I always understood that a ditch was a (semi-permanent) drainage channel whereas a trench (except in the the warfare sense) is a temporary excavation to enable infrastructure work to be carried out.
The BBC doesn't seem to know the difference. They reported an accident in which a car crashed through some roadworks and fell into a hole containing a gas main which was in the process of being installed.
They called this hole a ditch - see
I was not aware of that distinction and, more important, I see nothing in the OED to support it. Eg its intro to the meanings of the noun trench is "A path or (usually) ditch cut into or through something, and related senses." It does recognise the use of trench in military contexts but then the third meaning is "3. gen. A long, narrow ditch or furrow cut out of the ground."
That said, I can well believe there are differences in usage between regions and trades/professions.
channel, conduit, trench, ditch, gully, drain, culvert, cut, flume, gutter, furrow, groove, depression
Are you not being a little on the pedantic side here? I have no doubt at all that most people knew what they meant. Brian
In message , Brian Gaff writes
I'm not convinced it is pedantic. To me, a ditch is a permanent 'trench' to hold flowing water, whereas a trench is usually something temporary to access services or form footings, etc.
Similarly, I agree with Rod. The floor is inside, not outside.
I very much doubt 'The BBC' vets every single word some local hack says on TV. ;-)
Possibly. But I do get annoyed about careless use of vocabulary - particularly when Americanisms such as Train Station for Railway Station or pronouncing schedule as skedule creep into BBC reports.
Train station is more logical. You after all don't hang around at a road station (bus station).
Flume, addit
channel, canali, canal... Wow! Canals on Mars! Dying civilisation eking out water from the polar caps! Maybe not dead yet! It's bows and arrows against the lightning!
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