# What do we call this decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535 "2003-03-02T04:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neonfish07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Neonfish07](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neonfish07)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/1 "2003-03-02T04:51:55Z")
1970 = seventies 1980 = eighties 1990 = nineties 2000 = ??? _gets confused_ ---
**Author:** ![whiteboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@whiteboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiteboy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/2 "2003-03-02T04:55:26Z")
koolade ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/3 "2003-03-02T05:02:23Z")
There was a lot of discussion on this subject way back in '99. Nobody ever came up with a good suggestion. We’re kinda stuck, I guess. Reminds me of the he/she thing. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/4 "2003-03-02T05:45:44Z")
Even the great Master Cecil couldn’t come up with a definative answer for this question [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_160.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_160.html) [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_161.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_161.html) both address this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/5 "2003-03-02T06:03:26Z")
I didn’t check those links, but I’ve heard it referred to fairly often as “the oughts” (spelling?), since ought=zero. As in a 30.06 rifle is referred to as a thirty-ought-six. And how old people in movies referred to “ought six” or “ought seven” meaning 1906 or 1907. I’ve head newscaster frequently use “the oughts” to refer to the current decade. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/6 "2003-03-02T06:08:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tangent \* > \*\*I didn’t check those links, but I’ve heard it referred to fairly often as “the oughts” (spelling?), since ought=zero. As in a 30.06 rifle is referred to as a thirty-ought-six. And how old people in movies referred to “ought six” or “ought seven” meaning 1906 or 1907. I’ve head newscaster frequently use “the oughts” to refer to the current decade. \*\* You don’t think that sound’s a little silly? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cookeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@cookeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cookeze)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/7 "2003-03-02T09:23:40Z")
Double Ohs? ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/8 "2003-03-02T11:43:22Z")
I stand by my tennis inspiration and will insist on calling it ‘the loveties’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/9 "2003-03-02T12:12:17Z")
The noughties. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/10 "2003-03-02T12:18:12Z")
Or the naughties. _More tea, vicar? Oooh matron!_ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/11 "2003-03-02T12:27:48Z")
The time of No Joy. I’ve been thinking that since 9/11. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![tonbo0422](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@tonbo0422](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonbo0422)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/12 "2003-03-02T12:30:29Z")
Umm . . . it’s quite obvious. “The Zeroes.” Remember, you heard it hear first. ---
**Author:** ![tonbo0422](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@tonbo0422](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonbo0422)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/13 "2003-03-02T12:32:51Z")
I must have been zeroed out. It’s called “surfing the Net too much:” You heard it HERE first. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/14 "2003-03-02T15:16:11Z")
Since this questions has defied (at least as of yet) a definitive answer, I’ll shoot it over to IMHO. Maybe one of those guys can coin exactly the right one. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/15 "2003-03-02T15:55:40Z")
Dubya1 Dubya2 Dubya3 etc. Yeah, that’ll work for now anyway…the “Dubyas” ie: (future conversation) You remember, back in the Dubya’s…Let’s see, I think it was in Dubya3 that Iraq ceased to exist…hmmm or was that DubyaDubya3 :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/16 "2003-03-02T16:48:24Z")
The aughts. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/17 "2003-03-02T16:55:32Z")
Well, it’s obvious. No phrases are going to be coined here. No history made. So please, **Give It Up**. We’re just not clever enough. Besides, you _don’t_ want to be the one to do what Cecil sat’s can’t be done. ---
**Author:** ![eman77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@eman77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eman77)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/18 "2003-03-02T17:02:54Z")
The thousands ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/19 "2003-03-02T17:04:24Z")
The _ **Decade of Terror** _ But that’s a little depressing. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535/20 "2003-03-02T17:13:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Unintentionally Blank \* > \*\*The _ **Decade of Terror** _ > > But that’s a little depressing. ☹ \*\* And a little ethnocentric… some of us have been dealing with terrorism for many, many decades. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-call-this-decade/158535.md?page=2)