As a wee lad, I was taught that “next Wednesday” means the Wednesday of the next week. But I’ve notice that not everyone was taught that (or not everyone remembers). To avoid misunderstanding I usually specify the date or say “this coming Wednesday” or “Wednesday of next week” as the situation warrants.
Technically, next Wednesday is the one which occurs next. The correct term for the Wednesday that’s coming next week should be “Wednesday a week”. But almost nobody uses that construction, including me, as it’s archaic. This Wed. and next Wed. is what I say.
If people know there’s confusion about this, they should just add a word or two to clarify. Far more simple than showing up on the wrong day! Don’t just say Wednesday. Say “this Wednesday, the 3rd” or “Next Wednesday, the 10th” or “This Wednesday, as in the day after tomorrow”-- something, anything, to be more specific. It’s really not that much effort for the aggravation it can save.
Semi is half. Bi is two.
Bimonthly events happen six times in a year.
Semimonthly events happen 24 times in a year. I can’t recall seeing that in actual use, though; biweekly is more common.
IIRC, the French for fortnight is quinze jours and week is huit jours. No? (I’ve a query/comment about this but perhaps someone can answer without my articulating it 
(And yes I do know how to count Sunday to Sunday as 8 days; that’s not quite my question.))
For the latter Wednesday, I often say ‘Wednesday next.’
The earlier Wednesday is ‘this Wednesday’
If I’m the barista at Starbucks, and finished with my customer, and say “next in line, please”, it’s going to be the first person in line, not the second person. And if I was in the situation you describe, close to a light, I would say “skip the coming light, turn at the next one”, because there are plenty of crazy drivers who will slam on the brakes and try to turn at the last minute. Me being one of them, because I had an ex who would always announce the turns at the last second.
But who decided that? And can you find an authoritative source that defines it? It seems to me that it’s common usage, but by no means universal. I don’t remember ever being taught that. Which is why I’ll say “Wednesday in two days” or “Wednesday in nine days”.
If only everyone used it that way!
Merriam-Webster: bimonthly, adjective
1 : occurring every two months
2 : occurring twice a month : semimonthly
Yes, in French you will say “une quinzaine” or “quinze jours” to refer to a two-week period. “Huit jours” is also used for a week, but slightly less commonly than “une semaine”, in my experience.
If it is Monday and I am referring to the Wednesday in two days, I would say “day after tomorrow”, but if it were Thursday or Friday and I was referring to the upcoming Wednesday, I would probably say “next Wednesday”.
To answer the OP: It’s November the 3rd.
Goddamn you descriptivists! Stop degrading my language! :mad:
It doesn’t matter who decided it, it needs to be universal so we understand each other. Some things can be confusing but ultimately not matter. But this matters.
So when J. Wellington Wimpy says “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today”, if today is Sunday, surely no one thinks he will pay you in 2 days.
Next Wednesday means the Wednesday next to some people. So, the day after tomorrow. And to others it means the Wednesday after Wednesday next. So, in 9 days. I always take care to differentiate which week I’m referring to in speech, because you never know in which camp your audience falls.
I wouldn’t say either interpretation is wrong. But when I think to myself “next Wednesday” (internal dialogue here), I tend to be thinking about the Wednesday in 2 days. “This Wednesday” is a synonym for that. If I meant the Wednesday in 9 days, I would think “the Wednesday after this one” or “Wednesday of next week.”
And now, I have read and typed the word Wednesday so many times that it no longer looks like a real word. :3
And as we see in this thread, it isn’t universal.
I could flat out say
“Next Wednesday” = “The next Wednesday on the calendar”. They are exact equivalents.
The question then would be, “says who?”
For me, a British English speaker:
The first occurrence of Wednesday after the present is either “Wednesday” or “This Wednesday”. If said day is not in the same week, I wouldn’t tend to say “This”, so for instance, speaking on Friday 5th I would call Wednesday 10th simply “Wednesday” rather than “This Wednesday”.
The Wednesday after this one is either “Next Wednesday” or “A week on Wednesday” (or, more rarely, “Wednesday week”).