Read and complete the following sentence:
Semi-Flex rate room bookings may be cancelled before midnight UK time three days prior to the original arrival date, (e.g. For a stay arriving on Saturday, you can cancel until....
Tuesday midnight
Tuesday midnight
This.
Wednesday?
Friday would be midnight the day prior
2 days prior is Thursday
3 Days prior is Wednesday?
But then we're always having arguments in our house as "next Saturday" is clearly in 3 days time, the next Saturday. But my OH will argue it's 10 days off (which is clearly Saturday next week).
Think its more a when is midnight question (is midnight tuesday in a few hours or has it been and gone?) and also fencepost question.
I would go with them defining it as the start of the day and so the last time being:
Tuesday 23:59:59
Your OH is right, 3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday. But hey, let's not argue, it's probably a regional thing like scones and bread rolls.
2359 (and 59s) Tuesday
1 day prior to arrival = Fri
3 days prior to arrival = Wed
Midnight (0000) is the start of the new day, so before midnight is the end of Tuesday
3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday.
Is the correct answer
3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday.
Is the correct answer
+ another!
3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday.
Is the correct answer
yep, that's my understanding too
Tuesday midnight would be my answer.
they are both 'next' Saturday (to my ears).
Wednesday midnight, but ambiguous as to whether that's towards 00:01 or 23:59.
Yep, as most have said, the correct answer is 23:59 on Tuesday. Which I was a bit confused at, because 72 hours before a Saturday arrival puts you at Wednesday. But anyway.
3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday.
This is correct. Unless you're MrsDoris.
Tuesday midnight would be my assumption based on three full days.
3 days away is THIS Saturday, 10 days away is NEXT Saturday.
Is the correct answer
I agree (as in that is how I have always understood it), although it does not make sense as next Saturday should be the next one coming up (even if it is Friday evening the next Saturday is, well, the next one).
And how many of us would ever think that next week isn't *next* week, but the next one after that one?
Stuff like this can get remarkably complicated. I once had to write code to implement legislation that said that something had to be submitted within one calendar month or it'd fine you. That wasn't very easy to do arithmetically, and when I came up with a method then a lot of arguing ensued.
I disagree - ( surprised?) 3 days away is next saturday. 10 days is the saturday after
And how many of us would ever think that next week isn’t *next* week, but the next one after that one?
Yeah, but if today is Saturday, then next Saturday is 7 days away.
Yeah, but if today is Saturday, then next Saturday is 7 days away.
No - that would just be 'Saturday' 😉
And how many of us would ever think that next week isn’t *next* week, but the next one after that one?
Maybe that's where it stems from? Aligning it with the week? For me, 'next week' begins on Monday, and anything in that week is 'next Tuesday' or 'next Saturday' etc. Anything before that is 'this week' and therefore the days are 'this Friday' or 'this Sunday'.
Anything more distant than 'next Sunday' is 'a week on Tuesday' or 'two weeks tomorrow'.
The Tuesday midnight/Wed morning border.
Although.....is the hotel on a conveyor?
The upcoming Saturday is just "Saturday". The "this" is surplus but sometimes needs to be used in case the other party is those hard of thinking types that think that "next Saturday" is "this Saturday".
Even when the "this/next" is used you can guarantee the "do you mean . . . ?" question comes up.
;O)
Coming Saturday is next Saturday, the one after is Saturday week.
Wednesday 2pm , working on the theory you can get into your room until 2pm Saturday.
Coming Saturday is next Saturday, the one after is Saturday week.
I tend to say this coming saturday, or saturday. however if it's the saturday the following week, it's a week next saturday, just to confuse things.
this is how I use it and I [I]believe[/I] the generally accepted way, however it must be idiomatic because it doesn't actually make sense - the next Saturday surely must be the one that occurs next?in case the other party is those hard of thinking types that think that “next Saturday” is “this Saturday”.
Tuesday midnight
Tuesday 11.59pm. Once it becomes midnight, it's Wednesday so no longer 3 full days prior.
