# Read my lips: Next **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067 "2003-01-07T01:54:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/1 "2003-01-07T01:54:10Z")
If today is Monday, and I say we will meet for dinner next Friday, I mean four days from today. So why are there so many dummies in the English-speaking world who take “next” to mean “next week” or “two from now”? _Next_ means _next_, not _two from now_. When I say “next month”, I don’t mean two months from now. When I say “next year”, I don’t mean two years from now. And when I say “next Friday”, I don’t mean two Fridays from now. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/2 "2003-01-07T01:56:52Z")
Let’s say today is Monday. The Friday that is four days away is “this Friday”. The Friday that is 11 days away is “next Friday”. This Friday belongs to this week. Next Friday belongs to next week. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/3 "2003-01-07T02:02:10Z")
**No!** ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/4 "2003-01-07T02:05:32Z")
In this context, I agree with cazzle. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/5 "2003-01-07T02:09:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kevja \* > \*\*In this context, I agree with cazzle. \*\* Same here. ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/6 "2003-01-07T02:09:48Z")
I, too, am with **cazzle**. When people say “next Friday,” I always clarify with them that they _really_ mean the Friday after this one. ---
**Author:** ![ILENSER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@ILENSER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILENSER)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/7 "2003-01-07T02:11:21Z")
context, agree with cazzle. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/8 "2003-01-07T02:18:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > When I say “next month”, I don’t mean two months from now. When I say “next year”, I don’t mean two years from now. And when I say “next Friday”, I don’t mean two Fridays from now. Even though they can often be used in similar structures, there’s a difference between words like “month”, “day” and “year”; and words like “October” and “Friday”. So drawing an analogy between one set and the other set doesn’t always work. For instance, if something happens every month, it happens 12 times a year; if something happens every October, it happens once a year, even though October is a month. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/9 "2003-01-07T02:22:32Z")
Agreed with **Cazzle** - why would you say “next” in this context at all then, if it’s superfluous? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/10 "2003-01-07T03:47:31Z")
Ja, next friday means not this one coming up, but the next one after that. ie. I agree with **Cazzle** ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/11 "2003-01-07T03:52:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\ ***No!** \*\* Yep! I’ve never heard someone refer to this coming Friday as “next” Friday. Or if I have, I don’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/12 "2003-01-07T04:00:44Z")
I agree with Walloon that the way it is commonly used isn’t very logical. Unforunately, logic and tradition have little to do with each other. I just accept it and always clarify. (But you’ll never hear me say “next Friday!”) ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/13 "2003-01-07T04:20:13Z")
The only time I clarify and say ‘next’ would be the day before (i.e. Thursday, in this example), the day of (Friday) and possibly the day after(Saturday) to avoid confusion. Otherwise I would say Friday, meaning the first Friday coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/14 "2003-01-07T05:33:41Z")
I have to agree with **cazzle** , as well. That’s why I always told my students to say either ‘this coming Friday’ or ‘Friday of next week’ to avoid confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/15 "2003-01-07T07:03:36Z")
Yep, one more vote for **cazzle**. Quite the stud, ain’t you, **cazz**? ---
**Author:** ![Qixotica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@Qixotica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qixotica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/16 "2003-01-07T07:32:55Z")
Count me in, anything in this time frame (this week/Thursday) is “this”, while anything in the next time frame is “next” (next week/Thurdsay). Can ya feel the love yet **cazzle**? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/17 "2003-01-07T08:05:15Z")
Thank you, thank you. Some may think this is merely an example of me being right, but I prefer to think of it as a popularity contest. You love me, you really love me! ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/18 "2003-01-07T08:23:28Z")
Another vote for cazzle. That’s just the way it is. And yes, cazzle, we do love you. Even though you’re not from Encino. (Sorry, that is a _very_ obscure Sally Field reference.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/19 "2003-01-07T08:27:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > No! Just because you take up a contrary position, doesn’t mean you’re arguing. ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067/20 "2003-01-07T09:24:25Z")
Friday of this week is just “Friday”. Friday of next week is “Friday week”. Friday of the week after is “Friday fortnight”. Is this just an Irish/British thing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-my-lips-next/147067.md?page=2)