[Vocabulary] his mail blowing into the street

[maiabulela]

Dear all,

What is the meaning of this highlighted part:

[When I was five, I was playing outside. Neighbor's father had a heart attack, right in front of me. I remember the sound when his head hit pavement. I can still see his mail blowing into the street.]

Can we just guess that he was a postman? or "mail" here means what?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Mannysteps]

Not a teacher

He had the heart attack when collecting his mail from the box.

M.

 

[maiabulela]

Not a teacher

He had the heart attack when collecting his mail from the box.

M.

meaning that the mail in his hands dropped on the ground?

 

[Mannysteps]

P.S.

If he was a postman it'd say: "the mail" not: "his mail"

 

[maiabulela]

P.S.

If he was a postman it'd say: "the mail" not: "his mail"

yes! You are right. Thanks for that note.:roll:

 

[Rover_KE]

'When I was five, I was playing outside. A neighbor's father had a heart attack, right in front of me. I remember the sound when his head hit the pavement. I can still see his mail blowing into the street.'

Use inverted commas instead of brackets.

Rover

 

[BobK]

Not a teacher

He had the heart attack when collecting his mail from the box.

M.

:up: There's a cultural problem here. It wouldn't be true to say 'In the USA, everyone has a box for mail on top of a short pole by their front gate, while in the UK everyone has a letter-box (in effect, a slit in the outside of the door connecting to a box or a cage, or nothing on the inside'. There are many many counter-examples on both sides of the pond.

But I think it'd be safe to say that free-standing boxes in the street are a lot more common in America than in the UK, and that when someone reads

'When I was five, I was playing outside. Neighbor's father had a heart attack, right in front of me. I remember the sound when his head hit pavement. I can still see his mail blowing into the street.'​

it makes more immediate sense to someone who is more accustomed to seeing free-standing mail-boxes.

On the other hand, the man could have had the heart-attack in the vestibule of an apartment block, and the kid playing in the street wouldn't have seen a thing. ;-)

b

 

[Mannysteps]

On the other hand, the man could have had the heart-attack in the vestibule of an apartment block, and the kid playing in the street wouldn't have seen a thing. ;-)

b

Absolutely, BobK. People should choose well where to have their heart-attacks, so as not to traumatize children.

No offence meant, I just simply couldn't resist it.:-D

M.