Informal in-flight jargon
 

During a SYD-MEL flight recently, the pilot welcomed us to "our flight across to Melbourne today". When I heard this, I realized that many pilots use that preposition when describing relatively short flight segments. I wonder how across originated in this context. Does it somehow capture the brevity of the flight from the pilot's point of view?

Another interesting one is today. Not just pilots (as above) but also cabin staff often use this when serving a drink, e.g., "Coffee for you today?". Again, I wonder what the "today" signifies. Did they hear that I ordered tea yesterday and need a change of refreshment? What about the other flights I'm taking today? Should I be answering for those as well?

I'd be interested in any comments on these or other spoken peculiarities in informal in-flight use.

The "across" I am almost certain refers to the fact that SYD-MEL are on a very approximate east-west route and the sense would be that one is going across. As opposed to say SYD-BNE where one might think of it as "up" to BNE and "down" to SYD.

As for the "today", hey, I just know NY English. :D

Cheers, Mate!

Say "3rd and 33rd" for me. ;)

"Tird and tirty-tird"

See, we can be very accomodating.

Now say "Put a shrimp on the barbie" for me.

Anything to further transpacific relations. :D

Wouldn't it be "toid 'n' toity-toid?"

And, to the extent that I'm an expert after a total of about a month there, there ain't no shrimp in Oz (no matter what Yanks are led to believe is a standard phrase). They'd be prawns.

(Back to Brisbane in two months. Remind me to check.)

I'd guess that pilot use of "up, down, and across" may also come from their own experience of being in the cockpit; they end up watching the little digital radar in the cockpit for most of the flight and thereby experience the flight as a geographical experience where they literally go "across" or "down" or "up" on the map.

As for FA's, I dunno.

Toird and toirdy-toird. ( I associated "tird & tirdy tird" as an Irish accent)

Sounds like my Mom and Dad. I am so glad I somehow avoided picking up a New York accent (which is hard having grown up in Queens and on Long Island on the Queens line).

Forget 3rd & 33rd ask him to say coffee, gas and milk, even better ask him to say leg.


On a side note "across" for MEL-SYD is better than an SFO-LHR flight when the captain says "on our short hop over to London." I have never viewed SFO-LHR as a short hop. I view my PVD-IAD and PVD-BWI flights as a short hop.

Inflight terminology deserving attention....
 

When flying on DL and the FA rushes through the cabin shouting "FAR!", she's not calling your attention to distance......

....nor, in restaurants in Southern airports do such terms as "Mo-Tee" or "Mon-Back" have any cultural or anthropological connotations.

TMO