Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4
#101011 04/15/03 11:07 AM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
B
old hand
Offline
old hand
B
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
If the hours in our days were evenly divisible by 10

What???? A USn admitting the superiority of 10-based measurement systems??? What IS this world coming to????


#101012 04/15/03 11:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
never had any reason to memorize the "12-plus" tables

Well, geez, if you're gonna translate in to the old system, doesn't seem like there'd be much point to it, does there? No, ya gotta *think in the new system.

PS

It's military time when you leave out the colon.


#101013 04/15/03 12:16 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
R
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
R
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Us older brits have the edge on you there, of course, Jackie. We were all taught out times-tables up to 12, because we had the "old" money then: 12 pence to a shilling, twenty shillings to a pound. A much easier system, in many ways, because there are so many more exact fractions of 12 than of 10.

What was needed was not a move to a universal decimal, but to a universal duodecimal system. (For which there were quite a number of advocates, as I remember.)


#101014 04/15/03 12:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
D
dxb Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
D
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Seems to me that every digital time telling device in the house is either set to use the 24 hour clock (VCRs for instance) or has the facility to be so set. Is this not the case in the US of A? Can't say I ever noticed.


#101015 04/15/03 01:03 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
pulling this way OT, or at least further, the 12 hour clock uses context to inform, as opposed to the more precise 24 hour clock. what other sorts of things spring to mind that use some sense of context to indicate clarity?

I think that is so poorly worded I shall cringe at the thought of you all reading it, but so it goes... it is also likely that there may be many blatantly obvious examples that are hitting me upside the head as I write, but there that goes, too...



formerly known as etaoin...
#101016 04/15/03 01:08 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
[stamping foot again e]

Uhh, Jackie...that's stomping foot again. (unless you're stamping around those champing horses...chomp!chomp!)




#101017 04/15/03 01:11 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
24 hour clocks on appliances

Our VCR has the 12 hr. traditional clock, but our microwave oven(s) have always had the 24 hour version.


#101018 04/15/03 01:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Hoo boy, the threaded-modesters aren't going to like me for this, 'cause I'm responding to several posts. eta's is the one, however, that I want to keep below for handy ref.

No, nothing in our house has the 24-hr. setting. Whether anything has the capability, I don't know and don't care. There have been VERY few instances in my life when I couldn't tell if it was a.m. or p.m. Heh, I was thinking about my earlier post while I was out; I guess it's pretty obvious that patience is not one of my virtues--at least as long as I don't see the need for it.

Twelve pence/shilling--I nearly put that, because my old friend Philip mourned the loss of the 12-system, for the exact same reason.

Bean: pppptttthhhhhhhhbbbbbbbbb!

Faldage, thanks for the colon info.

WO'N, I figuratively stamp my feet; to me, if you're stomping, you're either dancing or leaving; a person standing in place stamps. And even then, I'm not sure I wouldn't say, "She stamped angrily out of the room".

what other sorts of things spring to mind that use some sense of context to indicate clarity?
Well--emoticons? Also, when my husband says he's going for a ride, I have to look and see whether he's wearing gear for bicycling or motorcycling.

Dang, tsuwm--see what you started??


#101019 04/15/03 03:27 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
tsuwm Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
a noisome round of nitpick®©™


#101020 04/15/03 04:33 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
J
old hand
Offline
old hand
J
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
Rhuby, I was taught the times table up to 12 as well, though I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps it's because 12x12 has a specific name (gross), while nothing closely higher than it does.

I always, whenever possible, put my clocks in 24-hour time and also irritatedly correct my acquaintances who scoff at my use of "military time". Rather than it's simplicity, I'd say I use it more for it's relative novelty (over here) and because it's part of my meager attempt for feel more international. Though I must ask, do you actually say "14 o'clock" etc? I was of the impression that, at least in the UK, the 24-hour clock was used mainly for official time keeping and schedules, while people still say "2 o'clock." I'm remember getting an odd look the one time I said something like "it's thirteen twenty-five right now."


Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,271
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
1 members (A C Bowden), 285 guests, and 4 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,502
LukeJavan8 9,915
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5