"next" Friday - what does it imply?
Helen Niederwald
let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
of the week thereafter?
Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
Thank you,
Helen.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Richard Fontana
On Wed, 15 Nov 2000, Helen Niederwald wrote:
> Hi,
> let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
> of the week thereafter?
To me, if it's Monday, "next Friday" means the Friday of the *following*
week, and the Friday of the same week is "this Friday". But the usage
seems to be different in different parts of the English-speaking world.
> Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
My best advice is to know the practice of the speakers you are speaking
to. Barring that, don't use the "next" construction, or be prepared for
your listeners to misunderstand you.
(I had a recent experience along these lines. Someone, a native speaker
of German, asked on a Tuesday to receive a document by "next Thursday". I
assumed at first he meant the Thursday of the following week, but on
Wednesday night it occurred to me that he might have meant "two days from
this Tuesday". I'm still not completely sure.)
--
Richard
James Archer
"Helen Niederwald" <hele...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8uuf82$e08$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Hi,
> let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
> of the week thereafter?
> Helen.
In my experience, the Friday of the same week would be described as "this
Friday", but the Friday of next week would be "next Friday."
I always got confused when I was a kid, so I imagined the word "week's " in
there: "This (week's) Friday" vs. "Next (week's) Friday."
James
Chip Wood
the next Fri. "A week from Fri" meant a week from Fri. In my wife's
environment, up-state New York, "next Fri" indicates a week from Fri. I
insist that my way is unambiguous, and that her way is totally nuts. It
causes some missed appointments and interesting discussions.
Perchprism
>From: Helen Niederwald hele...@my-deja.com
>Date: 11/15/00 11:56 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <8uuf82$e08$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>
>
>Hi,
>let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
>What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
>of the week thereafter?
>Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
You've come to the right place to ask this question. This group's reason for
being is just such issues, and this one has been discussed at length here
several times. It's one of the few issues that's been resolved, so I can say
with absolute authority that "next Friday" will be misunderstood better than
half the time no matter what you mean by it or to whom you say it or when.
To answer your question for myself, on Monday the 10th, next Friday is Friday
the 21st. Friday the 14th is simply "Friday" or "this Friday" or "this coming
Friday."
--
Perchprism
(southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia)
Karl Reinhardt
<hele...@my-deja.com> wrotf:
>Hi,
>let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
>What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
>of the week thereafter?
>Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
>Thank you,
>Helen.
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
Recently I waited for someone to show up to talk business. He didn't,
so I dialed his number and he answered. He said, "But I was coming
*next* week."
Rule of thumb: never say "next Friday", to be sure. This Friday is
clear and unambiguous; Friday next week is also safe.
Karl
Jack Gavin
>> let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
>> What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
>> of the week thereafter?
>> Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
>> Thank you,
>> Helen.
>
>Friday", but the Friday of next week would be "next Friday."
>
>I always got confused when I was a kid, so I imagined the word "week's "
in
>there: "This (week's) Friday" vs. "Next (week's) Friday."
"This Xday" is always in the future, even if that means it's in next week.
Thus, if today is Friday, "this Tuesday" is 4 days into the future...
Tuesday of next week.
"Next Xday" is often unclear. Sometimes, it is apparent what is meant, as
in: "Shell we do lunch this Friday, or is next Friday better?"
Otherwise, make sure. Ask "You mean Friday the 13th?" or ask "Friday in 3
days, or in 10 days?"
--
Jack Gavin
anker...@my-deja.com
Helen Niederwald <hele...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> What is implied?
The Friday of the same week.
> Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
Sure. It means the 'next Friday'. If said on Friday, it means
one week from today.
GFH
Chris C
<p26...@email.sps.mot.com> wrote:
> In my environment, southern Wisconsin, "next Fri" and "this Fri" meant
> the next Fri. "A week from Fri" meant a week from Fri. In my wife's
> environment, up-state New York, "next Fri" indicates a week from Fri. I
> insist that my way is unambiguous, and that her way is totally nuts. It
> causes some missed appointments and interesting discussions.
In England I'd assume that if you said 'next Friday' on a Saturday it
would mean the following Friday. If you said 'next Friday' on a Thursday
it would mean eight days time (otherwise you'd just say 'tomorrow').
Somewhere in between it changes from one to the other but don't ask me to
define at which point - all too often it depends on context and emphasis.
