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.

‘The Other Day’ is any day within the last quarter.

Or so.

Next Saturday always confused me and sounds wrong the way most folk use it. That’s why I also put a date in a text or email.

The one that really confuses me is what is meant by “at the back of (insert hour here!)”

In my experience it can mean anything past the hour as long as it’s within this hour. Just allows people to be tardy.

Favourite localism is “snap” meaning break time.

Piece time ain’t bad either.

My father in law never ceases to get annoyed by me saying i’ll do something at “Half 12”

He’s Dutch so it means 11.30, apparently.

Clearly it means 12.30.

I remind him that I don’t speak Dutch.

Favourite localism is “snap” meaning break time.

Think you’ll find that’s actually Smoko.

My father in law never ceases to get annoyed by me saying i’ll do something at “Half 12”

He’s Dutch so it means 11.30, apparently.

Half twelve is surely 6?
😉

Next, or the next Saturday is just one of those things that always made sense until someone started questioning it and got everyone all confused.

The taxi analogy up there is good I think. We are somewhere in the current cycle of waiting for a taxi where the cycle begins by arriving at the taxi rank and ends when a taxi comes, and so any taxi that comes along from arrival is just the taxi.
Next taxi, or better, THE next taxi is in the following cycle.

TBH sort of hi-lights why laws are written the way they are as normal english isn’t that clear and concise.

But legalese isn’t necessarily concise

In the OP’s quote from Premier Inn, what is the significance of “originally”? It means something if the booking is being changed, but not for a cancellation.

This thread is no longer about OPs question.

Sorry, I’ll try not to derail a thread next week.

By which I obviously mean next week, not NEXT week.

My father in law never ceases to get annoyed by me saying i’ll do something at “Half 12”

He’s Dutch so it means 11.30, apparently.

apparently in the US it’s acceptable to use “of” in place of “to” as in “a quarter of one” meaning 12:45. Which is just insane.

This coming Saturday, is the Saturday that’s about to be.
A week on Saturday is the Saturday after this coming Saturday.
Always give the Saturday in question an actual date.

Don’t get me started on Noon and Midnight.

The one that really confuses me is what is meant by “at the back of (insert hour here!)”

Is that a local term? I’ve literally never heard it before.

My father in law never ceases to get annoyed by me saying i’ll do something at “Half 12”

He’s Dutch so it means 11.30, apparently.

I’ve half a memory that German does something similar? Could be wrong, it’s been a while.

apparently in the US it’s acceptable to use “of” in place of “to” as in “a quarter of one” meaning 12:45. Which is just insane.

I’ve never heard that before either. Let me ask a few Americans.

… are you sure it’s not “off”? I’ve never heard of “a quarter off one” either but it at least vaguely makes grammatical sense.

apparently in the US it’s acceptable to use “of” in place of “to” as in “a quarter of one” meaning 12:45. Which is just insane.

Ftfy

I’ve half a memory that German does something similar? Could be wrong, it’s been a while.

Yes you are right. Halb zwölf is half past eleven.

@cougar

It is in Edinburgh.

… are you sure it’s not “off”? I’ve never heard of “a quarter off one” either but it at least vaguely makes grammatical sense.

yeah. I’ve definitely read it as dialogue from a character in a book, can’t remember what tho.

the fact that it makes no grammatical sense was basically the point I was making!!

few random links to back it up:
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+quarter+of+one
https://www.quora.com/When-someone-says-its-quarter-of-eleven-does-that-mean-its-10-45-or-11-15

Anyway, I am busy on Saturday.

Which one?

@greybeard, just for you, here’s the full para! For what it’s worth, I was amending my booking.

What happens if I need to cancel or amend my booking?

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 11.59pm UK time on the Tuesday three days prior). After the cancellation period, the whole reservation becomes fully non-refundable including any associated meals and/or additional extras. Bookings amended within 3 days of arrival are outside of the cancellation period and are fully non-refundable, and remain non-refundable despite any amendments to the booking (for example, irrespective of the amended date of stay no cancellation period applies).

Which one?

Which one?

This next Saturday.

I tend to say this coming saturday

And you would be wrong. It’s this Saturday coming.

Question two: is “the other day”

– Specifically, the day before yesterday
– any day in the last week or so
– any day since about 1986

Oh, I know this one!

For a normal person the second one is right, if you’re my wife:

The other day – anything up to a fortnight ago.
last week – up to 2 months ago
Last month – anything up to 6 months ago
Last year – anything up to a decade

Can we at least agree that midnight is half-past 11 thirty ?

reeksy
Favourite localism is “snap” meaning break time.
Think you’ll find that’s actually Smoko.

Nope, it’s Dockey / Docky / Dockie (thinking about it I’ve never actually seen it written down, only heard it spoken)

EDIT. Apparently, Dockey and Docky are both correct. Who knew?

At least I am sure we can all agree that dinner is the meal at around midday, and the evening meal is called tea.

Absolutely.

‘Back of’ seems to be a Scottish or at least entire central belt thing, not just East coasters that use it.

At least I am sure we can all agree that dinner is the meal at around midday, and the evening meal is called tea.

Only if you’re living in an Enid Blyton novel.

At least I am sure we can all agree that dinner is the meal at around midday, and the evening meal is called tea.

Technically yes, but I’ve pretty much abandoned “dinner” as a word for much the same reason as, well, all the other examples on this thread. Midday is lunchtime, evening is teatime.

Only if you’re living in an Enid Blyton novel.

Or the North.

Back of’ seems to be a Scottish or at least entire central belt thing, not just East coasters that use it.

Used around the NE England too. It means late in the said hour, the back of 5 would be before 6 but towards the end of 5.

Can we at least agree that midnight is half-past 11 thirty ?

Nope, that’s midday. You’re thinking of half-past 23 thirty.
“My coat, please”

Luncheon noon onward.

My mum is Irish and I grew up with the idea that ‘dinner’ is just the big meal of the day, and it can be had at lunchtime or teatime. As such ‘after dinner’ could mean either afternoon or evening.

Led to some great misunderstandings with mrsDoris for whom dinner is always in the evening.