Until this morning, I thought the expression, ‘last and final’ was limited to those crack train conductors on
NJ Transit. Not so, a U.S. Airways gate agent just used the very same redundancy to let us know we’d better hustle if we wanted to make it onto the LA flight.
I once tried to correct an NJT conductor after he used the puzzling term. I said, ‘By the way, did you know that last and final mean the same thing?’ He gave me one of those quizzical looks I can remember receiving from one of the rocket scientists I went to high school with, and walked away.
No one expects train conductors and airport gate agents to be grammarians. Still, it would be nice if their employers held basic communications workshops every now and then. And, that’s my last and final comment on the subject.
You forgot one other: strategy consultant.
And let’s not forget…
past history
advance planning
new innovation
completely unanimous
passing fad
free gift
temporary reprieve
final conclusion
actual fact
Ouch.
“Last and final” is the least of our problems, Don’t forget phrases such as invited guest, join together, unexpected surprise…they’re everywhere!!!
“colloquialism, the use of informal expressions appropriate to everyday speech rather than to the formality of writing, and differing in pronunciation, vocabulary, or GRAMMAR”
Examples:
“The Police Will Play Their Last and Final Show in New York” NY Observer, May 6, 2008.
“could care less” Until unfairly chided, an oft used phrase by the Repman.
The new “last and final” I have experienced on a recent flight was “we’ll lose our takeoff position if everyone is not seated immediately”. I have never seen a plane load so fast, with such a quiet and determined certainty.
Looks like it is not just planes and trains…the Police announced their Last and Final…
The Police Will Play Their Last and Final Show in New York
by Irina Aleksander | May 6, 2008
Appearing at a conference with Mayor Bloomberg this morning, The Police announced that their final show ”no, really this time” will take place in New York this summer.
“We kicked off our very first American tour at CBGB’s in 1978 and this summer, 30 years later, our journey will come full circle as we play our final show here in New York City,” the band said in a statement, although it is not entirely full circle since CBGB’s is now a John Varvatos store.
A date and venue have not been set, but it will take place sometime after their London farewell on June 29th. The concert will benefit arts programming for New York’s public television stations.