last stop/final destination
- Thread starter jiamajia
- Start date
"Final destination," to me, means where I ultimately want to go on this trip: my home, a friend's home, an office, a store. My destination is unlikely to be a subway stop, even one at the end of a line. I am almost certain to continue my trip by bus, by taxi, by some other means of transportation, or on foot.
I have heard this phrase used in a similar way on flights, where a cabin crew member, on welcoming us to an airport, often says something like "If Chicago is your final destination, you may collect your checked baggage on Carousel 3." (Presumably some passengers will connect to other flights.) It's a bit softer than the usage you cite because it considers all of Chicago, and presumably its surroundings, to be part of the destination - not just the airport. Still, it's similar, so perhaps the usage you found isn't that bad.
I have heard this phrase used in a similar way on flights, where a cabin crew member, on welcoming us to an airport, often says something like "If Chicago is your final destination, you may collect your checked baggage on Carousel 3." (Presumably some passengers will connect to other flights.) It's a bit softer than the usage you cite because it considers all of Chicago, and presumably its surroundings, to be part of the destination - not just the airport. Still, it's similar, so perhaps the usage you found isn't that bad.
It's the final destination of the train that is being referred to. Often, however, the same phrase is used for travellers, hence the mental clash of meanings.
Strictly, "Final destination" is a tautology.
A "destination" is by definition the place at which a journey ends, and there can be no destination before that, any more than a woman can be "a bit pregnant".
Of course a passenger's destination may not be the same as that of the train or aeroplane she or he is travelling on:
"This train's destination is Glasgow, but I'm only going to Birmingham"
"This plane's destination is Newark, but I am flying on [from there] to Phoenix"
A "destination" is by definition the place at which a journey ends, and there can be no destination before that, any more than a woman can be "a bit pregnant".
Of course a passenger's destination may not be the same as that of the train or aeroplane she or he is travelling on:
"This train's destination is Glasgow, but I'm only going to Birmingham"
"This plane's destination is Newark, but I am flying on [from there] to Phoenix"