# What do you mean by “Next Saturday”? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 4, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750 "2005-10-04T16:41:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750/61 "2013-06-23T17:31:13Z")
Without reading the thread: Next Saturday means “Saturday of next week” to me. At least in theory. In practice I try to always use the longer construction because it is less ambiguous; some people use “next Saturday” to mean “the next day that is Saturday, regardless of what week it is.” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750/62 "2013-06-24T01:34:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > For me, Sunday still belongs to this week, being part of the weekend. What is this “weekend” of which you speak? > [@Zog\_10](#): > > I have a friend from the South (South Carolina in fact) that taught me this contruction. It is the BEST INVENTION EVER! OK, maybe not that cool, but still pretty cool. > > By extension, you can also use a \ week week construction. There’s Friday (the 7th), Friday week (the 14th) and Friday week week (the 21st). That’s Friday (the 7th), Friday week (the 14th) and Friday fortnight (the 21st). ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750/63 "2013-06-24T03:08:53Z")
My Dad once told me there would be a party “Next Saturday”. He meant the upcoming Saturday. When the confusion arose, I asked why he used the word next. Had he said “There is a party on Saturday” I would assume it means the one coming up, and not that we would be traveling backward in time to some other Saturday, it would be the next day called Saturday. An event on Saturday means the one coming up, because time is linear. “Next Saturday” contains a modifier to tell you that it isn’t the Saturday you would just use the word “Saturday” for, but it’s the _next_ one. Saying “Next Saturday” to mean the upcoming one is misleading. If you just say the event is on Saturday, it’s clear to all that it is not in the far future or in the past. “Next Saturday” means “The Saturday after the one I would just call Saturday”, hence the next modifier. ---
**Author:** ![dkitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@dkitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dkitt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750/64 "2015-09-02T19:24:43Z")
The statement “Next Saturday” is basically an ambiguously shortened statement: 1. It could be the shortened form of “The next Saturday to occur after today.” 2. It could also be the shortened form of “The next Saturday to occur after the next Saturday to occur after today.” Assuming that the recipient of your comment knows what the actual day of the week is (and this assumption might very well be mistaken) and that you also know what the actual day of the week is (and this assumption might also be mistaken), then the following are likely scenarios: A) If today is Sunday, Monday or Tuesday then many (perhaps most) people will assume you are shortening statement 1. B) If today is Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, many (perhaps most) people will assume you are shortening statement 2. C) If today is Saturday, almost every person will assume you are shortening statement 1. So, in my opinion, it is best to clarify the “Next Saturday” statement. I also feel that the burden to clarify falls equally on all parties when the statement “Next Saturday” is used. Some folks feel very strongly that their method of shortening (always 1 or always 2) is the correct and only proper method. These folks often feel that the recipient of their shortened statement is “dense” if they disagree. It might be “uncomfortable” clarifying with these folks, but should still be done. So, to me, saying “Next Saturday” is like telling someone that “there are two groups of items, totaling six items.” This statement could, of course, mean there are two groups each consisting of 3 items. It could also mean that there are two groups, one consisting of 2 items and the other consisting of 4 items. (Let’s not even try to cover the people that think groups can consist of one item. [Or the people that believe the ‘totaling’ could be applied to the individual group quantities which means there are 2 groups of 6, obviously]) :^) And then, holding that it really “should” be clear to _all_ what is meant, because (pick i or ii): i) The “norm” is to assume that groups are “differently sized” unless it is clearly stated that they are “identically sized”. ii) The “norm” is to assume that the groups are “identically sized”, unless it is clearly stated that they are “differently sized”. Just my two cents… ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750/65 "2015-09-02T20:07:44Z")
I always say “the first Saturday that one would encounter travelling forward in time from this moment”. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-mean-by-next-saturday/324750.md?page=3)