Most recently I have heard people saying "twenty 0 six," rather than "two thousand and six." Have you been hearing that, too? Do you think eventually everyone will say "twenty," instead of "two thousand?" I have asked people about that, and they say no, but I think we will see it evolve. For example, when it is 2026, I assume everyone will say "twenty twenty six," rather than "two thousand twenty six," don't you? Thoughts?

I tend to say just "O six", or "two thousand an' six" when the full year is necessary.

I'm trying to start a trend by referring to last year as "aught five", and similarly for the other years of this millenium, but it isn't catching on very well.

I rather agree with you, sean, but I wouldn't bet on it. It was the usage a century ago, as evidenced by this double-dactyl of Britsh understatement:

J. Alfred Prufrock to
Hugh Selwyn Mauberly,
"Whatever happened to
Senlin, aught-nine?"

"One with the passion for
Orientalia?"
"Rather." "Lost track of him."
"Pity." "Design."

I don't like using "O" for "zero" in most cases. I like "twenty aught six," but I doubt it'll catch on, so I'll continue to say "two thousand six."

Tinman

Let's see if we can all root for "aught six" and make the world around us come along for the ride!

I can't say I've heard anyone saying "twenty O..." Almost everyone seems to say "two thousand and..."

I would say that is slightly surprising considering almost everyone says "nineteen O...", "eighteen O...", etc. Maybe the times they are a-changing?

I like twenty oh six, or slightly less twenty aught six. I say 1900 as nineteen hundred and 1906 as nineteen oh six. The aught for me sounds archaic, only really occuring naturally for me in the phrase thirty aught six (i.e., .30-06 as a kind of rifle). Saying aught five or aught nine without the twenty sounds better than oh six or oh nine.

Until I become an old fogey, I just don't think I can use "aught." It seems like a word used by the elderly, such as "commence." I remember when I was little I asked my mother if I could spend the night with my grandmother before "school commences." She said she knew right away Grandma had invited me because she knew I'd never use the word "commence."

I think people will start to say 'twenty' when we hit double figures (2010 etc), or thereabouts. I don't know why, but somehow, twenty-ten, twenty-fifteen, twenty-twenty-five etc sound better than 'two thousand and...', but the opposite appears to be true for the single digits. I originally thought it was because it takes longer to say the latter, but that's the case at present too, so why we've stuck with 'two thousand and...' I don't know.

Does this win the prize for 'most pointless post ever'?

Actually, I usually end up saying "oh six".

quote:

Does this win the prize for 'most pointless post ever'?

No, of course not, Cat! Actually I was thinking exactly the same thing...but I worried that I'd win that prize.

Don't worry Kalleh, you not only have the most pointless post, there isn't even anybody else in the top ten.

For me the years of this decade are only two thousand and six, not twenty oh six (we don't have the 'aught' possibility), and that seems to hold up to two thousand and ten. Thereafter, twenty eleven, twenty twelve, and most years such as twenty twenty-seven.

However, I seem to prefer two thousand and twenty, two thousand and thirty, and so on quite strongly: the pattern twenty twenty, twenty thirty, twenty forty sounds too much like a pairing of similar values (as in vision).

But the force of established pattern might prove too strong: as two thousand and nine rolls into two thousand and ten, it might be hard for people to think of the one after as anything but two thousand and eleven.

Reviving a thread...
Oh, heck, this thread reminds me of how much I miss Aput. Has anyone heard from him?

Anyway, I found a use of today that I hadn't seen. In referring to 2000 years, an author wrote, "...'The New Adventures of Old Christine,' a 'Rhoda' for the Oughties, and don't forget..."

Oughties?