# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/21 "2003-01-08T13:29:21Z")
Terminal. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/22 "2003-01-08T13:31:47Z")
Oops…that doesn’t convey very much nextosity, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/23 "2003-01-08T20:43:47Z")
Does ‘ultimate’ imply ‘next’? ‘Next’ and ‘final’ just seem too different to me. Like a word meaning ‘round’ and ‘green.’ Though I wish there was one. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/24 "2003-01-08T21:20:00Z")
We have . . ‘The next station/stop is . . .where this train terminates. All change please’ On the local train system, the announcer actually says ‘The next station stop’ word for word though, which I don’t understand, why ‘station’ and ‘stop’? I often wonder if they are reading from a script which gives them the choice of ‘station/stop’ but they just read it as written who knows. Anyway, final and next? well as already said Ultimate would work or Terminal but they don’t really imply the next ‘part’. I think I agree with Shade. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/25 "2003-01-08T22:09:14Z")
You can stop not at a station and not stop at a station, so both are necessary to be completely unambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![Coilean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@Coilean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coilean)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/26 "2003-01-08T23:11:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shade \* > **Does ‘ultimate’ imply ‘next’?** I don’t think so. ‘Ultimate’ does imply final or terminal, but not next. In fact, I think ultimate is often used to imply that there are several steps between the point of utterance and whatever ultimate refers to. (e.g. The ultimate goal of this board is to do away with ignorance but we’ll first have to get more people on-line, establish intervention programs to de-bunk urban ledgends, and do something about the whole “-gry” question.) I think ‘next’ anchors a noun in a series however, it cannot specify an external location in that series. Thus I agree with you that ‘next’ and ‘final’ (which does specify an external location) are two completly differnt seamntic entities. Off the top of my head I can’t think of a word that blends these two concepts or if we can even do this in English. However, it’s safe to say that within 5 min or so someone will come along to prove me wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/27 "2003-01-09T00:01:34Z")
Plus, if you say “ultimate”, people will think it means the coolest, awesome, etc. “Penn Station is the ultimate stop. It beats the pants off of Hauppauge and Smithtown.” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/28 "2003-01-09T19:32:48Z")
Well it definitely beats the pants off Hauppauge which doesn’t even merit a stop! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/29 "2003-01-09T21:27:48Z")
Interestingly, though there’s no word that means both “next” and “final,” there’s a word that means both “previous” and “final.” Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/30 "2003-01-09T21:36:52Z")
Fine. Patchogue. Happy? 🆒 ---
**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 9, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/31 "2003-01-09T22:11:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DanielWithrow \* > \*\*Interestingly, though there’s no word that means both “next” and “final,” there’s a word that means both “previous” and “final.” > > Daniel \*\* OK, since I don’t have time to think right now, what is it? And why do I KNOW that I’m going to feel stupid when I find out? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/32 "2003-01-09T22:13:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jackknifed Juggernaut \* > \*\*OK, since I don’t have time to think right now, what is it? And why do I KNOW that I’m going to feel stupid when I find out? \*\* And here I was thinking my last post in this thread would be my last post in this thread. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/33 "2003-01-09T22:26:59Z")
How 'bout “…and lastly…” ---
**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 9, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/34 "2003-01-09T23:25:23Z")
DanielWithrow, tell me dammit! This is the last time I’m asking! I suppose “last” and “final” imply “previous” when used to describe something that happened in the past. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowWarrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@ShadowWarrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowWarrior)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/35 "2003-01-10T11:47:06Z")
How about ‘…the only remaining stop is…’ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/36 "2003-01-10T11:52:48Z")
Concluding? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/37 "2003-01-10T13:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > And here I was thinking my last post in this thread would be my last post in this thread.\* Good one, **Daniel** Got it yet, **Jackknifed**? \*paraphrased quote ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/38 "2003-01-10T13:57:19Z")
[hijack] Guy gets on the Chicago-South Bend-Indianapolis train. Tells the Steward: “Look, I’m gonna take a nap, but I don’t want to miss my stop in South Bend. Please make sure you wake me up so I get off the train in South Bend.” Steward says “Will do.” A few hours later the train stops in Indianapolis. All the passengers get off, and the Guy, seeing that he’s in Indianapolis and not South Bend, gets furious and punches the Steward in the nose. Another passenger, witnessing this, is aghast. He says, “Boy, that fellow sure was in a mood!” Steward says, “You think he was bad, you should have seen that guy we threw off in South Bend!” :: rimshot :: [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/39 "2003-01-10T15:05:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*Well it definitely beats the pants off Hauppauge which doesn’t even merit a stop! 😛 \*\* I think Hauppauge (how the \*\*\*\* do you pronounce that BTW) sounds like a pretty happening place. Sounds like the name of an ancient Icelandic ritual involving lots of alcohol and confused sheep. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949/40 "2003-01-10T15:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by r\_k \* > \*\*(Apparently the train drivers refer to the announcer as Sonia, cos she gets Sonia nerves…) \*\* Her real name is [Emma Clarke](http://www.emmaclarke.com/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-next-and-final/146949.md?page=3)