View Full Version : Deplane????
Rupert S
28th Dec 2003, 03:44
My parents were asking me: When they used to live in america during the '70s and '80s they heard the term "deplane" (pronounced "dee-plane") used when flying to and from america on the american airlines (in the context "We will be deplaning shortly, please make sure you have all your baggage").
Any idea of it's origins?
TightSlot
28th Dec 2003, 08:45
I suspect the origins lie in the occasional determination of our cousins to use as many complex words as possible, instead of concentrating on an economy of phrasing. Examples include:
1. "What is the beverage of your choice?" meaning "Would you like a drink?"
2. "At this time..." meaning "Now"
3. "Federal regulations prohibit...." meaning "Please don't"
4. "Overhead Locker" meaning "hatrack"
5. "We are experiencing an ongoing delay situation..." meaning "we are running late"
And so on.
It's all part of the fun when flying with US carriers. Don't worry, they think we in the UK are all as crazy/mad as a bag of ferrets anyway, so it cuts both ways!
P.S. - I assume "deplane" relates to anything else that we do "dee", as in decant, deforestate, defenstrate & decompose. I stand to be corrected.
Rupert S
28th Dec 2003, 15:53
Very true TS - and all americans do it when they speak in public (I'm allowed to slag off the yanks I'm one mysef ).:}
knobbygb
29th Dec 2003, 16:42
On the subject of american aviation terms, don't you think "Jetway" sounds a lot better than "Air Bridge"?
Gouabafla
29th Dec 2003, 23:19
On a flight from Denver to Colarado Springs, I was concerned when the pilot announced that we would be airborne momentarily. I was really hoping that we'd stay up longer than that!
Rupert S
29th Dec 2003, 23:30
Airbridge??? I always used to call it the funny extendy thingy that takes you to the plane.
We get a similar reply here in Lagos when we ask the check in staff what time the plane will be leaving.
"deplane will be leaving when depilot is good and ready"
419
PAXboy
30th Dec 2003, 01:04
In South Africa, you might be taxying out and they will be telling you, "We shall be air borne just now."
That will leave you wondering how you could have missed the journey. But they mean "shortly"or "in a moment".
flyblue
30th Dec 2003, 01:51
Actaully it's the word we used as opposed to "Evacuate". It means "to leave the aircraft through standard exits, without using the emergency drills".
TwinAisle
1st Jan 2004, 20:13
"Deplane" has a lovely word for its opposite....
"Enplane" - I kid u not!
TA
whauet
2nd Jan 2004, 07:58
The prefix 'de' is from Latin, meaning 'down', so, 'deplane' would be 'to get down off of an airplane'.
Yeah, don't mean to get so serious about it, but I had to do something so I could just say that 'defenstrate' is one of my favorite words.. :)
Globaliser
2nd Jan 2004, 16:52
For ugliness, try the American cruise line's opposite to embark - "debark".
BrightonGirl
3rd Jan 2004, 10:38
"Debark" instead of "disembark"????? Yikes. I have to admit I've never heard that one.
The word used in Mexico (don't know whether it's the same in all Spanish-speaking countries) for air bridges is the Spanish word for "worm" (sorry, can't recall what it is). Because of the way it kind of snakes out from the terminal.
Self Loading Freight
3rd Jan 2004, 10:59
I've also encountered, courtesy of some of Her Maj's shouty Sarn-Majors, "Debus left! Debus right" when being called upon to leave the luxury land transport laid on to take us to a place of imminent and extreme discomfort.
R