5 ms·

Had to read half the article before the word "gasoline" appears, indicating that the gas in the headline is vehicle fuel and not heating gas. After reading the

Had to read half the article before the word "gasoline" appears, indicating that the gas in the headline is vehicle fuel and not heating gas. After reading the whole thing, I'm still not 100% sure.

bin_bash 5y ago
In the US the term "gas prices" will virtually always refer to gasoline. Heating gas we call "natural gas".
fireflash38 5y ago
Almost the entire article is talking about commuter distances & times. Natural gas used as a vehicle fuel is exceedingly rare in the US.
simula67 5y ago
Why Americans refer to petrol as gas, even though it is liquid, is still a mystery to me.
- zekrioca 5y ago
  maybe from gasoline?
- brendoelfrendo 5y ago
  It’s short for gasoline, a word that, etymologically, has no relation to the word gas.
- causi 5y ago
  Gas is short for gasoline, which is what we're putting in our cars. Petrol is short for petroleum, which is not what Europeans are putting in their cars. Remind me again which colloquial wording makes the most sense?
  - Doxin 5y ago
    Well I dunno, last time I checked by far most of Europe does in fact not call it petrol. I can't claim to know which word is most commonly used, but as an anecdote the dutch call it "benzine" which is also "wrong" but in a different way from both gas and petrol. Seems to me no one can figure out what the proper name for this stuff ought to be :P
- prewett 5y ago
  gasoline -> gas at least has a certain logic to it, even though "gas" is unfortunately already a word that means something rather opposite. "Petrol" has always seemed strange to me, too, though, since nobody pumps black sludge ("petroleum") into their car but rather the clear, fluid petroleum distillate called gasoline. I got curious, and "Gasoline" apparently comes from "Gazoline", which Samuel Boyd used to avoid trademark infringement with Patent Cazeline Oil (for use in artificial light), which was named after John Cassell. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology

Had to read half the article before the word "gasoline" appears, indicating that the gas in the headline is vehicle fuel and not heating gas. After reading the whole thing, I'm still not 100% sure.

bin_bash 5y ago

In the US the term "gas prices" will virtually always refer to gasoline. Heating gas we call "natural gas".

fireflash38 5y ago

Almost the entire article is talking about commuter distances & times. Natural gas used as a vehicle fuel is exceedingly rare in the US.

simula67 5y ago

Why Americans refer to petrol as gas, even though it is liquid, is still a mystery to me.

zekrioca 5y ago
maybe from gasoline?
brendoelfrendo 5y ago
It’s short for gasoline, a word that, etymologically, has no relation to the word gas.
causi 5y ago
Gas is short for gasoline, which is what we're putting in our cars. Petrol is short for petroleum, which is not what Europeans are putting in their cars. Remind me again which colloquial wording makes the most sense?
- Doxin 5y ago
  Well I dunno, last time I checked by far most of Europe does in fact not call it petrol. I can't claim to know which word is most commonly used, but as an anecdote the dutch call it "benzine" which is also "wrong" but in a different way from both gas and petrol. Seems to me no one can figure out what the proper name for this stuff ought to be :P
prewett 5y ago
gasoline -> gas at least has a certain logic to it, even though "gas" is unfortunately already a word that means something rather opposite. "Petrol" has always seemed strange to me, too, though, since nobody pumps black sludge ("petroleum") into their car but rather the clear, fluid petroleum distillate called gasoline. I got curious, and "Gasoline" apparently comes from "Gazoline", which Samuel Boyd used to avoid trademark infringement with Patent Cazeline Oil (for use in artificial light), which was named after John Cassell. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology