When I was visiting with my father, he mentioned getting gas at the "filling station." I call it a "gas station." As I was driving home from Wisconsin, I saw it called a "Fuel Pump."

What do you call it?

We who were instructors in the Dale Carnegie Customer-Relations Course, with class members from filling stations and gas stations taught them to refer to their work place as a service station.

That was decades ago. Now it's rare to see any personnel at all in such establishments. In the middle of Utah on one of my trans-continental driving trips, I stopped to refuel in the middle of the night. I slipped my credit card into the slot and the little lighted window said, "Please see the Cashier."

I asked the Cashier what the problem was.

"The problem," she said, "is that I get lonely."

The thing that dispenses the fuel is called a petrol pump; a collection of petrol pumps is called a petrol station. If the place does repairs as well, then it's called a garage.

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Originally posted by Richard English:
The thing that dispenses the fuel is called a petrol pump; a collection of petrol pumps is called a petrol station. If the place does repairs as well, then it's called a garage.

Yes, in the dictionary.
In common everyday use many people (around here anyway) say "I have to go to the garage" when they need petrol. Garage is a commonly used term for anywhere selling petrol whether or not it does repairs.

I'd go along with that. It's pronounced garridge as well, and it also the word used for where you put oyur car at night.

Good to see you Graham. Hey, it's always good to see someone who's agreeing with me!

We do sometimes see references to a 'filling station', though, although most people, as the other British posters have said, call it a 'petrol station' or 'garage'. I suppose that technically they shouldn't be called 'petrol stations' since most (if not all) sell diesel fuel as well.

I call it a gas station. I recognize the term filling station but associate it, rightly or wrongly, with my father's generation (folks born in the entre deux guerres). Service station sounded a bit euphemistic even back in the '60s before the oil crisis of the '70s. Garage, for me, is a place where you park cars. I just took my car this morning to the mechanic's for its servicing. (Auto) repair shop would be a longer but synonomous term, and not to be confused with a body shop.

My vernacular is similar to zmj's.

I'd like to hear you British pronounce "garage"...maybe in a few weeks. I do remember we've mentioned that UK/US difference here before, but still..."garridge"?

BTW, Graham, we'd love to see you at the wordcraft convention October 6-8. John Simpson of the OED has agreed to meet with us, so it should be fun!

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I'd like to hear you British pronounce "garage"...maybe in a few weeks.

A few weeks? It's only just over a fortnight...

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I recognize the term filling station but associate it, rightly or wrongly, with my father's generation (folks born in the entre deux guerres).

Ditto. My Dad said filling station.

I go to the gas station, or I run by Speedway (a chain name) or BP. I don't just get gas, I also get coffee. Yum. Think I'll go now, as a matter of fact. I've been driving on fumes this morning, I think!

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I go to the gas station, or I run by Speedway (a chain name) or BP. I don't just get gas, I also get coffee.

I suppose I should know the answer to this, but in England we get our gas delivered to our houses by pipes and we buy petrol from the filling station.

What do you Americans call the stuff that arrives at your houses in a pipe and you burn in your boiler?

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What do you Americans call the stuff that arrives at your houses in a pipe and you burn in your boiler?

(Natural) gas.

What do you Americans call the stuff that arrives at your houses in a pipe and you burn in your boiler?

(Natural) gas if it is, and propane if it's not. (I'm surprised that the British don't, or at least Mr English doesn't, call gas(oline) naphtha.)

People get propane through a pipe? I thought it always came in a can.

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(I'm surprised that the British don't, or at least Mr English doesn't, call gas(oline) naphtha.)

The hydrocarbon used for road fuel has been called petrol since the early part of the last century. I recall a discussion around half a century ago in "Motor Sport" as to the origin of the word "petrol" which was popularised by F R Simms. I can't recall the resolution of the discussion but I believe that Simms was eventually proved not to be the originator of the term.

Naptha is an old-fashioned name and it was never used for motor car fuel after WW1 and maybe not even before then, so far as I know.

People get propane through a pipe?

In many rural areas, propane is delivered to tanks by truck. It comes into the house through a pipe. It comes in liquid form and is sold by the (US) gallon.