Ask a foreigner

[Friday]

Okay this is to all outside the US. My T will say see you next Thursday, today is Tuesday, to me next Thursday is a week from this Thursday. How many countries say it this way? To me it would be see you this Thursday.

I’ve been in an argument with my mother about this, for nearly my entire life.

Her American self?

- This Thursday = the very next Thursday. Including today. If today is Thursday.
- Next Thursday = skip “this” Thursday, to find the following one. IE 7+ days, no matter what. If today is Wed/Thursday? Next Thursday is in 14 days. >.<. Noooooo. No. It isn’t.
- This Coming Thursday = A special qualification if today is Thursday, or Wednesday, or Friday. The very next Thursday is “this coming Thursday” whilst “next Thursday” is 2 weeks hence. (Brick wall. Bang head. FFS.)

This Thursday.
This coming Thursday.
Next Thursday.
= 2-3 distinctly different dates, depending on whether or not today is Thursday.

My internationally raised self?

This Thursday = Nearest Thursday
Next Thursday = Nearest Thursday (not today)

Theyr’re basically interchangeable.

This Thursday.
This coming Thursday.
Next Thursday.
= All the same date. Not 3 seperate dates.

***

Don’t even get me started on “half six”

Or “quarter two”

Is that 530 or 630???

145, or 215???

Half an hour until, or half an hour after?!?
15 till, or 15 past?!?

IDFK.

Give me the motherf*cking number you mean.

Because the American born/raised side of my family??? Is completely f*cked as far as time is concerned.

4pm sharp = 2 wildly different things on the east coast, west coast, & Midwest.

Craaaazy people. And not in a good way. In the way that promotes grudges and misunderstandings. Tell me the time you ACTUALLY want me there. Please. As well as the date. With numbers. And names. Not something I’m supposed to ‘naturally intuit’.

 

[Charbella]

Next Thursday is in 14 days.

I was with her until you got here and then wtf?

This Thursday = Nearest Thursday
Next Thursday = Nearest Thursday (not today)

How can two completely different phrases mean the same thing?

I tried explaining to my T that we work on the week system. This Thursday is one falling in the same week as the one your in and next Thursday like next week is the one in the following calendar week.

I did find myself lol on your time thing. I’ve never heard half six but quarter to I hear and use. I’m more likely to give the exact time because anyone who doesn’t know the time usually needs the time, ie those who run late to EVERYTHING.

 

[Friday]

I was with her until you got here and then wtf?

Yep. Next Thursday is NEVER within 7 days. Because that’s “this Thursday”.

If today is thursday? “This thursday, & this coming thursday” are both in 7 days, whilst next Thursday is 2 weeks away.

It’s eyecrossing.

I just ask “May 15th @ 215?”

And suffer the disdain, huffing, sneers… whilst she corrects my date and time.

To be fair? My dad uses the same time/date parlance, but without the condescension. He’s concerned people are when/where he wants them. My (lovely, and beloved) mom loves to take offence. You can seeee her weigh whether or not tboning someone is worth the hassle, when someone changes lanes “incorrectly”. Even though what they did is completely rational. Just to teach them a lesson. And will merge 4 miles before the ‘merge lanes’ marker. Just to block people from merging once the notice is given.

So some of my frustration is purely dealing with conflicting personality.

MOST of the people I’ve known? Are simply relaying the clearest & concisest version of what they desire. My (lovely & beloved) mother? I simply wish to throttle.

 

[Freida]

oh ya - it changes from one part of the US to another.
Here on the west coast?
This Thursday is the first one that you haven't gotten to yet on the in the week
Next Thursday is the Thursday that is 7 days after "this" Thursday
And we clarify with date and time Like, ok, Thursday May 10th at 215
We like to keep it simple

I'm studying french, but most of the classes are based in British English as the translation and it's making me nuts!

Right now we are on time of day.
British english says "half past 7"
We say "seven thirty"
So I keep flunking tests because I have to translate American English to British English and then to French. Yikes!

And the french do time backwards of us
If it is 845 we say 15 minutes to nine or quarter till 9
But in french they reverse it, and make it 9 minus 15 minutes or 9 minus a quarter.
So I have to do math just to tell the time!

