# Things that infuriate you well beyond their actual importance **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712 "2024-09-04T02:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/561 "2024-11-01T23:38:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe it is becuase you want to take religion out of common usages? but then no one is trying to convert Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Saying Tuesday or Wednesday isn’t the same as saying Our Lord, referring specifically to Jesus of Nazareth. Nor is it the same as specifically referring to that person as the Christ. (And, last I looked, there weren’t a whole lot of people trying to convert the world in general, and the USA in particular, to following laws based on Asatru. This, of course, is subject to change.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/562 "2024-11-02T00:03:20Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Saying Tuesday or Wednesday isn’t the same as saying Our Lord, referring specifically to Jesus of Nazareth. Few say “in the year of our lord”. They say AD or BC. AD means anno domini is a dead language. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > (And, last I looked, there weren’t a whole lot of people trying to convert the world in general, and the USA in particular, to following laws based on Asatru. This, of course, is subject to change.) And what does that have to do with this? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/563 "2024-11-02T00:20:57Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Few say “in the year of our lord”. They say AD or BC. AD means anno domini is a dead language. > [@DrDeth](#): > > And what does that have to do with this? Are you just going to pretend that people haven’t demolished this rubbish again and again? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/564 "2024-11-02T06:02:11Z")
So, i actually did watch most of that video, and he didn’t really make a case for it. He said that he prefers ad and bc, and that our current calendar was implemented by Pope Gregory, and then he started taking about details of the calendar that are totally relevant to the question and i stopped watching. I mean, we all know that the common calendar was invented by Christians. And i don’t really have a problem with “bc”, which is shorthand for “before a year that someone years ago thought was the year Jesus Christ was born”. But i do kinda object to ad, because it’s not the year of _my_ Lord, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/565 "2024-11-02T15:15:42Z")
“Christ” isn’t part of the name. It’s a title. I am not granting that title. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/566 "2024-11-02T17:07:42Z")
Do you refuse to use the word “Christmas” for December 25? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/567 "2024-11-02T17:14:39Z")
If I’m discussing specifically the Christmas holiday, then of course I’ll use “Christmas”. If I’m just discussing the date for some other reason entirely, I’ll use “December 25”; though in practice, in the USA, there are connotations to that date in terms of closures of places of business, likely lack of availability of people for other purposes who celebrate the holiday, and so on; so if I’m discussing that issue I might use either. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/568 "2024-11-02T17:23:51Z")
Eh, it just means “anointed” in Greek. And I have no problem referring to the Christian God by the name they use for him. In practice, i don’t use “AD” or “CE” often enough to matter. I consider CE to be more correct, and more appropriate. AD is mildly offensive to many non-Christians. But i probably just use whichever one was already used in the conversation most of the time. I certainly understand what is intended with both. It’s not a thing that bothers me more than it should. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/569 "2024-11-02T19:14:38Z")
When I was in college (and it was long ago, but still AD), we frequently used BP (Before Present) because we were relying on radiocarbon dating. This was a common practice in archeology. Years BP was based on January 1, 1950, avoiding all the BC, AD, and BCE hassle. At that time, the slight difference between January 1, 1950, and, for example, April 15, 1969, was insignificant using the radiocarbon dating technologies that were available. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/570 "2024-11-02T19:22:17Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > When I was in college (and it was long ago, but still AD), we frequently used BP (Before Present) because we were relying on radiocarbon dating. I’ve seen that in archaeological dating; but haven’t outside that context. I think that in other contexts most people would take it to mean not the set date for that context, but whatever the date is at the present moment; which would make it a continuously moving thing not very useful for, say “the treaty of X occurred in year Y”. And, as you say, that sort of precision isn’t generally either needed or available when talking about dates X million years ago; or even X hundred thousand. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/571 "2024-11-02T19:33:23Z")
I get annoyed by people using the time specifications 12AM or 12PM. There are no such times. There are times named 12 Noon and 12 Midnight. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/572 "2024-11-02T19:52:50Z")
No problem in the 24h time format 😉: 12:00 or 00:00. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/573 "2024-11-02T20:09:54Z")
I thought there was, actually, some official meaning to 12AM and 12PM, but i never use them, because i can’t remember and assume others can’t, either. I refer to noon or midnight, unless I’m sure that everyone is expecting 24hr time. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/574 "2024-11-02T20:22:24Z")
There are various conventions regarding 12 AM and 12 PM and they variously contradict each other, so it is pointless using any of them. 24 hour format or 12 noon / 12 midnight. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/575 "2024-11-02T20:32:18Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I get annoyed by people using the time specifications 12AM or 12PM. There are no such times. There are times named 12 Noon and 12 Midnight. Yep, but one second after 12MN is 12:00:01 AM. weird. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/576 "2024-11-02T20:39:35Z")
Absolutely. But it eliminated all the “Christian era” dating issues. It reminded me quite a bit of switching to 24-hour time. Initially hard to adjust to, but makes sense once you do. (And, of course, I was surrounded by people who were using the term regularly.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/577 "2024-11-03T02:40:46Z")
We could all use AUC. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/578 "2024-11-03T04:16:32Z")
How about AF (After Ford)? ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/579 "2024-11-03T04:37:56Z")
Perhaps the kicker here is that the year 2024 would be shown as 74 AP (or YAP), meaning “after present.” Yes…we are now living in the future. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/580 "2024-11-03T09:54:12Z")
God bless the ISO 8601 time format. Though it treats midnight as 00:00 not 24:00 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=30)