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
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’
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!!
I’ve heard the phrasing 1300 (as in thirteen-hundred) used before, but not very frequently.
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.
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.
AM and PM are fine for me, too. I’m not at all confused. Nor am I ambiguated.
Peace,
mangeorge
Question answered, as far as I’m concerned. Thanks!