# So... what are we calling this decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398 "2009-11-13T02:24:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![StrangeBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@StrangeBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangeBird)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/41 "2009-11-13T19:40:39Z")
Based on what I’ve heard in the media and in general conversation “the noughties” seems to be the front runner in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/42 "2009-11-13T19:42:03Z")
Based on what I’ve seen of their tabloids, naughty is **always** a front runner in Australia. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/43 "2009-11-13T19:45:09Z")
There’s no rule that decrees that decades must have a name. If there’s an obvious one, as with the twenties, etc, then they get a name. If there isn’t then they don’t, as with the first two decades of the 1900s. It’s becoming quite clear that the first decade of the 21st century will follow suit, and equally likely that the second will do the same. I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait for the thirties to get to a named decade again. ---
**Author:** ![homeskillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ba0ec/32.png) [@homeskillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homeskillet)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/44 "2009-11-13T19:46:18Z")
Considering what a crap decade it’s been, how about the **“0 Shit’s”**? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/45 "2009-11-13T19:53:00Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > What’s wrong with “teens”, as in “nineteen-teens”, “twenty-teens”? > > Those difficult teenage years are a tough time for any century, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a name for them. Because then 2010-2012 feel very left out. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/46 "2009-11-13T20:59:31Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > What’s wrong with “teens”, as in “nineteen-teens”, “twenty-teens”? > > Those difficult teenage years are a tough time for any century, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a name for them. I have never seen or heard anybody referring to the years 1910 to 1919 as the teens. They just muddled along until the 20s. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/47 "2009-11-13T23:20:42Z")
The iPod Age ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/48 "2009-11-14T01:22:45Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > I feel that anyone still wondering what to call this decade has either not heard “the noughties” or has no taste whatsoever and should not be allowed to vote. The noughties is a fantastic name for a decade. I have never heard anyone seriously refer to the decade as the noughties (outside of threads like this). I’ve always heard it described as “the 2000s”. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/49 "2009-11-14T01:26:02Z")
It seems to me terms like the 2000s and the 1900s would refer to the entire century rather than only the first decade. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/50 "2009-11-14T01:34:19Z")
I’ve got a 2010 Toyota Prius and we can’t break ourselves of the habit of saying it’s an “Oh-10 Prius.” This amuses me a great deal. So therefore I dub this decade the Ohs. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/51 "2009-11-14T01:57:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It seems to me terms like the 2000s and the 1900s would refer to the entire century rather than only the first decade. They could. But they generally don’t. Instead we use “20th Century” and “21st Century”. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/52 "2009-11-14T02:11:04Z")
Unless there’s a particular cultural reason why we need a name, I suspect that having gone this long means there won’t be one. Me? I just call it the really, really late 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/53 "2009-11-14T02:55:34Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > They could. But they generally don’t. Instead we use “20th Century” and “21st Century”. I’ve always seen both the 1900s and the 20th century used regularly. Never encountered the 1900s, 1800s etc to mean only the first decade. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/54 "2009-11-14T14:21:48Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I have never heard anyone seriously refer to the decade as the noughties (outside of threads like this). I’ve always heard it described as “the 2000s”. I didn’t say it was a popular name I said it was a fantastic name. There’s a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/55 "2009-11-14T15:28:21Z")
I thought this question had already been answered, years ago? I have heard the term “the noughties” so many times I would have sworn it was already common usage. Hell, one of the BBC digital channels is currently running a review show of the “noughties”, with that name used in the title. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/56 "2009-11-14T17:07:55Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Because then 2010-2012 feel very left out. They can be called “the Preteens”. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/57 "2009-11-26T23:47:17Z")
“The Decade from Hell” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/58 "2009-11-27T01:30:19Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > “The Decade from Hell” Wouldn’t fit. It’s been a pretty good one for me. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/59 "2009-11-27T01:59:55Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Wouldn’t fit. It’s been a pretty good one for me. Too bad, Time magazine’s made it official: [The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell](http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1942834,00.html?xid=rss-topstories) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398/60 "2009-11-27T02:12:17Z")
I guess I’ve been luckier than _Time_ magazine. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-we-calling-this-decade/517398.md?page=4)