# Thirteen o'clock **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215 "2002-12-17T01:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/21 "2002-12-17T15:21:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*1. Yes, it’s common but informal. 2. “Half two” means “14.30”. > > Now can someone tell me what Americans mean by “quarter of”…? That’s always puzzled me considerably. \*\* quite common and has been for at least 50 years in scotland when i was a lad my grandad used to say things like “ten past the nock” and “half one” etc 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CaptEgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@CaptEgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptEgo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/22 "2002-12-17T15:24:26Z")
Just an additional note as I have seen almost no mention of it. In all the English speaking places I’ve visited the ‘ambiguity’ mentioned is erased with the simple use of ‘AM’ or ‘PM’. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/23 "2002-12-17T15:33:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CaptEgo \* > \*\*Just an additional note as I have seen almost no mention of it. In all the English speaking places I’ve visited the ‘ambiguity’ mentioned is erased with the simple use of ‘AM’ or ‘PM’. \*\* yes, and the phrases ‘in the morning’ ‘in the evening’ or ‘at night’ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/24 "2002-12-17T16:22:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\*“Quarter of” = “quarter till” = “a **quarter** (fourth) **of** an hour **until** ”… \*\* Just had to add that it drives me insane that in Sweden they call say 14.30 “halv tre” (half three)… for me, as an English speaker, that’s 15.30!! ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/25 "2002-12-17T16:32:54Z")
I’ve heard the phrasing 1300 (as in thirteen-hundred) used before, but not very frequently. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/26 "2002-12-17T17:56:08Z")
Every time I hear someone say “let’s meet for dinner at half eight,” I assume they mean (roughly in order): We’re meeting at 4 pm. We’re meeting at 10 am. (8 pm = 20h, 1/2 of 20h = 10h = 10am) We’re meeting at 7:30. OH! You mean we’re meeting at eight thirty. Right. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/27 "2002-12-17T19:17:30Z")
My experience in Japan is that the air/rail/bus/other schedules are printed with the 24 hour format (going from 0000 to 2359 instead of the US Navy MILPERSMAN style of going from 0001 to 2400) and that the spoken word uses the “am” and “pm” 12 hour clocks. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/28 "2002-12-18T00:05:41Z")
AM and PM are fine for me, too. I’m not at all confused. Nor am I ambiguated. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215/29 "2002-12-18T01:10:44Z")
Question answered, as far as I’m concerned. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thirteen-oclock/143215.md?page=1)