This Next Day

I noticed, in conversation, that I use “this Tuesday” and “next Tuesday” differently than she did. That’s no surprise, because I’m always using language in weird ways – I used to argue with SK about the tiniest and most obscure connotations.

However, it did make me curious – how do you use these time indicators? Please comment with any other word weirdnesses you experience, especially if you’re “particular” about certain words that other people gloss over.

~ by Skennedy on July 8, 2008.

Posted in Uncategorized

15 Responses to “This Next Day”

  1. When referring to the earliest occurring Saturday I often drop the “this” and just say Saturday. – “What are you doing this Saturday?” = “What are you doing Saturday?”

    In other news, do you guys have a posting on Craig’s List for an intern?

    peaceandcarrots said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    • Erm, I have no idea. :) We are 5 floors of fun, not including our other publications, and they don’t tell me anything. ;) I wouldn’t be surprised, as we have two interns at our publication that are fairly frequently rotated, not to mention tech interns downstairs.

      atdt1991 said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:37 pm

  2. I go by using “this” for the day that is in the current week, I use “next” for the day in the following week after the one we are in.

    disarray2 said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    • Starting with Sunday or Monday? Assuming Sunday, if it is Friday would you always say next Sunday (vs this Sunday), because Sunday had passed in this week?

      atdt1991 said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:42 pm

      • I start on Sunday. I would say next sunday for the one sunday two days from friday but I generally say “the one coming up” or something like that just to make sure we are on the same page.

        disarray2 said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:50 pm

  3. I usually use “this” to mean the upcoming day (or I drop it like peaceandcarrots) and I use “next” to mean the one after that. However, if it’s ambiguous, I usually clarify or ask for clarification.

    So if it’s Monday, I’d say, “What are you doing Saturday?” or if asked about “next Saturday” I’d probably say “you mean this coming Saturday or a week from this Saturday?”.

    The closer to the day it gets, the more apt I am to assume “next” means “over a week from now”. So if I was asked the same question on a Friday, I’d assume the person meant a week from the following day.

    caspian_x said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:48 pm

  4. I am pretty much on board with Caspian.. I USUALLY mean the day in the same week when I say this and the day in the following week when I say next, however, that does tend to vary slightly depending on how close to the weekend I am, so I try to clarify “not this coming weekend, next weekend”

    astaria66 said this on July 8, 2008 at 7:55 pm

  5. Huh, I’d never thought of this before.

    Here’s how it works for me – “next” is for whatever day you’re referring to that isn’t coming up in the next 2-3 days. So next Saturday on a Monday is 5 days away, next Saturday on a Friday is 8 days away.

    Of course, now that I consider it, that just strikes me as wrong, the meaning should always refer to the Saturday after next, no matter how far away it is.

    holyscapegoat said this on July 8, 2008 at 8:01 pm

    • Weird, innit? That’s why I put the two survey questions in, to see who has their headspace in “always!” and who is in “sometimes”

      atdt1991 said this on July 8, 2008 at 8:12 pm

    • Actually, that’s pretty much exactly how I think of it.

      caspian_x said this on July 8, 2008 at 9:24 pm

      • I’m in this same boat, but with a slight difference. If you asked me about “this saturday” on a monday, I would actually assume the one that just past. But as mink may attest, I have weird habits with relative adjectives.

        blondbaron said this on July 9, 2008 at 4:02 am

  6. If it’s Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, I’ll usually say “this coming Saturday” to mean the one 6,5,4 days from then, and next Saturday to be the one after that. From Wednesday to Friday, I’ll either use “this Saturday” or just “Saturday”.

    When someone else says “next Saturday”, I’ll usually ask “do you mean this coming Saturday or the one after that?” Or sometimes use the dates if I know them off the top of my head.

    cjtremlett said this on July 8, 2008 at 8:08 pm

  7. What are the hands doing?
    I notice, when I ask “What are you doing this friday (7/11)?” I index finger will point down. No hand bounce.
    If I ask “What are you doing next friday? (7/18) my hand hand will bounce and land in the air palm up.
    Or course, I have been known to ask,
    “So, not this friday, but the friday after next?” (7/25)my finger will bounce three times.

    I’ll shut up now.

    jellopony said this on July 8, 2008 at 8:13 pm

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