# Is there a word for "next" AND "final"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949 "2003-01-06T15:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/1 "2003-01-06T15:40:12Z")
Every morning on my train ride into the city, the conductor announces: “New York Penn Station will be the next and final stop.” It’s necessary to say “next” so that people know that New York is next. It’s also necessary to say “final” so that people know that there are no other stops after New York. So is there a word for next and final? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/2 "2003-01-06T15:48:53Z")
If the conductor said that this station was the penultimate station, that would signfy the next station was the final one. I can’t think of a wrod for the next and final station itself, though. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/3 "2003-01-06T16:08:52Z")
While perhaps not as clear as next and final, how about remaining? ---
**Author:** ![William\_Ashbless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@William\_Ashbless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/William_Ashbless)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/4 "2003-01-06T16:11:18Z")
Penultimate won’t work. People misuse this word all the time. My understanding is that ‘penultimate’ is ‘next to the ultimate’. If you want ultimate, use ultimate. From Merriam-Webster online (just to prove the point): One entry found for penultimate. Main Entry: pen·ul·ti·mate Pronunciation: pi-'n&l-t&-m&t Function: adjective Date: 1677 1 : next to the last \ 2 : of or relating to a penult \ - pen·ul·ti·mate·ly adverb ---
**Author:** ![William\_Ashbless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@William\_Ashbless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/William_Ashbless)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/5 "2003-01-06T16:14:46Z")
Oh, DoH! I’m sorry guys. I didn’t quite parse pravnik’s message correctly. pravnik is absolutely right. If the current one is penultimate, then the next is ultimate. But still, people would likely screw up the meaning of penultimate as its been misinterpreted before (I’ve seen it misused in novels and newspapers). Hmm, sorry, can’t think of a word for next and last. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/6 "2003-01-06T16:17:00Z")
Yeesh, I know penultimate means next to last. I _said_ penultimate won’t work. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > If the conductor said that this station was the penultimate station, that would signfy the next station was the final one. **I can’t think of a word for the next and final station itself, though.** What’s not to understand? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/7 "2003-01-06T16:19:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by William\_Ashbless \* > \*\*Oh, DoH! I’m sorry guys. I didn’t quite parse pravnik’s message correctly. pravnik is absolutely right. If the current one is penultimate, then the next is ultimate. > > But still, people would likely screw up the meaning of penultimate as its been misinterpreted before (I’ve seen it misused in novels and newspapers). > > Hmm, sorry, can’t think of a word for next and last. \*\* :smack: And of course, I post my semi-snarky reply before seeing the apology. My apology as well, **William**. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/8 "2003-01-06T16:45:43Z")
I nominate “shnoof”. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/9 "2003-01-06T16:46:00Z")
I nominate “shnoof”. (Yes, I made it up) ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/10 "2003-01-06T16:48:34Z")
I like to repeat myself. I like to repeat myself. Weird that the original posted though. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/11 "2003-01-06T16:51:59Z")
I wonder why it needs to be announced that station X is the final stop. Do people get on trains without a destination in mind? ---
**Author:** ![nogginhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@nogginhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogginhead)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/12 "2003-01-06T16:54:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by William\_Ashbless \* > \*\*Penultimate won’t work. People misuse this word all the time. My understanding is that ‘penultimate’ is ‘next to the ultimate’. If you want ultimate, use ultimate. > \*\* Right. So how about: “The ultimate stop is [or will be] Penn Station.” More awkward than ‘remaining’ but possibly more precise, also? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/13 "2003-01-06T16:59:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CuriousCanuck \* > \*\*I like to repeat myself. I like to repeat myself. > > Weird that the original posted though. \*\* Your best bet is to assume that once you hit that “submit” button, the SDMB has received your post, regardless of whether you get a confirmation or not. Welcome! [sub]FTR, I like “shnoof”. But don’t you think there should be a “c” in there? “Schnoof”.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/14 "2003-01-06T17:06:35Z")
_I wonder why it needs to be announced that station X is the final stop. Do people get on trains without a destination in mind?_ Perhaps, but mainly people might have been unsure as to how far this particular train runs. If someone thought it went farther down the line, he might stay on the train as it reverses direction and end up farther away from his destination than he wanted to be. _So how about : “The ultimate stop is [or will be] Penn Station.”_ That doesn’t address the “next” issue. It would be true whether Penn Station was the next stop or still 5 stops away. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/15 "2003-01-06T17:17:20Z")
And Penn Station will be the last stop. (cheating, I know, but it’s pretty close to what you want.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/16 "2003-01-06T17:20:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pablito \* > \*\*And Penn Station will be the last stop. > > (cheating, I know, but it’s pretty close to what you want.) \*\* Still doesn’t address the “next” issue. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/17 "2003-01-06T17:44:01Z")
Well, using the “advanced search” function in the OED didn’t turn up anything under adjectives where ‘next’ and ‘final’ appeared near each other in the definitions. I suppose you might try combining the Latin root for “next” with ‘ultimate’, but God knows if anyone would want to use it. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/18 "2003-01-06T19:49:52Z")
How 'bout, “This, last [or final] stop will be …” ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/19 "2003-01-06T20:24:45Z")
I popped in to post “ultimate”. I think the word usage is correct, but would probably be misunderstood in this case. I think the “next and final stop” is probably the most clear way to state it. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/20 "2003-01-07T01:48:07Z")
If there is, then the folks at London Underground haven’t discovered it. In fact they’re even more verbose: [adopt irritating computerised female voice] “The next station is Ealing Broadway, where this train terminates. All change, please…[pause]…Thank you for travelling on the Central Line.” Yeah, like I had a lot of choice. (Apparently the train drivers refer to the announcer as Sonia, cos she gets Sonia nerves…) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949.md?page=2)