tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post8546865571291175766..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On tens, teens, or whateverDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-24859151154270942392010-01-21T02:10:51.152+00:002010-01-21T02:10:51.152+00:00"'Mean 29'? Does it really? I know it..."'Mean 29'? Does it really? I know it sounds like 29 - but would there ever be a context where you wouldn't know whether you were talking about the numeral or the year?"<br /><br />People often abbreviate years ommitting the reference to the first 2 digits.<br /> So "twenty nine" for most people would refer to 1929, or in the future to 2029. In fact, this seems to be the most common method of referring to years in colloquial usage EXCEPT in the first 2 decades of a century, when it just seems odd to say something like "global financial crisis of nine" as opposed to "the stock market crash of eighty seven" (October 1987)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-49277714046359583372010-01-06T18:16:52.384+00:002010-01-06T18:16:52.384+00:00Here's a specific example of the concern about...Here's a specific example of the concern about year-naming a century ago. It's the caption to a <i>Punch</i> cartoon in its almanack for 1922. We see two aristocratic gentlemen at a dinner table. The host is holding up a glass of wine, and the guest has his head in his hands. The dialogue reads:<br /><br />Host (of the newest school): 'What d' yer think o' this nineteen-o-six port?'<br />Guest (of the old school): 'Nineteen-o---! My dear sir, nineteen-hundred-and-six. We are discussing wine, not telephone numbers.'DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-25350652758357013212010-01-05T23:31:03.855+00:002010-01-05T23:31:03.855+00:00My vote is two thousand ten. It sounds more elega...My vote is two thousand ten. It sounds more elegant. But it may depend on what event, such as a wedding or a sporting event. At least this year will provide a year of transition since "two thousand ten" and "twenty ten" both will work. <br /><br />Maybe at some point we can just call it ten. Or even 2.01k.<br />At what point will we reference the year as ten?<br />Probably not for a few years. Such as back in seventy-four, the snow was so high. "Back in ten" sounds like "I will be back in ten minutes". "Back in ten, the snow was so high". That does not sound right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-22029905234181874962010-01-05T05:59:19.469+00:002010-01-05T05:59:19.469+00:00The R A Harless comment has mentioned the Twenty-T...The R A Harless comment has mentioned the Twenty-Ten Olympics. Here in the Vancouver area, where talk of those Olympics has gone on and on, 2010 has long been <i>Twenty-Ten</i>. With the alliteration of that fittest of sounds, the quick but strong <i>T</i> sound that trips off the tongue three times in <i>TwenTy-Ten</i>, and with the energy of the initial stressed syllable (<i>Twen-</i>), along with the pleasing internal rhyme, <i>Twenty-Ten</i> sounds right for the sports event. The repetition of <i>2010</i> in that spoken way in the Olympics context has to be a factor in how the first year of the decade and then the others get spoken.<br /><br />Fran Hill mentions that the following year could be tongue-twisting, but the first syllable of <i>eleven</i> is likely to almost disappear in casual conversation. In that case, next year will be <i>Twenty-leven</i>.Jim Wrightnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-65100666426454412222010-01-04T19:34:12.811+00:002010-01-04T19:34:12.811+00:00'Mean 29'? Does it really? I know it sound...'Mean 29'? Does it really? I know it <i>sounds</i> like 29 - but would there ever be a context where you wouldn't know whether you were talking about the numeral or the year?DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-81380123933348119412010-01-04T18:48:43.367+00:002010-01-04T18:48:43.367+00:00Because (to me) 19-9 isn't possible at all. 20...Because (to me) 19-9 isn't possible at all. 20-9 is, it just doesn't mean 2009, it means 29. <br /><br />I guess. I don't really know. But if you live at 2009 Northwestern, I say you live at two thousand nine, but it you live at 1909, I say ninteen oh nine. Who know why?The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-72266301833333628402010-01-02T01:31:19.595+00:002010-01-02T01:31:19.595+00:00I was totally wrong, of course, about 2013~1320. M...I was totally wrong, of course, about 2013~1320. My mind's ear was paying exclusive attention to the <b>length</b> of the second syllables. Still, that's the only rhythmic difference I can hear between <b><i>nineteen thirteen</i></b> and <b><i>twenty thirteen</i></b>.<br /><br />As I write, I'm listening to the blues singer Bobo Jenkins singing:<br /><br /><i>Do you remember, baby, nineteen and thirty-one?<br />That's when the Depression, baby, just begun<br />Yes darlin', if you know what I'm talking' about<br />The Democrats put you on your feet, baby, well,<br />You had the nerve to vote them out</i><br /><br />He was singing in 1954, and seemingly looking forward to the next (non-presidential) elections. At the start of the harmonica solo he shouts <br /><br /><i>Yeah man! Play it a long time! 1956! Beat 'em! Beat 'em!</i><br /><br />He pronounces the year <b><i>nineteen fifty-six</i></b>.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-35365216416129533392010-01-01T20:17:27.486+00:002010-01-01T20:17:27.486+00:00The Ridger: If "twenty oh nine" is odd s...The Ridger: If "twenty oh nine" is odd sounding, why wasn't "nineteen oh nine"?Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10551624477707677425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-19759614537806844582010-01-01T19:44:36.964+00:002010-01-01T19:44:36.964+00:00I'm fine with "the 10s." However, I ...I'm fine with "the 10s." However, I didn't hear a good solution for the now-previous decade until last week, when a commenter on a Slate article suggested the "oh-ies." I think that's a fine pronunciation of the 00s. Rolls off the tongue much more easily than "the two thousands."cinderkeyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01578961959712679966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-53246667632229620712010-01-01T17:58:28.188+00:002010-01-01T17:58:28.188+00:00The issue arises because there are two stress patt...The issue arises because there are two stress patterns for the teen words: <i><b>thir</b>teen people</i> vs <i>I'm thir<b>teen</b></i>. I was referring to cases where the stress is on the second element. That's what makes it different from <i>1320</i>, where that option doesn't exist.