Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Sir Velo]

Strictly speaking, the railway is the whole operation.

Debat(e)able surely?

I would say railway comprises () both meanings (i.e. both the actual track and the system) as a quick gander at my Chambers tells me. This point is inferred by the French usage of chemin de fer which encompasses both meanings, as ahinton has kindly demonstrated.

[Nick Armstrong]

(The word tramway/tramwaia in Polish popularly refers not to the track the tram runs on, but to the tramcar itself.)

As it does in French - although 'le tramway' can also refer to 'the tram system' and well as an actual tramcar.

'Ligne de tramway' is the phrase for a tram line...

...Alkan might have disagreed, though, having named what must surely be one of the first "train" pieces Chemin de fer; I'm reminded also of the middle movement of his Grand Duo for violin and piano (a greatly underappreciated work, even today), titled l'Enfer and am now given to wonder whether, had he witnessed the recent events at Dawlish, he might have thought to combine the ideas in them both into a new piece entitled Chemin d'Enfer...

Phew.... did anyone else breathe a sigh of relief when that joke finally pulled into the station....?

[jean]

This point is inferred by...

You did that on purpose, didn't you?

[Sir Velo]

Phew.... did anyone else breathe a sigh of relief when that joke finally pulled into the station....?

I'm afraid it had me all at sea....

[jean]

...although 'le tramway' can also refer to 'the tram system' and well as an actual tramcar.

In Italian, we have examples of its use for a system that no longer exists at all.

Ferrovie Tramvie Vicentine in the province of Vicenza runs neither trains nor trams, only buses. But it's never bothered to change its name.

[Sir Velo]

You did that on purpose, didn't you?

I thought I was siding up to that one quite well....

[ahinton]

While I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments regarding that neologism, one of the words which sets my teeth on edge is 'comprise' used when 'compose' is meant.

I might have responded to that but am too busy comprising some music.

[Mahler's3rd]

On signing a new player in the recent transfer window a Premier League manager said in an interview, "of course he's a good player, he's better with the ball than he is without it"..............

Just as well I suppose given the fee paid

[Don Petter]

'This point is inferred by...'

You did that on purpose, didn't you?

What are you implying?

[Flosshilde]

Strictly speaking, the railway is the whole operation.

If you wanted to talk about the bit the trains actually ran on, you said railway line.

Surely 'track' is the correct term (as you suggest later in your post -

(The word tramway/tramwaia in Polish popularly refers not to the track the tram runs on, but to the tramcar itself.)

)

[Bryn]

Surely 'track' is the correct term (as you suggest later in your post -

)

Surely a railway train runs on rails, which comprise part of the track, the latter also including the ballast, sleepers, etc.

[Sir Velo]

'This point is inferred by...'



What are you implying?

In(fer)red. Elementary really. Glad that's ironed out.

[Flosshilde]

Surely a railway train runs on rails, which comprise part of the track, the latter also including the ballast, sleepers, etc.

The rails wouldn't be much use without the sleepers, which keep the rails the correct distance apart, and the ballast, which provides cushioning for the weight of the train & keeps the rails level. So the train needs the complete track to run on. If it just ran on the rails it would very quickly go off the rails.

[Bryn]

The rails wouldn't be much use without the sleepers, which keep the rails the correct distance apart, and the ballast, which provides cushioning for the weight of the train & keeps the rails level. So the train needs the complete track to run on. If it just ran on the rails it would very quickly go off the rails.

If the train came off the rails (which its wheels run in direct contact with) it would not run too successfully on the other components of the track.

[ahinton]

While some of us have been training ourselves to keep track of the topic and others of us railing against it in continuously welded manner, it occurs to me that another absurd phrase that I've heard in station announcements (albeit not one that I've encountered recently so perhaps it's been quietly consigned to the ballast) is "the service now standing at platform × is the twenty-three ten service for..."...