lean on vs. lean against

[eBob.com]

Is there a difference been American English and the other brands? In good
ol' American English we lean on some things and lean against other things.
I'm not sure of the rule but it seems to me that we lean on things of
approximately our size or smaller, e.g. a table or rake, but lean against
things much larger, e.g. a wall or a building. In particular do English
speakers anywhere lean on a wall or a building?

Thanks, Bob

[Ian Jackson]

In message <8Nd8o.1254$Is6...@en-nntp-13.dc1.easynews.com>, eBob.com
<fake...@totallybogus.com> writes

I've never thought about this before.

However, I think you're right. I might "lean against" a wall of a
building, but am more likely "lean on" a waist-height garden wall.

I reckon it depends on how much upward support the leaned-on object
supplies.
--
Ian

[Glenn Knickerbocker]

On 08/10/2010 10:57 AM, eBob.com wrote:
> things much larger, e.g. a wall or a building. In particular do English
> speakers anywhere lean on a wall or a building?

Here in New York, I do. I might still make some distinction--leaning
against the wall, my body would be mostly straight and tilted toward it;
leaning on the wall, I might instead be slouching against it.

ŹR

[GFH]

I lean against the wall; I lean on my buddy.

GFH

[Pete]

"eBob.com" <fake...@totallybogus.com> wrote in
news:8Nd8o.1254$Is6...@en-nntp-13.dc1.easynews.com:

It's the same in the UK. You lean against a high wall and lean on a low
one. You lean your bicycle against either a high one or a low one. And you
lean over a low one to reach something. You lean on a table for support and
you lean across it for the salt (until you've been taught either to ask for
it politely or to renounce salt altogether).

Peter (UK)

[Odysseus]

In article <8Nd8o.1254$Is6...@en-nntp-13.dc1.easynews.com>,
"eBob.com" <fake...@totallybogus.com> wrote:

I don't know of any Pondian difference. To me it seems the distinction
is in the orientation of the supporting surface: one leans *on*
more-or-less horizontal surfaces (which would include the top of a low
wall) but *against* vertical ones.

--
Odysseus

[contrex]

On 12 Aug, 02:22, Odysseus <odysseus1479...@yahoo-dot.ca> wrote:

> I don't know of any Pondian difference. To me it seems the distinction
> is in the orientation of the supporting surface: one leans *on*
> more-or-less horizontal surfaces (which would include the top of a low
> wall) but *against* vertical ones.

There is the metaphorical to consider. We all need someone we can lean
on, as the Rolling Stones tell us, but I am not sure whether we all
need someone we can lean against.