"Train Station"?

[kudu]

Richard is of course right that the language is changing all the time and Micky is merely trying to cling on to usages that happened to be current when he was learning the language in the first place. It might grate on our ears, but "train station" is just as valid as "railway station" as well as being consistent with "bus station".

On the other hand, not all changes improve the language: the distinction between "disinterested" and "uninterested" is being lost, while the use of "lion's share" to mean "most" rather than "all" loses the irony in Aesop's original.

Kudu

[Mickey]

Deleted

[PinzaC55]

So following this argument to its logical conclusion, if everyone starts calling trains "Choo-Choo's" we should simply shrug our shoulders, smile and say "Isn't it wonderful how the English language changes"?
I am looking forward to Christmas when I can get presents from Santa Claus and his Vertically Challenged Helpers.

[giner]

I'm not sure we can have any logical conclusion to anything to do with such an illogical language as English.

[StevieG]

Remaining on the lighter side of serious (I hope), should that be 'Father Christmas'?

Another tiny extract from a television new reporter in recent weeks : - something very much in the vein of
'... then (xxxx) "... will return back to ..." (yyyy) ...'. :
Of course my use of punctuation here is probably rubbish.
(Ooops, probably best not to raise that subject, unless it's to promote Victor Borge's "Phoenetic punctuation")

[PinzaC55]

My local Lloyds bank has a TV screen with BBC News 24 and the guy who writes the subtitles either has a limited grasp of English or a dark sense of humour. I remember a soldier was killed and the subtitles said he was to receive a "post hummous" honour!

[1H was 2E]

There is undoubtedly something about 'train station' that is uniquely irritating to many people. Radio 4s 'Today' programme received (and broadcast) a barrage of complaints when it was used. My colleague would not authorise an expenses claim because it was worded 'taxi to train station'. I do not think that the reason is resistance to change, though. The US American 'Freight' replaced 'goods' but absolutely no-one says 'Goodsliner train' or 'Goods operating company'. My opinion is here's just something immature in its sound.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[PinzaC55]

Thats another one 1H was 2E GOODS TRAIN.

In my own vocabulary of railways i always use the words GOODS TRAIN in reference to a loose coupled or partially-fitted goods train with a brake van and the words FREIGHT TRAIN usually for a fully-fitted freight or freightliner train.

A GOODS TRAIN can also be had after a nice hot curry.

[giner]

Oh yea! And a loose coupled bowel.

[PinzaC55]

Oh yea! And a loose coupled bowel.

[PGBerrie]

A lot of English English (English authors and publishers) were using 'z'. Of course 'z' as the most common spelling predates 's' anyway whether it survived into the 1950s or not.

We were taught 'z' at school, although you have to know the exceptions (see Fowler's Modern English Usage). Maybe that's why 's' became more common in England. When my company changed to "American English" about 10 years ago, I was allowed to spell properly again!

Peter

[Coboman]

Thats another one 1H was 2E GOODS TRAIN.

In my own vocabulary of railways i always use the words GOODS TRAIN in reference to a loose coupled or partially-fitted goods train with a brake van and the words FREIGHT TRAIN usually for a fully-fitted freight or freightliner train.

Was it not BR themselves who first used freight train to try and distinguish between modern freightliner and merry-go-round fully fitted trains to the old loose coupled variety?
As for train station (spit ), people who say well its a bus station what about an airport? do we start to call them planeports? Thought not!