And it can be confusing - I know I've misunderstood people in the past.
On the other hand if you say next year, next century or next millenium it
means the next one to come - no ambiguity.
Chris
(de-x to de-spam email address)
Marty
>let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
>What is implied?
Confusion. I always ask for clarification. I'd hate to miss a fishing trip.
Lars Eighner
the lovely and talented Helen Niederwald
broadcast on sci.lang,alt.usage.english,alt.english.usage:
HN> Hi, let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next
HN> Friday". What is implied? The following Friday (of the same
HN> week), or the Friday of the week thereafter? Is there any rule
HN> and/or reference regarding this question? Thank you, Helen.
This is a recurring question. The only truthful answer is that
usage varies. While there are various long arguments about what
it *should* mean, in fact it *does* mean different things to
different people.
--
Lars Eighner eig...@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/
"Joy is but the sign that creative emotion is fulfilling its purpose."
--Charles Du Bos, What Is Literature?
Dirk Goldgar
>In my environment, southern Wisconsin, "next Fri" and "this Fri" meant
>the next Fri. "A week from Fri" meant a week from Fri. In my wife's
>environment, up-state New York, "next Fri" indicates a week from Fri. I
>insist that my way is unambiguous, and that her way is totally nuts. It
>causes some missed appointments and interesting discussions.
Somewhere I acquired the expression "Friday week", meaning "a week from this
coming Friday". I grew up in Georgia (USA) , but I'm not sure I didn't pick
it up somewhere else. The usage would be, "I'll see you Friday week."
--
Dirk Goldgar
(to reply via email, remove NOSPAM from address)
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Rainer Thonnes
"Jack Gavin" <jackgavi...@home.com> writes:
>James Archer wrote in message <8uuhpn$7me$1...@slb7.atl.mindspring.net>...
>>
>>Friday", but the Friday of next week would be "next Friday."
>>
>>I always got confused when I was a kid, so I imagined the word "week's "
>>in there: "This (week's) Friday" vs. "Next (week's) Friday."
>
>"This Xday" is always in the future, even if that means it's in next week.
>Thus, if today is Friday, "this Tuesday" is 4 days into the future...
>Tuesday of next week.
No. "This Xday" can be in the past too. - "Hey, did I tell you I
saw Fred this Tuesday? I hadn't heard from him for months, and we
had plenty of gossip to catch up on." - In fact, the same kind of
confusion can arise with the past between "this Xday" and "last Xday",
as can with the future between "this Xday" and "next Xday".
But essentially you're right. *If* "this Xday" refers to the future,
and context should make clear whether this is the case, then it's
pretty clear which day you mean by "this Tuesday", if said on any day
other than Tuesday itself, when it would be more appropriate just to
say "today".
>"Next Xday" is often unclear. Sometimes, it is apparent what is meant, as
>in: "Shell we do lunch this Friday, or is next Friday better?"
Agreed.
>Otherwise, make sure. Ask "You mean Friday the 13th?" or ask "Friday in 3
>days, or in 10 days?"
No. Friday in 3 days is Monday. Better to ask "This coming Friday or
the one after?".
Rainer Thonnes
But remember this was about a meeting, not a fishing trip.
If you would rather go fishing than to the meeting, confusion
is worth its weight in gold.
Jack Gavin
r...@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Rainer Thonnes) wrote:
> In article <yoFQ5.141661$ib7.19...@news1.rdc1.nj.home.com>,
> "Jack Gavin" <jackgavi...@home.com> writes:
> >
> >"This Xday" is always in the future, even if that means it's in next
week.
> >Thus, if today is Friday, "this Tuesday" is 4 days into the future...
> >Tuesday of next week.
>
> No. "This Xday" can be in the past too. - "Hey, did I tell you I
> saw Fred this Tuesday? I hadn't heard from him for months, and we
> had plenty of gossip to catch up on." - In fact, the same kind of
> confusion can arise with the past between "this Xday" and "last Xday",
> as can with the future between "this Xday" and "next Xday".
I’m not familiar with "this Tuesday" being in the past, though "this
*past* Tuesday" and "last Tuesday" ring true.
How're Wilma and Pebbles?
