Booking or Reservation

Are these two words synonyms?

Booking == Reservation ????


Thanks in advance!

rodrimuino said:

Are these two words synonyms?

Booking == Reservation ????


Thanks in advance!

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Yes they are. Booking is predominantely Br. English and reservation predominantly Am. English.

There is a shade of difference.

A reservation is the arrangement for (a seat, ticket, etc.) to be kept for the use of a particular person:
in a restaraunt, you will hear Do you have a reservation for tonight?
In a hotel: I have a reservation for a double room.

A booking is the arrangement to have a seat, room, entertainer, etc. at a particular time in the future:
I would like to book a table for tonight.
I would like to book a room for three nights next month.
I have booked a seat on the train tomorrow.
We have a booking for a table tonight.

Both are used in the UK, with these differences.

Anglika said:

There is a shade of difference.

A reservation is the arrangement for (a seat, ticket, etc.) to be kept for the use of a particular person:
in a restaraunt, you will hear Do you have a reservation for tonight?
In a hotel: I have a reservation for a double room.

A booking is the arrangement to have a seat, room, entertainer, etc. at a particular time in the future:
I would like to book a table for tonight.
I would like to book a room for three nights next month.
I have booked a seat on the train tomorrow.
We have a booking for a table tonight.

Both are used in the UK, with these differences.

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Anglika, really, in practically every example you have given the two are synonimous and in England one is much more likely to hear "booking" than "reservation", although I accept that one does hear it from time to time, mainly from people who are trying to appear "sophisticated".;-)

Well, the pub we booked a table in today asked if we had made a reservation.

Anglika said:

Well, the pub we booked a table in today asked if we had made a reservation.

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D'you know Anglika, this goes some way towards confirming what I've been thinking for some time now, pubs in England are becoming more and more pretentious. Speaking, admittedly, as someone who hasn't lived in England for 20 years but who, nevertheless, visits regularly and keeps in touch with people there.

bhaisahab said:

D'you know Anglika, this goes some way towards confirming what I've been thinking for some time now, pubs in England are becoming more and more pretentious. Speaking, admittedly, as someone who hasn't lived in England for 20 years but who, nevertheless, visits regularly and keeps in touch with people there.

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I see nothing pretentious in asking if you have reserved a table. Seems to me to be totally normal.

I think it is much more that the whole balance is changing. Pretentious pubs don't last. And these days, with smoking and drink-driving as crimes, pubs have to find other attractions for their customers than merely good beer.

Anglika said:

I see nothing pretentious in asking if you have reserved a table. Seems to me to be totally normal.

I think it is much more that the whole balance is changing. Pretentious pubs don't last. And these days, with smoking and drink-driving as crimes, pubs have to find other attractions for their customers than merely good beer.

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What is wrong with a good old fashioned English booking? Please see my original response to this post.

Originally Posted by rodrimuino
Are these two words synonyms?

Booking == Reservation ????


Thanks in advance!
Yes they are. Booking is predominantely Br. English and reservation predominantly Am. English.

I don't know about you rodrimuino, but this seems clear to me:

A reservation is the arrangement for (a seat, ticket, etc.) to be kept for the use of a particular person:
in a restaraunt, you will hear, "Do you have a reservation?"
In a hotel: "I have a reservation for a double room."

A booking is the arrangement to have a seat, room, entertainer, etc. at a particular time in the future:
I would like to book a table for tonight. (The person rings the restaurant in the morning.)
I would like to book a room for three nights next month.
I have booked a seat on the train tomorrow.


I ring today and make a booking, so when I turn up in a week/a month's time, a seat at a concert, or a table at a restaurant, or a hotel room, has been reserved that night for my use.
Me to hotel receptionist: I have a reservation for tonight in the name of Smith.
She: We have no listing for that name for tonight.
Me: But I made the booking over a week ago.

Me to hotel receptionist: I have a reservation/booking for tonight in the name of Smith.
She: We have no listing for that name for tonight.
Me: But I booked it/made the booking over a week ago.

I have a reservation/booking for tonight in the name of Smith.

Yes - the situation where two different expressions are blended, when actually it is more clearly:
I have a reservation because I made a booking for tonight last week.
Because a listener can understand what is being said does not mean it is accurately expressed.
Witness this forum! We see some amazing feats of divining a poster's real meaning!

Hi rodrimuino,

reserve = to cause to be set aside, as for one's use, in advance: bespeak, book, engage.
SYNONYMS book, bespeak, engage, reserve. These verbs mean to cause something to be set aside in advance, as for one's use or possession: will book a hotel room; made sure their selections were bespoken; engaged a box for the opera season; reserving a table at a restaurant.
Reservation =
1. Booking, appointment, or date to perform some activity at a particular time and place.

reservation: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com
book: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com
reserve: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com

Regards.

V.

vil said:

Hi rodrimuino,

reserve = to cause to be set aside, as for one's use, in advance: bespeak, book, engage.
SYNONYMS book, bespeak, engage, reserve. These verbs mean to cause something to be set aside in advance, as for one's use or possession: will book a hotel room; made sure their selections were bespoken; engaged a box for the opera season; reserving a table at a restaurant.
Reservation =
1. Booking, appointment, or date to perform some activity at a particular time and place.

reservation: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com
book: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com
reserve: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com

Regards.

V.

Click to expand...

Thankyou for getting back to the point of the question vil.

Thank you for getting back to the point of the question vil.

...and for our part, we'll overlook how it became obscured!

David L. said:

Thank you for getting back to the point of the question vil.

...and for our part, we'll overlook how it became obscured!

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It was not obscured by me, if you look at my original post on the thread, it was simply to say that the two were synonimous, it was Anglica who introduced the argument about differences in meaning.

bhaisahab said:

It was not obscured by me, if you look at my original post on the thread, it was simply to say that the two were synonimous, it was Anglica who introduced the argument about differences in meaning.

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Re-read my posts. There is the same definition in Vil's post.

Anglika said:

Re-read my posts. There is the same definition in Vil's post.

Click to expand...

Reserve and book are synonymousSYNONYMS book, bespeak, engage, reserve. These verbs mean to cause something to be set aside in advance, as for one's use or possession: will book a hotel room; made sure their selections were bespoken; engaged a box for the opera season; reserving a table at a restaurant.
is what I understand from the references. Which is what I said in my first post to this thread. So what are the dfferences?;-)

Much ado about nothing!;-)

Regards.

V.