On the trains, buses and trams we are challenged by the unusual use of words instructing us to do certain things while we make our journey into town.
“Please keep an eye on your personal belongings and make sure you take everything with you when you alight.”
Hubby and I are worried if we keep an eye on our belongings we’ll miss our stop!
And what an old fahioned word “alight” is and yet it is used on all London transport announcements,
“Alight here for trains to Westminster.”
We are also informed about terminations,
“This bus terminates at Crystal Palace.”
Aeroplanes are not exempt from the odd use of language, on our British Airways flight we are told,
“Please do not leave your seat while the seat belt light is illuminated.”
Now I am trying to come up with alternative words that are in more common use, not that I mind expanding my vocabulary in any way possible but it seems the bureaucrats that be who write the script for the woman whose voice is all over London are casting around for alternative phrasing to keep Londoners and tourists on their toes.
What is the precise meaning of the word, “alight?”
On looking in my ever faithful Concise Oxford I find it means to dismount (from a horse) descend (from a carriage) settle, come to earth (from the air). So we could also say, “get off” or “disembark,” or if we’re being really blunt, “leave.”
“Alight” sounds so refined now that I’ve performed a word comparison.
What about terminate? Concise Oxford defines it as having several meanings,
“Bound, limit, bring or come to an end.”
On looking up “bound” I am reminded of some of its uses which I had forgotten, a springy movement upwards, or to recoil from a wall or ground. But for my purpose it means a limit of territory.
A simple word replacement would be “ends” or “finishes” or simply “goes no further…”
“Terminate” does not have the same refinement of term as “alight.”
Let’s not forget the famous phrase,
“Mind the gap!”
“Watch out for the gap” doesn’t ring quite as true does it?
I’ll go back to watching my personal belongings and make sure I take them all with me when I alight from the train that terminates at Beckenham Junction. No minding of the gap cautions here as there is none.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
No comments so far!
Leave a Comment