I was doing the WSJ weekend crossword puzzle yesterday; the clue was: Where dentists work and the answer was filling station.

This got me to thinking about filling station and gas station (probably petrol station in the UK.) Is there a regional difference among these three terms? Are there other generic terms for where one goes to refuel her auto? Does anyone use refueling station?

TEd

I hear 'gas station,' 'filling station,' and 'service station' around here, but most often 'service station' even though the services have pretty much died out.

wow! haven't heard filling station in a long time. That's what my Dad calls it. takes me right back to my childhood.
usually it's gas station or service station these days.

The earliest drive in facilities for gasoline used to be called "filling stations" east of the Rockies and "service stations" west of Rockies. Why so and when the terms merged into the generic service station, I dont know. Have also heard them referred to as petrol pumps or simply gas stations.

Petrol station or gas station in the Zild. Filling station would be understood if used within context, but filling station can also be used for a place where pretty much anything is bulk filled, including flagons full of beer. Pretty much the same thing here in Britland, too, I think.

- Pfranz

In typical Oz style, we have the Servo. Most other terms are uncommon.

I'm usually west of the mississippi and I say gas station most often, unless I'm paying way too much for milk at the same time and then I call it a Convenience store.

> In typical Oz style, we have the Servo. Most other terms are uncommon.

In what part of Oz do you refer to them as "servos"? I use "petrol station" or "service station". Although, as someone pointed out, "service station" is an ironic term in these days of self service.

Mark Waddington

Mark Waddington

In what part of Oz do you refer to them as "servos"?

In the 20-30 years part. And in Adelaide.

Thinking about it I reckon I would say:

"I need some petrol, I'm off to the garage."

"Which one?"

"I'll go to the Shell/Esso/Total (whatever) garage."

On a Motorway I would refer to the Motorway Services or perhaps Motorway Service Station. They are rest stops with eating facilities, shops etc as well as petrol.

I would'nt speak of petrol station or filling station, the context would make it clear I was going to the garage for petrol. I am making this personal here because maybe younger drivers or drivers from other parts of the UK have different usages. We have absorbed so much Australian and American phraseology, some appealing some not.

The word station, I think, we reserve pretty much for train and bus stations and until relatively recently it would have been only trains. Buses would be found at the bus depot.

> Thinking about it I reckon I would say:
>
> "I need some petrol, I'm off to the garage."

Good point. We would also use the term "garage" here for a petrol station.

> On a Motorway I would refer to the Motorway Services or perhaps Motorway Service Station. They are
> rest stops with eating facilities, shops etc as well as petrol.

We would call them "truck stops" or "road houses".

> We have absorbed so much Australian and American phraseology, some appealing some not.

What Australian phraseology have you absorbed over there? And how could any of it not be appealing?!

> The word station, I think, we reserve pretty much for train and bus stations and until relatively recently
> it would have been only trains. Buses would be found at the bus depot.

Agreed, in part. We would refer to the place where a train stops as a "train station". However, a bus stops at a bus stop. A bus depot is where the buses stop overnight, sometimes called a terminus as well.

Mark Waddington

What Australian phraseology have you absorbed over there? And how could any of it not be appealing?!

Some examples:

Aggro; Amber fluid; back of beyond; barbie; booze; chook; deli; cream (the other team); dog (Woman viewed as unattractive); dag; knocked back (refused); plonk; prezzie; rellie; stickybeak (I’ve only heard this once or twice, but like it very much for its imagery, intend to encourage it).

Some of these have been around so long they are most probably thought of as English English. The level of appeal is subjective and up to the individual to decide for himself.

a bus stops at a bus stop. A bus depot is where the buses stop overnight, sometimes called a terminus as well.

Well, yeah, agreed a bus stops at a bus stop, lives at a depot, and we do use terminus. In the UK if the word station is used on its own, “I’m off to the station now”, then the train station is meant. I don’t think we often use the two words together, we would, however, speak of the railway station.

Ooooh-eeeee-ooooh! I just used "back of beyond" in another post.

I saw that! The synchronicity Zeitgeist is alive!

dxb's analysis holds for the northern counties of England as well, so far as I'm aware. (although Yorkshire people probably say something else, just to be different )

"Bus Stop" is the place along the route where you flag a bus down; "Bus Station" is the main place where you find buses in large numbers (well - that's the theory rather than the fact ) and where you can change easily (??) from one route to another.

Where I live now, we rarely use "station" by itself, because the trains and the buses are stationed fairly near to each other, and confusion might occur if we didn't specify which.
However, if someone were to say just "station", I, and I think most of my fellow citizens, would assume "train" rather than "bus".

And we usually say "garage" round here, to indicate the place where petrol and diesel may be purchased (usually alongside a full range of confectionary, cut flowers, coal, barbecue charcoal, books, CDs and take-away foods. Not to mention Looto tickets!) [I meant Lotto, but the typo is so serendipitous that I can't bear to alter it!]