their company, and she created acres of gorgeous gardens there. We had pansies and some sorry looking roses that bloomed all winter in the 40F weather. I would live there now if my family were there too.
http://www.butchartgardens.com/planning-your-visit/the-5-seasons/spring.html
Here is a video.
:::::
And here is their most famous picture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butchart_Gardens
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Back to top Viking88Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2012 9:21:16 PM
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To put it very simply, 'beat me to it' means got there before I did.
"We are all verbs as well as nouns; jazz is that sphere where being and doing are synonymous". Michael Steinman.
Back to top ghuPosted: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 5:55:52 PM
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I wonder whether one could say,"Go up the road to DownTown" OR "Go down the road to Down-Town"?
Back to top tharPosted: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 5:59:12 PM
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ah, but when you are close enough for there to be a downtown then you go up the street, not the road....
(I'm just kidding with you. Mostly kidding, just a little bit serious  )
Back to top Hope2Posted: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 6:55:04 PM
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ghu wrote:
I wonder whether one could say,"Go up the road to DownTown" OR "Go down the road to Down-Town"?
Yes, you could say either. And it probably makes no difference.
Or you can go 'cross town'.
But why not just 'go downtown' and shop to your heart's content. There are lots of lovely little boutiques there by the lakefront.
I too am spoofing with you, Ghu.
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Back to top ghuPosted: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 7:18:43 PM
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Ok! 
Back to top Hope2Posted: Thursday, September 6, 2012 2:26:25 AM
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Although, Ghu, apparently there is a difference between 'uptown' and 'downtown'! (Still spoofing you.)
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MstVs2DY2Q4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
"'Uptown Girl' is a song written and performed by musician Billy Joel, first released in 1983 on his album An Innocent Man. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl." The lyrics are included.
Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley made other videos together, and you could see them eyeing each other. I think the one I am thinking of is 'Keeping the Faith' but I am not sure.
Unfortunately, their marriage did not last.
Billy Joel had a way with words for sure. 'Piano Man' is one of my favorites. Also 'This Night'. He said he stole that melody from the classics.
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot
Back to top leonAzulPosted: Thursday, September 6, 2012 2:46:19 AM
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ghu wrote:
[quote=Hope2]
Maybe, it is because you are higher?Somewhere in mountains?
"Down east" is a phrase that is associated with persons who are native to Maine, a state in the the USA.
Living higher in the mountains has something to do with it, yet part of it has to do with the fact that the port cities are all on the east coast, and obviously lower than the rest of the land — in more ways than one. 
It has become a humorous way to refer to any town or city along the New England coast.
"Make it go away, Mrs Whatsit," he whispered. "Make it go away. It's evil."
Back to top Hope2Posted: Thursday, September 6, 2012 10:38:01 AM
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leonAzul wrote:
[quote=ghu][quote=Hope2]
It has become a humorous way to refer to any town or city along the New England coast.
Leon, I did not know it was supposed to be humorous. We use it all the time to just show area. My son and his family just spent their summer hoildays in PEI on the ocean and loved it. Ontario says they are starting to become one of the 'have-not' provinces which used to refer to the eastern coastal provinces. People have finally stopped making 'Newfie' jokes to refer to Newfoundlanders.
On a map, Maine is actually up east in comparison to most of the rest of the States. So the other factors you mention must come in to play.
I guess The Hamptons are not the area you are talking about in the States?  
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T. S. Eliot