In/transitive verb: is this a peculiarly American usage?

[Innisfree]

Dd is doing STRWTL Latin Prep, and the example given for an intransitive verb is "walk." According to the book (British), "one cannot walk someone or something." 

 

Dd says "But we walk the dog!"

 

Is "walking the dog" not standard British English? Am I missing something grammatically?

[Cosmos]

You can also "walk the garden path." And of course a pitcher can "walk a batter."  :)

 

I agree it can be transitive, though it usually is intransitive. (I'm American, though, so that doesn't help answer your question.)

[Laura Corin]

We walk dogs in Britain too.  I think 'walk' is usually intransitive but sometimes transitive.  No help, huh?

 

ETA: I checked the OED: most of the uses are intransitive but some are transitive (walk the streets, walk on water, walk a minuet, walk the exchange, walk a dog/horse)

 

L

[hornblower]

M-w lists as both http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk

[Innisfree]

Okay, thanks! Dd is tickled. "You mean people already answered?"

 

I knew we could find the answer here! :-)

[EndOfOrdinary]

I really love this sort of question!  It makes me look at our language in so many different ways.

[kiwik]

I would take the dog for a walk if I had one.