# The meaning of the word "next" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849 "2006-06-08T06:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/21 "2006-06-09T07:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] Weeks are considered to start on a Monday. [/QUOTE] In North America, calendars usually begin the week on Sunday. The calendar I bought in Spain starts the week on Monday (slightly disorienting for me). Computers often have an option to choose which one you prefer. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/22 "2006-06-09T07:32:48Z")
To the OP, 6 days from now. “Saturday next week” would also have meant 6 days from now, for me the week begins on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![adopted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@adopted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adopted)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/23 "2006-06-09T08:25:52Z")
Huh - this gets worse when you are in a country that does not have Eglish as a first language - life is fun. Slight hijack - when you refer to stuff that you “did” or will do in the weekend should you say a) at the weekend? b) in the weekend? c) during the weekend? e) over the weekend? a) - bugs me, wekkend is not a place, how can i ever be “at” it? b) - logically should be the same complaint - but the useage is comfortable for me c) - my preferred but always feels slightly pompous d) - we also used to use a lot, but logically should not be correct BTW - here in Singapore most people use the “at” construction Another slight hijack - since when did “troops” come to mean a single soldier? As in “three troops were charged with Abu Gharib abuses” I always thought that troop was a collective noun i.e a troop of soldiers (a group of soldiers) a boy scout troop (a formal grouping of boy scouts) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/24 "2006-06-09T15:08:57Z")
[QUOTE=adopted] Huh - this gets worse when you are in a country that does not have Eglish as a first language… [/QUOTE] I wish those Egles would just go back where they came from 😉 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/25 "2006-06-09T18:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=adopted] Slight hijack - when you refer to stuff that you “did” or will do in the weekend should you say a) at the weekend? b) in the weekend? c) during the weekend? e) over the weekend? [/QUOTE] In North America we say on or over the weekend; in Britain they say at the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/26 "2006-06-09T18:42:27Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] America take the word fortnight, embrace it, use it. It is a good word. [/QUOTE] And, fortnightly, which I use to describe things which happen every other week. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/27 "2006-06-09T20:08:08Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] Say today is Sunday, and I refer to “next Saturday”. What is the first meaning that crosses your mind: 6 days from now, or 13 days from now? [/QUOTE] Six days. The next occurring Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/28 "2006-06-09T21:24:05Z")
**Fromage A Trois, matt\_mcl, Antigen, Antinor01, elfkin477, Nava, Clothahump** , you are wise and sensible people. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849/29 "2006-06-09T22:00:30Z")
I take it as the next occuring Saturday. This can be modified if you first use ‘this’ as in: This Saturday we will go to the beach, then next Saturday we will visit grandma. But this can be further modified a 3rd time: This Saturday we will go to the beach, then the next Saturday we will visit grandma, then the next Saturday we will go shopping. So in my usage next means the next occuring after prestated conditions. and can actually go on some time in the future: The 1st Saturday in January we will leave for our ski trip, the next saturday we will be heading back home. I also use the term ‘the following Saturday’ to state the week after next. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-next/359849.md?page=1)