Posted by Robert Dilley on January 11, 1999 at 17:01:26:
Since all TARS have a natural and laudable desire for accuracy in all things, may I issue a general plea for an end to references to "Lake" Windermere. When I was growing up in the Lake District, a favourite question for visitors was "How many lakes are there in the Lake District?" After listening to careful calculations and wild guesses, we would gleefully reply (we were easily amused then) "One -- Bassenthwaite Lake -- all the others are Meres or Waters".
The "mere" of Windermere means "lake", so the usage "Lake Windermere" means "Lake Winder Lake" (I explained some time ago that "Winder" is from a personal name). If it is argued that there is need to distinguish the lake from the town of that name, then reference to "Windermere Town" would not involve any toponymic redundancy. Please, no more use of "Lake Windermere".