This Road On Sufferance

[poliphilo]

On a very steep, rough road beside a church I came accross a sign- very finely carved in stone- that read THIS ROAD ON SUFFERANCE

I guess this means, "We can't stop you using this road but if you break your axle don't expect us to do anything other than laugh and point."

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Does it not strike you as British, though? It does me, too, and I think it's because Americans are less likely to know what "sufferance" is all about.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I suppose so.

But I bet there are lots of Brits who don't know what it means either.