Sidewalks, pavements, and roads

Even though both South Africans and Americans claim to speak English we would argue that Americans speak American, an English dialect. :)

In South Africa we'd call the place where pedestrians walk a pavement whereas Americans would call it a sidewalk. What makes it even more confusing when South Africans and Americans converse is that Americans use the word pavement to mean road! So, my American friends, when a South African traffic officer asks you to walk on the pavement - really, he's not meaning in the road. Promise. ;)