If you really want to screw with an American though - give them military time and watch their heads explode. Unless you are military or a first responder very few Americans will ever be able to figure out what 2045 means. And 0000? Ya, their eyes will spin right out of their heads.

 

[Freddyt]

very few Americans will ever be able to figure out what 2045 means. And 0000?

Funny, because we use it in numerous places where the AM-PM thing could get confused, Like Environment Canada weather website.

.....and its 8:45 PM and Midnight.......

Whats funny here is that the Quebecois think they speak French. What they really speak is a mess of French and indian, and a bit of everything else that has gotten mixed in for the last 200 years.
I worked for a real Frenchman one summer in high school and he would phone his kids french teacher to correct her (during summer break... ) "I am French, I was born in Paris, I know how to speak French and you don't teach French!!!"

While I was there his dad sold the house in Paris and moved. Gerard told me he used to buy the wine and running out of wine was a mortal sin and cause for a thrashing. So while cleaning his dad found his secret stash he built by buying wine at bargain prices and stashing it so if they ran short he could pull out a few bottles. There was enough to send each of his kids a case......Tres Bien!!

 

[Friday]

@Freddyt Tabernac!!!

It never ceases to crack me up that Q-French uses religious terms to swear, where most French & English speaking people use bodily functions. (I speak the other version of Acadian French; Cajun/Creole French).

It shouldn’t? There’s something like 60 versions of Damnation & Hellfire winging around in English. But that the tabernacle, amongst others, is a naughty word? Just lays me out.

 

[Teasel]

If an american recipe calls for red pepper flakes, would that be the same thing as chilli flakes? Thanks

 

[OliveJewel]

@Teasel yes

 

[Teasel]

Cheers @OliveJewel

 

[Freddyt]

It shouldn’t? There’s something like 60 versions of Damnation & Hellfire winging around in English. But that the tabernacle, amongst others, is a naughty word? Just lays me out.

Yeah, I learned that from an old neighbor before his experiment in drugs alcohol and marriage ended. There were a few other phrase but they were usually obscured by the sound of smashing dishes.....

 

[turrican]

Funny, because we use it in numerous places where the AM-PM thing could get confused, Like Environment Canada weather website.

.....and its 8:45 PM and Midnight.......

Whats funny here is that the Quebecois think they speak French. What they really speak is a mess of French and indian, and a bit of everything else that has gotten mixed in for the last 200 years.
I worked for a real Frenchman one summer in high school and he would phone his kids french teacher to correct her (during summer break... ) "I am French, I was born in Paris, I know how to speak French and you don't teach French!!!"

While I was there his dad sold the house in Paris and moved. Gerard told me he used to buy the wine and running out of wine was a mortal sin and cause for a thrashing. So while cleaning his dad found his secret stash he built by buying wine at bargain prices and stashing it so if they ran short he could pull out a few bottles. There was enough to send each of his kids a case......Tres Bien!!

Lol two times at the same time.

The 24-hour system is better once you get used to it. It saves me from accidentally setting an alarm to the wrong a.m. or p.m. if you know what I mean (i.e. I didn't pay enough attention to the a.m. or p.m. part).

They speak a mess of French and Hindi? Oh, you mean Indian as in Native (North) American / First Nations or whatever. I'm used to those Indians who have some connection with that country called.. India.

The most confusing thing on this page is the person who says next Thursday is two weeks from now. I thought it was bad enough that some older people here (Ireland) never say "this Thursday", so "next Thursday" is always the following Thursday, even if it's tomorrow.

 

[Freddyt]

Oh, you mean Indian as in Native (North) American / First Nations or whatever.

Correct.
More fun Canadian history - Montreal - the city built around and on Mount Royal, where the French and British fought for control of the new territory is also home to the North American game of football. Military Collages in the US and Canada used to meet and play "modified rugby" (It's why they use the confusing term Touchdown for scoring a goal, a leftover from having to touch the ball on the ground to score in rugby).
Anyway, it came to a point in rules development where the Canadians preferred 3 downs, 12 men, and a larger field and the US 4 downs 11 men and a smaller field. So they met on Mount Royal (Mount Royal College) and played one half of the game under Canadian rules, and one half under the US rules. And from there the two games diverged.