While the time-zone factor might make a mysterious difference that I am unaware of, my own calendar says today is Friday, June 27.
Next Tuesday is July First. Alternatively, This coming Tuesday is July First.
A week from today is the Fourth of July, America's primary national holiday. That's next Friday. The holiday falls in the middle of many people's vacation.
If today were (subjunctive mood) Tuesday, July First, then this Friday would be the Fourth and next Friday would be the eleventh, init?
Posts: 6708 | Location: Kehena Beach, Hawaii, U.S.A.
To answer your original question, it is easy for us literalists; next Thursday is July 10; this Thursday is July 3. However, I have missed many a date because of my literalism!
quote:Originally posted by Graham Nice: If today was Tuesday July 1, what day would be _next Thursday_?
A July 3 B July 10
My wife and I disagree over this. She is wrong of course.
[off topic bantering] I have to say, you have just given an excellent example of one of my pet peeves. "If today was" (cringe) [/off topic bantering]
And as far as the question posed, if today were Tuesday, July 1st and you said something about next Thursday, you would be referring to Thursday, July 10th of course.
Posts: 1412 | Location: Buffalo, NY, United States
quote:Originally posted by Morgan: And as far as the question posed, if today _were_ Tuesday, July 1st and you said something about next Thursday, you would be referring to Thursday, July 10th of course.
Just out of curiosity - to which day would you be referring if today were Fridy 28th June and you said "next Thursday".
Still the same - even though it's six days away ?
I don't know where the cut off would be but by Tuesday I'd be calling 10th "next Thursday" but on the Friday I'd be calling the 10th "a week next Thursday".
Bob, I would always say this Thursday for the coming Thursday, even if it were 6 days from now. Next Thursday would always be at least a week away. But, as I have said, I have been burned with that, and I now try to say the exact date.
quote:Originally posted by Graham Nice: If today was Tuesday July 1, what day would be next Thursday?
A July 3 B July 10
My wife and I disagree over this. She is wrong of course.
It depends on what you mean by next. If you mean the nearest Thursday following Tuesday, July 1, the answer is July 3. If you mean Thursday of the next week, as many people do, the answer is July 10.
I used to say "next Thursday", meaning the day after tomorrow, but too many people misinterpreted it and thought I meant Thursday of next week. Conversely, people would say to me "next Thursday", meaning Thursday of next week, and I would misunderstand them, thinking they meant the day after tomorrow. It finally dawned on me that many people use "next" to refer to any day in the next week and "this" to refer to any day in the current week. So now I generally say "this coming Thursday" or "Thursday of next week" to avoid confusion.
As for the argument, you're both right.
Tinman
[This message was edited by tinman on Sat Jun 28th, 2003 at 23:00.]
I've had this argument with my partner (albeit not seriously) since 1985, when we met, and I decided to look it up in the OED.
Apparently there's an English and a Scottish usage, whereby the English one is to refer to the immediately following day of that name while the Scottish usage is to refer to the day of that name in the following week.
Let's consider today being Wednesday and I refer to next Tuesday, I'd be referring to a day six days following. Both English and Scottish usage concur here. Were I to refer to next Saturday, English usage would be referring to the day three days hence; the Scottish to that in ten days' time.
I've a hunch that many of the people who use next in the first case above in the Scottish sense might just mean a day thirteen days in the future, which is wrong.
So, although they're both right, they're not both right in the same place!
quote:I've a hunch that many of the people who use next in the first case above in the Scottish sense might just mean a day thirteen days in the future, which is wrong
That would be I. Darn! Wrong again. And, for many years!
I asked my husband about this while we were travelling today. I guess this is a really confusing word after all. He told me to forget about what day we were talking about and think about the directions I was giving him. I would tell him to turn left at the next light and he didn't know if I meant the one we were coming up to or the one after that! I meant the one we were coming up to, yet that is not how I used next when we were talking about days.
Posts: 1412 | Location: Buffalo, NY, United States
quote:I would tell him to turn left at the next light and he didn't know if I meant the one we were coming up to or the one after that!
Oh, Morgan, I have the same problem. When somebody says "turn at the next corner", I turn, come Hell or high water. Sometimes there has been a bit of Hell to pay! [Right, Shufitz?]
Excellent. I never knew that not only was my true love wrong on this, but also Scottish. Apart from that, you all gave pretty typical answers. There is always lots of ambiguity over this matter, and the next-but-one merchants often have a grey area around five or six days ahead.
The definitive answer, particularly when it comes to giving directions to a driver, is to say "this next left" when you want him/her to turn at the very next opportunity and "your second left" when you need to pass through one intersection before making the turn.
Also of major importance is the word "correct." When the aforementioned left turn is approaching and the driver asks you "Do I turn left here?" the correct response is "Correct." The wildly incorrect (and potentially dangerous, traffic-wise) response is "Right" for obvious reasons. Having been the Navigator/Map Reader on dozens of trips while in the Air Force (give me an adequate map and I'll get us to the moon!) I can claim expertise in this matter based on a flawless record, at least as far as navigation was concerned. True, once we arrived at our destination my conduct was occasionally questioned but a guy has a right to enjoy himself!
Regarding the "this Saturday/next Saturday" flap, the same rules apply. Clarity, people, clarity! "This Saturday" is simply not enough since it allows the dimmer-witted among us to confuse the matter. I always use "the Saturday coming up" or, if the day in question is over a week away, "Saturday the (date)th."
Follow these simple rules and then, when someone continues to be confused (and you know how some people are) you have my permission to slap them.
Yes, CJ, I heartily agree. Believe it or not, after all my blabbering about what "next" and "this" means, I just wrote an e-mail to someone and said, "Our next telephone conference will be next Tuesday", meaning "this coming" Tuesday, or the 8th. Sheesh! I don't even follow my own rules! I quickly changed it to the 8th!
If I've been planning a meeting with someone on (say) 2nd July, I always confirm as "Wednesday 2nd July" -- it's surprising how often people say "but the 2nd is a Tuesday, oh no, hang on, I'm on the wrong month".
Likewise, Paul, when I call a volunteer to come in to work, I always say something to the effect of, "Next Thursday, July 10th at 11:15", thus confirming the day, the date, and the time. Amazing how many people say, "yes, I can work next Thursday", but when you mention that it is July 10th, they remember another appointment for that date!
Posts: 1412 | Location: Buffalo, NY, United States
I meant the one we were coming up to, yet that is not how I used next when we were talking about days.