> But essentially you're right. *If* "this Xday" refers to the future,
> and context should make clear whether this is the case, then it's
> pretty clear which day you mean by "this Tuesday", if said on any day
> other than Tuesday itself, when it would be more appropriate just to
> say "today".
>
> >"Next Xday" is often unclear. Sometimes, it is apparent what is
meant, as
> >in: "Shell we do lunch this Friday, or is next Friday better?"
>
> Agreed.
>
> >Otherwise, make sure. Ask "You mean Friday the 13th?" or ask
"Friday in 3
> >days, or in 10 days?"
>
> No. Friday in 3 days is Monday.
Huh? If it's Tuesday (regardless of whether this is Belgium), there
will be a Friday 3 days hence ("the Friday that will occur on the 3rd
day into the future", or "Friday in 3 days" for short), and another
Friday 10 days hence ("Friday in 10 days").
> Better to ask "This coming Friday or
> the one after?".
Yeah, that works well.
In case it wasn't clear, I am reporting US (NJ) usage.
--
Jack Gavin
David
Rainer Thonnes <r...@dcs.ed.ac.uk> wrote:
> In article <yoFQ5.141661$ib7.19...@news1.rdc1.nj.home.com>,
> "Jack Gavin" <jackgavi...@home.com> writes:
> >
> >"This Xday" is always in the future, even if that means it's in next
> >week. Thus, if today is Friday, "this Tuesday" is 4 days into the
> >future... Tuesday of next week.
> No. "This Xday" can be in the past too. - "Hey, did I tell you I
> saw Fred this Tuesday? I hadn't heard from him for months, and we
> had plenty of gossip to catch up on." - In fact, the same kind of
> confusion can arise with the past between "this Xday" and "last Xday",
> as can with the future between "this Xday" and "next Xday".
I would use "...on Tuesday" to refer to Tuesday within the past week. I
would also use "...on Tuesday" to refer to Tuesday within the coming
week, relying on tense to make my meaning clear.
--
http://www.dacha.freeuk.com/
Mega biblion, mega kakon
Rainer Thonnes
Actually, so would I, mine was a bad example. I'd use "this Tuesday"
only when clarifying.
-- I saw him on Tuesday.
-- Really? He's not due back till tomorrow, you must mean last week.
-- No, I mean this Tuesday. He must have changed his plans.
Rainer Thonnes
Jack Gavin <jack...@my-deja.com> writes:
> r...@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Rainer Thonnes) wrote:
>> "Jack Gavin" <jackgavi...@home.com> writes:
>> >Otherwise, make sure. Ask "You mean Friday the 13th?" or ask
>> >"Friday in 3 days, or in 10 days?"
>>
>> No. Friday in 3 days is Monday.
>
>Huh? If it's Tuesday (regardless of whether this is Belgium), there
>will be a Friday 3 days hence ("the Friday that will occur on the 3rd
>day into the future", or "Friday in 3 days" for short), and another
>Friday 10 days hence ("Friday in 10 days").
Indeed, but to me "Friday in 3 days" means the day which will occur
on the 3rd day into the future as measured from Friday, by analogy with
"Friday in two weeks", which is the day two weeks after this Friday, not
two weeks from today.
So I wouldn't ask "Do you mean Friday in 3 days, or in 10 days?", but I'd
ask "Do you mean 3 or 10 days from now?". Well, actually I wouldn't, what
I'd really ask is "Do you mean this Friday or next Friday?", and since it
is implicit in the question that two different Fridays are being referred
to, and they're both in the future, this should make things clear enough,
unless today is Friday.
Karen Zachary
> Chip Wood wrote in message <3A12D3DE...@email.sps.mot.com>...
> >In my environment, southern Wisconsin, "next Fri" and "this Fri" meant
> >the next Fri. "A week from Fri" meant a week from Fri. In my wife's
> >environment, up-state New York, "next Fri" indicates a week from Fri. I
> >insist that my way is unambiguous, and that her way is totally nuts. It
> >causes some missed appointments and interesting discussions.
>
>
> Somewhere I acquired the expression "Friday week", meaning "a week from this
> coming Friday". I grew up in Georgia (USA) , but I'm not sure I didn't pick
> it up somewhere else. The usage would be, "I'll see you Friday week."
>
This subject was discussed a month or so ago on alt.usage.english.,
along with the "this Friday" and "next Friday" debate.
