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I came across this term at an English train station. My friend and I were looking for a place to store our luggage and it didn't occur to us that 'left luggage' was the place we needed to go as it seems like a place for lost property. Why does it have this confusing (for a non-native English speaker) name? What's the origin?
@LorelC The luggage in a left luggage office wasn't left until it was handed over to a member of staff for safe keeping. Similarly once it's been retrieved it is no longer left as it has been picked up. While you are carrying it around it cannot be 'left luggage'. similarly if you have left it behind on a train or in a station cafe it is not 'left luggage' as it is not in the left luggage office. – BoldBen – 2019-04-01T19:53:20.007