Twenty

Scott Hardie | October 24, 2004
Do you, like me, pronounce it "two thousand four" even though you believe it should probably be called "twenty oh four"? Do you, like me, wonder when our society is going to start calling years in this century "twenty" instead of "two thousand"?

Anna Gregoline | October 24, 2004
Hmm, I say 2000 and 4.

I think when we hit double digits - 2010.

Kris Weberg | October 24, 2004
"Two thousand (and) four" is actually more literally correct, isn't it? After all, "1948" is a count of the number of years that have passed since the beginning of the Common Era -- thus, it's really "one thousand nine-hundred (and) forty-eight," with years elided.

Given what a mouthful that is, of course, I can readily understand why "nineteen forty-eight" is common usage. And while common usage may, for the most part, be said to determine proper usage, the dysphony of "twenty-oh-four" will probably put the rest to its common or proper usage for the time being.

Scott Hardie | October 24, 2004
That's very true; I hadn't thought of that. It reminds me of our talk about being annoyed by the mispronunciation "jewellery," when in fact it is the common word "jewelry" that is the mangled term.

Erik Bates | October 24, 2004
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Jackie Mason | October 25, 2004
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Erik Bates | October 25, 2004
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Todd Brotsch | October 25, 2004
I say Ought Four.

Anna Gregoline | October 25, 2004
And I bet most people you say that to say, "What?"

Lori Lancaster | October 25, 2004
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Todd Brotsch | October 26, 2004
Then I don't bother talking to them, being below my "you must be this smart to talk to me line."

Anna Gregoline | October 26, 2004
I call Church Lady on that one.

David Mitzman | October 26, 2004
church lady? I don't see where the tie-in is here.

Scott Hardie | October 26, 2004
Good points... I had heard of ought in reference to the decades (this being the "oughts") but not for the year. "And" didn't occur to me because it was drilled into me in childhood math classes that the number 2,004 is "two thousand four" not "two thousand and four." However, in the year, I think "and" is technically correct, this being "Anno Domini two thousand and four."

Kris Weberg | October 26, 2004
Actually, more and more evidence suggests people in 190-whatever didn't say "oughts." The term was, I believe, suggested by H.L. Mencken some twenty years later.

Amy Austin | October 26, 2004
"church lady? I don't see where the tie-in is here"

Just a guess, Dave, but I'm thinking that she's accusing Todd of doing the "superiority dance"...