This came up in the Amazon version of Jack Reacher as part of the murder mystery / time of death.
Semi-Flex rate room bookings may be cancelled before midnight UK time three days prior to the original arrival date, (e.g. For a stay arriving on Saturday, you can cancel until….
Consider, "... may be cancelled before midnight UK time one day prior to the original arrival date"
The midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning is clearly not 'one day prior' to the Saturday, it's one second prior, so this must mean the midnight between Thursday and Friday. Now extrapolate back from there, you've got the midnight at Tuesday night / Wednesday morning.
The midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning is clearly not ‘one day prior’ to the Saturday, it’s one second prior,
Ah, but Friday is still one day prior to Saturday! 😆
however if it’s the saturday the following week, it’s a week next saturday, just to confuse things.
now that's just a recipe for chaos. A week next Saturday is nearly 3 weeks away!
the next Saturday surely must be the one that occurs next?
No. Consider two people both wanting a taxi, and as one approaches you see the other person and graciously say 'oh don't worry I'll get the next one'. The approaching taxi would strictly speaking be the next one, but you both know you mean the one after that. Because the approaching taxi is 'this one', it's already in the current context. By analogy, 'this' Saturday is the one in this current context, and I would say 'next Saturday' to mean the one after the current context.
No. Consider two people both wanting a taxi, and as one approaches you see the other person and graciously say ‘oh don’t worry I’ll get the next one’.
make your examples plausible. The one above would never ever happen.
Consider two people both wanting a taxi, and before one approaches you say ‘oh don’t worry I’ll get the next one’. 😁
Honestly, the whole phrase is best avoided. "I'll get the taxi after yours" / "not this Saturday but the next."
Is the taxi taking you to the Premier Inn?
Is it on a conveyor belt?
This thread is no longer about OPs question.
Saturday is the one coming.
Next Saturday is the one after that.
Saturday after next is the one after that.
Then you get into just giving the people the date after this, unless you're a lunatic and start saying things like Saturday after after next.
November 26. This Saturday.
December 3. Next Saturday.
December 10. Saturday after next.
Erm, but that last one also means the same as the second one?
English is a wonderful but crap language...
Question two: is "the other day"
- Specifically, the day before yesterday
- any day in the last week or so
- any day since about 1986
Question two: is “the other day”– Specifically, the day before yesterday
– any day in the last week or so
– any day since about 1986
– any day in the last week or so
Anyone using it to mean
– any day since about 1986
needs to be shot.
No. in your analogy there are already 2 taxis, so it is only comparable in the specific case that it’s actually Saturday today so “next Saturday” is literally in 1 weeks time.No. Consider two people both wanting a taxi, and as one approaches you see the other person and graciously say ‘oh don’t worry I’ll get the next one’.
(e.g. For a stay arriving on Saturday, you can cancel until….
the 12th of Jelember
And how many of us would ever think that next week isn’t *next* week, but the next one after that one?
No one. As it’s this week and next week, just like this Saturday and next Saturday as it’s next week.
But then we’re always having arguments in our house as “next Saturday” is clearly in 3 days time, the next Saturday. But my OH will argue it’s 10 days off (which is clearly Saturday next week).
Being a pedantic git, I've spent many a happy hour winding up the most gullible girl in work with this one.
Also being a contrary git/wind-up merchant, just when she thinks she's got the whole thing straight, I swap over the other way 😉
this is how I use it and I believe the generally accepted way, however it must be idiomatic because it doesn’t actually make sense – the next Saturday surely must be the one that occurs next?
This [week's] Saturday
Next [week's] Saturday
Simple and obvious. Now, can someone explain it to Mrs Tillydog? 🙂
Question two: is “the other day”
Question three. Keep up.
– Specifically, the day before yesterday
– any day in the last week or so
– any day since about 1986
It's a few days ago.
If only we could persuade the people in charge to number the days of the month so that we can precisely specify which day we mean when it's important to be specific.
