Explanation: The ones I'm familiar with have long bristles, and sometimes a flat, wide head (instead of one like an ordinary household broom), and are suitable for outdoor sweeping jobs like leaves, gravel etc.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!
All types of 'balais cantonnier' can have plastic fibres; in fact, a besom doesn't really have 'fibres' at all. Try a Google image search, you'll see loads of 'balais cantonniers' wih various different types of bristles
if besom seems to be balai à paille or à fibres, then i think it's besom as you suggested because on the list it is written:
- BALAI CANTONNIER FIB. PLAST. I assume fib stands for fibre and plast for plastique. Sorry i did not add this as i did not know it has any implication on the answer.
Explanation: The ones I'm familiar with have long bristles, and sometimes a flat, wide head (instead of one like an ordinary household broom), and are suitable for outdoor sweeping jobs like leaves, gravel etc.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!
Tony M France Local time: 12:29 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 35
