If someone says that some event will occur “this Saturday”, I’d venture to say that 100% of us would agree on what that meant.
However, if someone says “next Saturday”, the meaning might not be so clear. I believe some people understand that usage to mean the very next Saturday to occur, while others understand it to mean the one AFTER that one. That is, some people distinguish between “this” and “next” while others do not.
Never having thought much about it until now, I think I might use both “this” and “next” to mean the very next one but make a subconscious distinction based on the way days are laid out in rows on a calendar, using “this” when the day in question is in the same row as the current day, but “next” when it is in the next row. (For example, if today is Wednesday, I’ll probably say “this Saturday”, but “next Monday”, in both cases meaning the very next instance of those days.)
Where do the rest of you come down on using these words? Does “next” mean very next or the one after that? Do you think you consciously or subconsciously distinguish based on calendar row.
My husband and I have gotten into too any pointless arguments over this one. I’m pretty carefull to say “this coming Saturday” or “this past Saturday” to mean the Saturday immediately next or past, and “next Saturday” only if I’m talking about the one after that.
Just “this” alone would, for me, be synonomous with “this coming”, but hubby thinks it refers to the closest Saturday, past or present - “When was your zoo trip?” “We went this Saturday.”
“Next” I do acknowledge can be confusing, but I almost always mean “skip the first Saturday on the calendar and go to the next one.”
“Next” has always been ambiguous to me, and I think it depends on the number of intervening days. If it’s Sunday or Monday and I say “next Saturday” I will generally mean the upcoming Saturday. If it’s Thursday or Friday, “next Saturday” will usually mean the one next week.
Generally, I try to avoid the confusion, and I will either say, “this Saturday” or “a week from this Saturday.”
That’s how I am, too, and my husband and I have had many a discussion/fake argument about my usage. I think he thinks that “next” should always mean the one that occurs next on the calendar, even if that’s tomorrow. So I’ve taken to saying, “Next Saturday – not this Saturday, next Saturday – I’m taking the car in to the shop.”
Next Saturday, to me, means the next Saturday that we will experience. The one immediately ahead on the calendar.
To avoid confusion, I’ll say “Next next Saturday” if I mean the one after that. Or just draw out the word so it’s “Neeext Saturday.” Usually while moving my hands forward in a motion resembling a “travelling” call in basketball. You know, to show that it’s further away.
This is precisely why I always used to teach my EFL students to use “This coming Friday / This past Friday” or “Friday of next/this/last week.” That, or just include the date with the day.
I think “next” could mean either the very next one that’s going to happen, or the one after that. I tend to say “this coming Saturday,” which I think is clear means the very next one, even if it’s tomorrow, or “a week from Saturday” to mean the one after that.
Strangely, I agree with Antigen that stretching out the word “neeeeext” and possibly even leaning forward while gesturing, as if perhaps you are going to fall right off the calendar week and into the following one, also does a good job of conveying that you mean the Saturday after the coming one.
My own use of “next” in this context depends on how close Saturday actually is. For example, if today is Sunday or Monday, and I say “next Saturday”, I very likely mean the first Saturday that will occur after that statement. However, if it’s Thursday or Friday, my own use of “next Saturday” will more than likely refer to the Saturday that is more than one week away.
Tuesday or Wednesday is hit-or-miss, depending on how aware I am of the calendar. In other words, if I say “next Saturday” on a Wednesday, I could be referring either to the next Saturday on the calendar (three days away), or I might be referring to the Saturday after that (ten days away).
For consistency’s sake, I use just plain “Saturday” to mean the next Saturday on the calendar. On Thursday or Friday, I might make this very clear by saying “THIS Saturday,” but not usually.
If I’m talking to someone face to face, I often look and/or point at a calendar–regardless of whether I say “this Saturday” or “next Saturday”, just to be sure that we are referring to the same date. If I’m on the phone or IM’ing someone, I will usually include the date if it’s crucial that the other person understand exactly what day I am referring to.
But I’ve definitely encountered confusion because my definition and someone else’s didn’t match up, and suddenly we’re making plans for different weeks… So now I try to just use dates.
That’s pretty much how I use it, though if there’s any ambiguity I’ll check the date with the person I’m talking to. It’s caused some disputes even within my family, though. My father insists that next Saturday is the next Saturday (ie, right now next Saturday to him would be the 8th), and when I was younger he even went to a job interview on the wrong day because of that. Needless to say, he didn’t get the job, though why he didn’t confirm the date is beyond me. :rolleyes:
Today is Wednesday, October 5. Saturday October 8 is “Saturday” (or either “next Saturday” or “This Saturday”, if you must). Saturday, October 15 is “Saturday week”.
Saturday, October 1 is also “Saturday” if the past tense is used, as then that’s all you need. If context doesn’t make it clear, it is then “last Saturday”. Saturday, September 25 is “last Saturday week”.
The “________day week” or “last ________day week” bit is something I find very, very useful. Americans don’t seem to use it, and here in Australia, it’s hit and miss whether somebody will understand it. My parents both use it, and we never have any misunderstanding. My older sister, on the other hand, has never grasped the concept at all.
Saturday week [this/next] Saturday
today - last Saturday Last Saturday week
It’s a joy to talk to people who undderstand this. However, because many people don’t, I take the added precaution of not using the day name at all if it is very close, prefering “tomorrow”, “the day after tomorrow”, or “in three days’ time”.
I really don’t know why people stuff this up so much.