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-76360757492934837312010-01-01T17:58:16.835+00:002010-01-01T17:58:16.835+00:00The issue arises because there are two stress patt...The issue arises because there are two stress patterns for the teen words: <i><b>thir</b>teen people</i> vs <i>I'm thir<b>teen</b></i>. I was referring to cases where the stress is on the second element. That's what makes it different from <i>1320</i>, where that option doesn't exist.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-6908159256165587672010-01-01T17:33:46.444+00:002010-01-01T17:33:46.444+00:00On rhythm, I don't see how twenty thirteen for...On rhythm, I don't see how <b><i>twenty thirteen</i></b> for 2013 is any less iambic (or trochaic) than <b><i>thirteen twenty</i></b> for 1320.<br /><br />Most years in this century will be trochaic (<i>tum-ti tum-ti tum</i> etc). Most years from 1300 to 1999 started with more of a spondee.<br /><br />I'm saying <b><i>twenty ten</i></b> not because of the rhythm, but because I said <b><i>nineteen ten</i></b>, <b><i>eighteen ten</i></b>, <b><i>seventeen ten</i></b>...<br /><br />And I'm sure I'll be saying <b><i>twenty thirteen</i></b> etc for the same reason.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-8926031815763608072010-01-01T14:48:15.807+00:002010-01-01T14:48:15.807+00:00I tried to spread calling the last decade the augh...I tried to spread calling the last decade the aught's, but it didn't catch on. VH1 dealt with it by calling their show about that decade's music "I Love the New Millenium".<br /><br />I agree that twenty-ten will be the norm for brevity (and/or laziness). Also, the next Olympics is being called the Twenty-ten Olmpics. <br /><br />Rythm is always an important factor, and will be the deciding factor in songs.R A Harlessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-67483216841197300392010-01-01T12:19:18.015+00:002010-01-01T12:19:18.015+00:00am glad you mentioned the rhythm of the thing as I...am glad you mentioned the rhythm of the thing as I've seen it mentioned everywhere that 20/10 is the way to say our new year and it simply sounds harsh. I'll be calling it 2 thousand and ten but 20/11... just feels right.<br /><br />And I like Seth Godin's calling the last decade the uh-oh's (as there were rather a lot of those in the world) and noughties sounds too much like naughty..which it weren't... well not for me.<br /><br />And I'll go for teenies - I like the idea that this new decade of upcoming transitions and bumps in the road (as technology takes over in education and finally becomes, globally, completely mainstream as a period of adolescence.<br /><br />Happy New Year!KALINAGO ENGLISHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15202016406865561740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-85072794462879904522010-01-01T11:49:57.073+00:002010-01-01T11:49:57.073+00:00The rhythm is an important factor - something I fo...The rhythm is an important factor - something I forgot to mention in my post. The more that expressions conform to an iambic pattern, the more people like it. The unstressed syllable sequence of 'sand and el' won't be liked, and this will get worse when the teen-words arrive.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-81478290260215585372010-01-01T10:49:23.087+00:002010-01-01T10:49:23.087+00:00I've been saying, and will probably keep sayin...I've been saying, and will probably keep saying, 'two thousand and ten', just because it seems to continue logically from 'two thousand and nine'. However, I may change my ways when we get to 'two thousand and eleven'. That's a bit of a tongue-twister ...Fran Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07935088780461825341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-12214402487523068182010-01-01T02:27:18.533+00:002010-01-01T02:27:18.533+00:00I think we'll say "twenty ten" becau...I think we'll say "twenty ten" because it has to be 2010, whereas "twenty nine" is, well, 29, and "twenty oh nine" is odd sounding, not to mention long. "Two thousand nine" is unambiguous.The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-51553087449212032122009-12-31T18:02:01.345+00:002009-12-31T18:02:01.345+00:00We may not really have an answer until the twentie...We may not really have an answer until the twenties, when classic rock radio stations start playing "the greatest hits of the _______".Rick Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-48886370118600092722009-12-31T13:50:12.450+00:002009-12-31T13:50:12.450+00:00I've long suspected that the reason so few of ...I've long suspected that the reason so few of us say <b><i>twenty-oh-nine</i></b> etc is that our ears got attuned to <b><i>Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey</i></b> long before the millennium kicked in.<br /><br />The logical expectation was that we'd get back to 'normal' in 2010 and say <b><i>twenty ten</i></b>. We shall see.<br /><br />Songs in oral tradition with roots in the nineteenth century use other formats. Songs about building railways have, for example <b><i>In eighteen hundred and forty-one</i></b> and so on through the decade. The cobbler's <b><i>Peg and Awl</i></b> goes through the first decade, starting <b><i>In the days of eighteen and one</i></b>.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-86053110578309734312009-12-31T13:15:33.547+00:002009-12-31T13:15:33.547+00:00I agree, but isn't there a difference between ...I agree, but isn't there a difference between 1910 and 2010 in that "twenty hundred" isn't as common as "nineteen hundred", never mind whether the "hundred and" is skipped or not?Phillip Mindenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801818752833289089noreply@blogger.com