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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Potentially offensive - in the street or on the street

Hi!

There were two old prosti`` ``s working in the street.

Shoud I use on the street* or *in the street in this sentence? Is there any difference in meaning?

Sorry for the potentially offensive context.

Thank you!

<edited by mod to fix the censored word>
  

Top answer

If these are laborers who work for the city repairing the roads, either one would suffice. "Working on the street" focuses on the thing they're repairing. Perhaps they're filling potholes.

  • If these are laborers who work for the city repairing the roads, either one would suffice.
  • "Working on the street" focuses on the thing they're repairing.
  • Perhaps they're filling potholes.
  • ) "Working in the street" focuses on their location.
  • They might be replacing a bulb in a traffic signal.
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4 Answers
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If these are laborers who work for the city repairing the roads, either one would suffice.

"Working on the street" focuses on the thing they're repairing. Perhaps they're filling potholes.
(What are they fixing?)

"Working in the street" focuses on their location. They might be replacing a bulb in a traffic signal.
(Where are they working?
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You should use 'in the street' if you mean that the people are actually in a street working.

Usually 'working on the street' would mean they are fixing the street.

Or you can use 'on the streets' to mean 'not at a defined location' as in 'They are living on the streets' (ie Homeless) or 'She is taking a poll on the streets' (ie. She is taking a poll at various undefined locati
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Those professional girls were "working the street(s)"! It's a completely different idiom.
Or you could say they were "street-walking". Another name for them is "street-walkers". (I don't think they were filling potholes.)

They were literally on the street, however.

CJ
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