I have this problem with my wife all the time. For her, “next Friday” means in a week’s time or more - “next week’s Friday” to use Diogenes the Cynic’s term. For her, “this Friday” is the Friday that will appear first in the future - what I would call “next Friday”.
For that reason, I have given up on the expression “next Friday”. And when someone says to me “next Friday”, I always do some swift mental arithmetic and (supposing it’s Monday) I will ask “Do you mean Friday 4 days from today or Friday 11 days from today?”
Well, Friday is over, but the meeting is coming up - at least the way I see it.
NEXT Friday is always after THIS Friday. Otherwise, you say, THIS Friday.
Slightly off topic, but English can be very unspecific.
If a magazine comes out bi-monthly, did you know that can mean either six times a year OR 24 times a year?
Both are technically “bi-monthly” - it can mean every other month or twice a month!
Try to explain that to an ESL student.
I’m with DMark, there is this Friday and next Friday. Next Friday is always after this Friday.
Don’t any of you use a mail calendar like Exchange to schedule meetings. You send it out, people accept, and if the time changes, it get’s updated so users don’t have to worry about if next Friday means next Friday. And you don’t have to call people to leave voice mail to schedule meeting changes. Dunno - Big Girl, are you working for the government or something?