I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems that
many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
ktz
Trevor Coultart
> I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems that
> many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
>
> ktz
"Friday week" is common in the UK.
Trevor Coultart
--
N.Mitchum
------
> many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
A Britishism. Which tells you why few Americans have heard it.
----NM
David
I don't think I would; I've asked my wife and she wouldn't either. I
think we'd probably use a term such as "tuesday just gone".
--
http://www.dacha.freeuk.com/zodiac/4can-0.htm
Cancer (June 22nd - July 22nd)
Karkataka - the Crab
Khepri (scarab)
Karen Zachary
I wonder how it found its way to Georgia and Texas (and probably all the
states in between)?
--
ktz
Virgil
karenz...@mac.com (Karen Zachary) wrote:
> This subject was discussed a month or so ago on alt.usage.english.,
> along with the "this Friday" and "next Friday" debate.
>
> I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems that
> many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
I have also used, and heard used, "Friday next" and "friday last".
N.Mitchum
-----
> > > I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems that
> > > many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
>
>
> I wonder how it found its way to Georgia and Texas (and probably all the
> states in between)?
The South persists in trying to bring England in on their side of
the Civil War. As part of this ongoing effort they imitate
certain speech patterns, hoping the British will wake up to the
similarity between Liverpool and Savannah.
Blockade runners will appear any day now.
----NM
John Holmes
"N.Mitchum" <aj...@lafn.org> wrote in message
news:3A143D...@lafn.org...
> Karen Zachary wrote:
> ------
> > I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems
that
> > many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
>
> A Britishism. Which tells you why few Americans have heard it.
No, it is a southernism and a Britishism and an Australianism and a
Canadianism and a New Zealandism and ...
It might be easier to say what it isn't: a where-you-liveism.
--
Cheers,
John.
Daniel James
> On the other hand if you say next year, next century or next millenium it
> means the next one to come - no ambiguity.
.. which is just the same as with Fridays - if you say "next Friday" *on*
a Friday, it means the next one to come.
Cheers,
Daniel.
Zeborah
> On 16/11/00 6:51 pm, someone called Karen Zachary suggested:
>
>
> > I, too, have always used the "Friday week" expression, but it seems that
> > many people have never heard it. Perhaps it is a southernism.
>
> "Friday week" is common in the UK.
New Zealand as well.
"Next" is ambiguous enough that if I want to make myself clear then I'd
use "this" for "this week's Friday", and "Friday week" for "next week's
Friday" (assuming today isn't Saturday), and avoid "next" altogether.
If I'm listening to someone else, I'll clarify the actual date with
them.
Zeborah
--
Gravity is no joke.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~zeborahnz
Clark S. Cox, III
> Hi,
> let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
> of the week thereafter?
> Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
In my experience:
M <--- "Today"
T <--- "This Tuesday"
W <--- "This ..."
Th <--- "This ..."
F <--- "This Friday"
Sa <--- "This ..."
Su <--- "This ..."
M <--- "Next Monday"
T <--- "Next...
W <--- "Next...
Th <--- "Next...
F <--- "Next Friday"
--
Clark S. Cox, III
clar...@yahoo.com
http://www.whereismyhead.com/clark/
Virgil
> Helen Niederwald <hele...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> > What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the Friday
> > of the week thereafter?
> > Is there any rule and/or reference regarding this question?
>
> In my experience:
>
> M <--- "Today"
> T <--- "This Tuesday"
> W <--- "This ..."
> Th <--- "This ..."
> F <--- "This Friday"
> Sa <--- "This ..."
> Su <--- "This ..."
> M <--- "Next Monday"
> T <--- "Next...
> W <--- "Next...
> Th <--- "Next...
> F <--- "Next Friday"
In mine, it is the first Friday following the current day.
What is described immediately above is more like
"a week from next Friday" or
"Friday week"
Bernt Ribbum
> > > let's say it's Monday and somebody suggests to meet "next Friday".
> > > What is implied? The following Friday (of the same week), or the
Friday
> > > of the week thereafter?
> In mine, it is the first Friday following the current day.
I agree, although _logically_, "next Friday" should rather mean the one
following that... Just a few examples:
- "Friday after next" (there is no doubt - this means "friday week")
- "Beach - next exit" (again no doubt - you turn as soon as you can...)
--
- Bernt
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