(South Africa) A dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry; a mongrel, a mutt.
(South Africa) A dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry; a mongrel, a mutt.
[E]very mangy, threadbare, snarling cur pariah pavement-special dog that ever got kicked in the ribs appears from the shadows of twisted dreams and with flashing fangs bears down on the injured party to rip her apart in a streak of blood…
"pavement special" means a dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry; a mongrel, a mutt. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(UK, Australia, slang, humorous) A patch of vomit on the pavement, road or ground.
(US, slang, humorous) Roadkill.
(slang, humorous) The badly damaged bodily remains of a person who has jumped or fallen from a great height.
(now, chiefly, North America) A paving (paved part) of a road or other thoroughfare; the roadway or road surface.
"pavement special" means a dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry; a mongrel, a mutt. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"pavement special" is informal English meaning a dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry; a mongrel, a mutt. It is part of South African English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a dog (especially a stray dog) of miscellaneous ancestry" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "pavement special" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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(chiefly, UK, Irish, South Africa, Canada, Mid-Atlantic US, countable) A paved path, for the use of pedestrians, located at the side of a road.