What are the "2000's" called? Was an "official" name chosen?

[Love Rhombus]

I've yet to hear one. I've seen "the Noughties" used, but that seems pretty horrible and I can't believe it's accurate.

[HorseloverFat]

Sometimes its referred to as the millennium. I just say early two-thousands.

[GreasyJack]

I presume once we're into the twenty-teen's it'll make more sense to call them the "two-thousands". I call 'em the aughts, but that's just to sound like an old coot.

[Krokodil]

Just like 1901-1910 was "The Turn of the Century," 2001-2010 is "the Millennium."

[Caveat lector]

I've yet to hear one. I've seen "the Noughties" used, but that seems pretty horrible and I can't believe it's accurate.

I saw that in an article today and I actually winced. I'd use the 'first decade of twenty-first century' before I'd use 'the Noughties'. It may be long winded, but at least its not ridiculous.

[foolsguinea]

Nonono. They're the "double-oughts."

[panache45]

Nonono. They're the "double-oughts."

Nonono. They're the "uh-ohs."

[gladtobeblazed]

When did the practice of naming decades start anyways? Did people in the year 1754 call that decade "the 50's"?

[Švejk]

There must already be a ton of threads on this issue but I cannot be bothered to find them. What I do know is that earlier this year a Dutch radio station did the '00s' version of a nineties or eighties week and they called it 'zeroes request', which I thought was well found. I guess I might stick to that.

[Jormungandr]

VH1 does flashbacks shows such as "I Love the 70's." When they did the first 7 years of this decade, they called it "I Love the New Millennium."

[RealityChuck]

The International Decade Nomenclature Council announced last Wednesday that the new decade will be called "Fred."

You can stop worrying now.

[Acsenray]

Was an "official" name chosen?

What does this even mean? There is no universally recognized office or official given authority over choosing casual terms for arbitrary blocks of time.

[panache45]

What does this even mean? There is no universally recognized office or official given authority over choosing casual terms for arbitrary blocks of time.

We'll have to wait until the French decide.

[Acsenray]

In that case, it's going to be something like "the flowers" or "the gentle rolling hills" or "the pomegranates."

[sailor]

It's the decade when I didn't get laid half as much as I wished.

Oh, wait, the others were that too.

We'll have to find another name.

[Elendil's Heir]

The Master speaks: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/511/what-will-the-first-decade-of-the-21st-century-be-called

[Varrius]

The International Decade Nomenclature Council announced last Wednesday that the new decade will be called "Fred."

You can stop worrying now.

<--- Just stopped worrying. I really like Fred.

[dropzone]

The Master speaks: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/511/what-will-the-first-decade-of-the-21st-century-be-calledAnd even He was no help at all, though he had a few decades to reflect. I wonder what he thinks today?

[BlakeTyner]

When did the practice of naming decades start anyways? Did people in the year 1754 call that decade "the 50's"?

It goes back at least as far as William Faulkner. In "A Rose for Emily" he describes Miss Emily's house (paraphrased) as "built in the style of the seventies" -- meaning the 1870's.

[gaffa]

I'm gonna have to go with "dickity", as in "George Bush was President until twenty-dickity-eight."

[installLSC]

The only references I've heard to this decade in the media are "at the turn of the century" on some news interview shows or "this decade". Since there's no true official name, only what people use, I guess we're stuck with those.

[Wheeljack]

I've been calling it "this crappy decade". When it's over, I'll call it "that crappy decade". There will be no confusion.

[KneadToKnow]

They're the "uh-ohs."

I use this, essentially, but I use the "oh-oh" pronunciation that doesn't come across the same way in print.

As in, "Yeah, George W. Bush was president for most of the decade we call the oh-ohs. It was a great time to be a comic."

[robardin]

VH1 does flashbacks shows such as "I Love the 70's." When they did the first 7 years of this decade, they called it "I Love the New Millennium."

They did a flashback show for a decade that hasn't even ended yet?! :confused:

Well once again the parody of the Onion proves to be merely a harbinger of reality to come. They predicted this eventuality over 10 years ago, in an article entitled U.S. Dept. Of Retro Warns: 'We May Be Running Out Of Past' (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29830).

As to the question in the OP, the most common expression I've heard/read is the rather uncomfortable phrase "this decade", which has not much longer to go for it, followed by "the 2000s" ("two thousands").

[Rigamarole]

I call it the 0s. Pronounced "the ohs". You say oh-2, oh-3, oh-4 don't you? So that's the simplest and most obvious way of referring to the decade.

[Fear the Turtle]

While playing a trivia game with a friend where you try to guess the year (of a song, movie, etc). We try to quickly zero in on the decade (or half), then guess at the year.

When a certain question came up, he yelled "Late Nineties". "No, No" I quickly replied, "Early Naughts". Since he knew what I meant, I guess that term is close enough (or "oughts" if that's how you roll). Naughties and oughties is just stupid.

When I hear " two thousands", or "nineteen hundreds" I think of the whole century, not the first decade (in fact, that's what I thought the OP meant until I read the thread).