# How do you express dates? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983 "2011-12-31T21:56:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/21 "2012-01-01T15:30:01Z")
> [@SDMBKL](#): > > **How do you express dates?** [UPS](http://calfruitdepot.com/dates), of course. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/22 "2012-01-01T15:45:49Z")
Another vote for ISO 8601. I use it ubiquitously including checks, tax documents, what have you. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/23 "2012-01-01T15:48:08Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Doing it the way everywhere except the USA does it, itā€™s the exact reverse: yesterday was is 31/12/11. That **is** the sensible way of doing it. The US version only ā€œmatchesā€ the numerical-order way if you leave a third of the date out, as you say yourself. It may be the way you are used to, but itā€™s clearly an exception to the way all the rest of our number systems are written. As a matter of fact, itā€™s completely backward from the most logical format YYYYMMDD ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/24 "2012-01-01T15:55:14Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > It may be the way you are used to, but itā€™s clearly an exception to the way all the rest of our number systems are written. > > As a matter of fact, itā€™s completely backward from the most logical format YYYYMMDD Iā€™m the first to admit Iā€™m not the most numerical of people, nor logical, for that matter. But something thatā€™s exactly opposite the most logical format seems to at least be consistent (it goes from smallest to largest, instead of largest to smallest) - whatā€™s the logic behind a mm/dd/yy date format? Also, unless Iā€™m just being a complete moron (this is actually quite likely, so my apologies if so) could you explain a bit more about what other number systems follow a similar counting system? Iā€™m not meaning to say thereā€™s anything wrong with a mm/dd/yy date format, just itā€™s not similar to any other numbering systems I can think of - I like finding out about things that are done differently in other places. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/25 "2012-01-01T16:13:18Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > Iā€™m the first to admit Iā€™m not the most numerical of people, nor logical, for that matter. But something thatā€™s exactly opposite the most logical format seems to at least be consistent (it goes from smallest to largest, instead of largest to smallest) - whatā€™s the logic behind a mm/dd/yy date format? Iā€™m not sure I understand your questionā€¦youā€™ve already stated the reason yourself, it goes from smallest to largest: Month [1-12] Day [1-31] Year [insert 4 digits] ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/26 "2012-01-01T16:21:31Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > It may be the way you are used to, but itā€™s clearly an exception to the way all the rest of our number systems are written. > > As a matter of fact, itā€™s completely backward from the most logical format YYYYMMDD Thatā€™s my **point**. The computer/logical system is year/month/day. Large-to-small. The way everywhere except the USA writes it is the reverse of that. Small-to-large. Which is also simple and logical. The US version is the one that makes no logical sense. Medium-small-large is a _terrible_ way to order anything, completely non-intuitive. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/27 "2012-01-01T16:22:37Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Iā€™m not sure I understand your questionā€¦youā€™ve already stated the reason yourself, it goes from smallest to largest: Month [1-12] Day [1-31] Year [insert 4 digits] Iā€™ll do it for you: :smack: (unless you are redefining the concepts of ā€œsmallestā€ and ā€œlargestā€) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/28 "2012-01-01T20:27:14Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > It may be the way you are used to, but itā€™s clearly an exception to the way all the rest of our number systems are written. > > As a matter of fact, itā€™s completely backward from the most logical format YYYYMMDD YYYMMDD is only the most logical format in some circumstances, if the year is significant. And why does it matter that leaving off the year gives you month/day? I mean, thereā€™s nothing wrong with saying month/day - itā€™s just a regional variation - but youā€™re not making a very good argument for it being more logical. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/29 "2012-01-01T20:30:44Z")
day/month/year. European style, althought Iā€™m A Merkin. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/30 "2012-01-01T20:44:36Z")
Day/month/year. _Looks at poll options_ Donā€™t most people who use BCE pair it with CE? For the record, I wish people would stop using BCE/CE (or BCE/AD) altogether. Maybe itā€™s just one of my idiosyncrasies, but I consider it to be far more politically incorrect (well, irritating) than AD/BC could ever be. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/31 "2012-01-01T20:51:26Z")
It very much depends on my audience or software tool. The client I am working with now, requires dates be expressed as date-day abbreviation-year (01-Jan-2012) unless I am working in their ERP, where I have set my preference to show as DD/MM/YYYY. I use their system more than I use my own. So, for the time being, ā€œOtherā€ is my answer. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/32 "2012-01-01T20:57:07Z")
