> Also fun is running up the down escalator, or down the up. (Why is the down escalator still called an escalator? You're not escalating, unless you want to argue that it's more like negative escalation...)

I looked it up (I know, I know, I have way too much time on my hands) and found that Escalator used to be a trademark name when the things first came along. So it's one of those things like Xerox or Kleenex that get added into the language as a generic term. (There's an obscure one for Quiz Blitz, Sam!) I thought it would have been related to all the "scale"-type words that come from Latin "scala" (ladder) but nope, all an invention of some obscure marketing department.

The verb "to escalate", in fact, is a fairly recent one which originated from the trademark once escalators became common. Now I'd never have guessed that. Aren't dictionaries wonderful?

Brunnen-"OK, not as wonderful as an active social life, but I try to be happy with what I've got"G