# English language usage: “The evening of…” **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2024, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667 "2024-12-15T10:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/81 "2024-12-24T15:17:36Z")
The other day is often used to lend credibility about something that never happened. Often an a ‘me too’ story after you mention your car’s engine caught fire - “Same thing happened to me the other day”. It’s similar to the girlfriend you don’t know because she lives in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/82 "2024-12-24T15:19:32Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I also wonder if there’s a connection with “a quarter of…” to mean “15 minutes before” an hour. That’s something I’d never say and don’t really hear much, but apparently it’s a thing. I routinely use the “quarter til” or “quarter after” phraseology when referring to 15 minute intervals of time. East coast American here. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/83 "2024-12-24T15:33:37Z")
Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/84 "2024-12-28T11:07:16Z")
I read it as the “of” in the construction being highlighted, in parallel with “evening of.” Not about “quarter to/til.” As given in the link. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Gordon\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_G)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/85 "2024-12-28T12:01:55Z")
I’d have guessed that “half six” meant (“half to six”) 5:30. Shouldn’t 6:30 be “six half”? I think “half six” is a Britishism. The British language confuses me. In particular “stupid money” is a phrase heard frequently; it seems to mean _either_ a ridiculously small amount of money _or_ a ridiculously large amount of money. Figure it out by context?? BTW, “next” evolved from the superlative of “nigh” which meant “near” (which evolved from the comparative of “nigh”). So I am annoyed by those who use “next Friday” to mean anything but the _nearest_ (future) Friday. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/86 "2024-12-28T12:52:04Z")
> [@Gordon\_G](#): > > I’d have guessed that “half six” meant (“half to six”) 5:30 And that’s how it is in languages like German in Hungarian. The literal translation of “half six” would mean 5:30 in both. I always hiccup when I hear the British use of the phrase as I am momentarily confused as to what is meant. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/87 "2024-12-28T13:37:53Z")
It’s almost as if they are speaking a different language. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/88 "2024-12-28T14:26:53Z")
Random thoughts :- With my age/memory, _the other day_ can mean anything from the day before yesterday to a day 10 years ago. We brits are very lazy with language… i expect “half six” is just an abbreviation of “half past six”. To avoid confusion with “next friday”, it’s common to say “this coming friday” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/89 "2024-12-28T17:54:01Z")
??? Well no shit. The point was that Gordon G is in good company in thinking that “half six” would logically be 5:30. Plus I find it interesting linguistically. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/90 "2024-12-28T17:58:46Z")
Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667/91 "2024-12-28T18:09:11Z")
Sorry myself. I’m inexplicably and uncharacteristically cranky [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-language-usage-the-evening-of/1011667.md?page=4)