I thought this was going to be a thread about the ordering of the dates, rather than AD/CE. For the record Iā€™ve always used AD and refuse to chance. Iā€™m always used to writing out dates as month, date and year (e.g., January 1st, 2012). However, Iā€™ve noticed (particulary among older folks), a tendency to put the day first, sans suffix (e.g., 1 January, 2012). This was also something that came up when I studied German. Apparently they order it differently, though I canā€™t remember how. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/33 "2012-01-01T21:06:20Z")
Other - I have no single preference - I use an assortment of different styles (depending mainly on context), including: Short date: DD/MM/YY In written work: D(st/rd/th) Month, YYYY In file names (and anywhere else where sorting might be required): YYYYMMDD(and optionally HHMMSS) ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/34 "2012-01-01T21:11:02Z")
Day month or day month year for general writing and as many have stated so far, YYYYMMDD for any file names ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/35 "2012-01-01T21:22:53Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Whatā€™s todayā€™s date? Today is the first of January, 2012. Smallest to largest. Starting with the middle, then going to the smallest, and then the largest? _Thatā€™s_ your idea of sensible? I never said the American system was sensible. ISO 8601 is sensible. Other systems are not. Letā€™s try doing this in order of significance of the individual digits: 1 for the onesā€™ place of the day, 2 for the tensā€™ place of the day, etc., up to 8 for the thousandsā€™ place of the year. American: 43-21-8765 Euro/Australia/wherever: 21-43-8765 ISO 8601: 8765-43-21 Only ISO 8601 is in strictly decreasing order the way all other number systems are. Both the American and ā€œinternationalā€ systems are out of order, just at a different granularity. As it happens, if the year is left off, the American system matches the ISO one, and so has the advantage of sorting correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/36 "2012-01-01T21:28:31Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > YYYMMDD is only the most logical format in some circumstances, if the year is significant. No, MMDD is still more logical than DDMM, again because the digits are in the right order of significance and so sort correctly. For instance, my photos are organized with a top-level directory of the year, and then with subdirectories like this: 06-31 - Backpacking at such-and-such 07-04 - Museum in so-and-so city These would not sort correctly in DD-MM format. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/37 "2012-01-01T21:31:30Z")
I didnā€™t see an option for day, month, year, which is how I do it unless I specifically remember to use the US default of month, day, year. I canā€™t see any reason to specify BC/CE. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/38 "2012-01-01T21:43:03Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > As it happens, if the year is left off, the American system matches the ISO one, and so has the advantage of sorting correctly. I agree that the ISO system has objective merits. But Iā€™ve never seen anyone use it outside of filing. Iā€™ve never seen anyone write out a date like 2012 January 1 in common usage and it would look strange to see it. I also think that the partial resemblance with American dating is just coincidental. When we do include the year in American dating, we always put it at the end not the beginning - e.g. January 1, 2012. So we canā€™t claim that American dating is a truncated form of ISO dating. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/39 "2012-01-01T21:57:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I agree that the ISO system has objective merits. But Iā€™ve never seen anyone use it outside of filing. Iā€™ve never seen anyone write out a date like 2012 January 1 in common usage and it would look strange to see it. > > I also think that the partial resemblance with American dating is just coincidental. When we do include the year in American dating, we always put it at the end not the beginning - e.g. January 1, 2012. So we canā€™t claim that American dating is a truncated form of ISO dating. I agree that itā€™s just a convenient coincidence. And that no one actually writes out ā€œ2012 January 1ā€, though thereā€™s no real reason not to, either. I just dispute the notion that Euro-style is somehow more in-order than American style, when in fact theyā€™re both out of order if you look at the digits, and American style at least has the MMDD part correct. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983/40 "2012-01-01T23:02:12Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I agree that itā€™s just a convenient coincidence. And that no one actually writes out ā€œ2012 January 1ā€, though thereā€™s no real reason not to, either. I just dispute the notion that Euro-style is somehow more in-order than American style, when in fact theyā€™re both out of order if you look at the digits, and American style at least has the MMDD part correct. But the European system of small-medium-large and the ISO system of large-medium-small are more in order than the American system of medium-small-large. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-dates/607983.md?page=3)