# What does "bi-weekly" mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380 "2015-10-11T23:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/61 "2015-10-15T07:23:57Z")
I would never use the expression ‘bi-weekly’ but if someone said it to me, I’d take it to mean twice a week. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/62 "2015-10-15T11:28:21Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Today is Wednesday, October 14. How do you refer to Tuesday, October 20? The 20th. Since I’ve been trying to put shit on my phone’s calendar, I think of dates. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/63 "2015-10-15T11:34:03Z")
Once every bi-weeks. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/64 "2015-10-15T18:11:40Z")
These words are so annoying so I try to avoid using them at all. I’ll either say “every two weeks” when that’s what I mean or “twice a week” when I mean that. The dictionary lists both definitions below for biweekly. Same problem for semi-weekly. Whoever decided to add the second definition rendered the word useless. adjective 1. occurring every two weeks. 2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly. And I also should have said “same problem for bimonthly, semimonthly” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/65 "2015-10-15T22:51:55Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > I would never use the expression ‘bi-weekly’ but if someone said it to me, I’d take it to mean twice a week. Because that’s what you think it is, or because you assume most people think of it wrong? ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/66 "2015-10-15T23:01:27Z")
Neither. I don’t think of ‘bi-weekly’ at all and, on reflection, I’d probably ask the person who said it if they meant twice a week or fortnightly. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/67 "2015-10-16T00:57:03Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Today is Wednesday, October 14. How do you refer to Tuesday, October 20? Next Tuesday. And today is Friday the 16th, and I still say next Tuesday. Tomorrow is Saturday, and I’ll still say next Tuesday. But come Sunday and I’ll say this Tuesday. If this is confusing, then I would recommend not trying to schedule anything with me on a Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/68 "2015-10-16T18:24:38Z")
I’ll pencil you in for the 12th of never. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/69 "2015-10-16T23:33:50Z")
Bimonthly publications come out every other month therefore biweekly has no other possible meaning than every other week. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/70 "2015-10-18T00:37:00Z")
Anyone else thinking _Bi Weekly_ would be a great name for a fetishist publication? ---
**Author:** ![northporlarbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7bcc69/32.png) [@northporlarbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/northporlarbear)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380/71 "2015-10-18T01:14:34Z")
Geez. So much English. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bi-weekly-mean-to-you/734380.md?page=3)