'Road liable to flooding' - correct English or not?

[Roomfor2]

It's a common road sign that really annoys me, but am I right in thinking that this is not good English?

I always understood 'liable' to be used in a similar way to 'likely' - so 'likely to flood, not likely to flooding... Or, if they must use flooding, then change it to 'prone to flooding' rather than liable?

Am I right to be be annoyed by it or should I let it go as a symptom of my own ignorance??

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I think it's correct.

[midnightexpress]

I don't know, but I've always been similarly annoyed by 'road liable to icing'. Mostly because I feel there is a joke lurking in there and I can't figure out what it is.

[Katisha]

I always wonder what foreigners coming out of ferry ports make of those "ANY VEH" signs you get along motorways...

[MrsBadger]

hmm

OED gives it as 'subject to' or 'likely to undergo' a process

and you would say 'Road subject to flooding' or 'Road likely to undergo flooding'.

'Road liable to icing' is just silly

but I do persistently refer to the Saturday-night competitive figure-skating chow as Strictly Come Icing.

[Pyrocanthus]

Liable to flood, I think.

Yup, checked in Fowler.

Never seen 'liable to icing' - sounds like one of my daughter's cakes.

[midnightexpress]

We live in Scotland, where many of the roads are, apparently, liable to icing.

[Roomfor2]

Pyrocanthus - that's what I thought. Glad it's not just me!

[Pyrocanthus]

And where the houses are all made of gingerbread, midnightexpress.

[cattj]

'road liable to icing UP'

That might just work. Still lame though.

Other suggestions, above, were better.

[gagamama]

I don't think 'flooding' necessarily has to be a verb though, it can be a state as well can't it?

'I couldn't get to work because of the flooding'
'I couldn't get to work because of the flood'

I guess 'flooding' is a more general term for excess water, or several smaller floods.

[probably talking crap emoticon]

[RustyBear]

But I think your first example is one of those where extra words are implied but not written ie 'can't get to work because of the flooding of the road'