# When was last summer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976 "2017-12-21T03:33:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/1 "2017-12-21T03:33:59Z")
Weigh in on a stupid argument! From the point of view of today, what year did “last summer” occur in? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/2 "2017-12-21T03:43:09Z")
2016, since it was last year. For 2017, I would say “this past summer.” It’s this year’s summer, but now it’s over. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/3 "2017-12-21T03:46:46Z")
2017, since that was the last summer. 2016 would be the summer before last. Er, I think. Regardless of when it was, I know what you did. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/4 "2017-12-21T03:52:21Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > 2017, since that was the last summer. 2016 would be the summer before last. Er, I think. > > Regardless of when it was, I know what you did. Can you remind me? Because I can’t remember what I did. The proper answer to the poll is of course 2017. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/5 "2017-12-21T04:02:43Z")
2017 Last summer means the most recent summer. Last July I would have said 2016 because the current summer was still active. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/6 "2017-12-21T05:16:11Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > 2016, since it was last year. For 2017, I would say “this past summer.” It’s this year’s summer, but now it’s over. Same here. “Last summer” is “last year summer.” I mean, it’s contextual, but I would never say “last summer” to refer to this past summer. Just like, generally in my dialect, next Wednesday means “next week Wednesday.” If it’s a Monday, “next Wednesday” is _not_ the upcoming Wednesday. Similiary, “last Wednesday” is “last week Wednesday.” If it’s Friday and you ask me about what I did “last Wednesday,” it would never occur to me that you are talking about two days ago. The question would be “would did you do on Wednesday?” or “what did you do this past Wednesday” or even “what did you do this Wednesday.” But NOT “What did you do last Wednesday?” But, since this is not a universal understanding, it’s best to disambiguate. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/7 "2017-12-21T06:14:51Z")
This issue (ambiguous temporal deictics) is well-known by English language teachers, (also see _ **next** _–_ **next Saturday** _, etc.) Typically, clarity is lost when the present time frame isn’t perceived as either close or distant to the time being referred to. So, when speaking in September, most people will understand _ **last summer** _ as the one in the previous year. But in December, speakers often will need to seek and/or offer further clarification. The most common way is as **cochrane** mentions, the use of _ **this** _ with \*\*\*past \*\*\*or _ **coming** _. Eg, in a conversation on Tuesday: \*A: The party’s next Saturday. B: You mean **this coming** Saturday, the 23rd? A: No, the one after. The 30th. \* ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/8 "2017-12-21T06:37:13Z")
Last summer was 2016. This summer (or this past summer) was 2017. Next summer is 2018. I’m surprised by the poll results so far. (I would have thought 2017 would be unanimous.) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/9 "2017-12-21T06:47:10Z")
The one in 2016 was “summer of last year”. “Last summer” and “summer of last year” are the same only until “summer of this year” ends. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/10 "2017-12-21T06:52:23Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Last summer was 2016. This summer (or this past summer) was 2017. Next summer is 2018. I’m surprised by the poll results so far. (I would have thought 2017 would be unanimous.) No, you’ll almost always have disagreement on a question like this. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/11 "2017-12-21T07:08:54Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > 2016, since it was last year. For 2017, I would say “this past summer.” It’s this year’s summer, but now it’s over. What year did last month come in? I think you’re going to be inconsistent ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/12 "2017-12-21T09:43:17Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Last summer was 2016. This summer (or this past summer) was 2017. Next summer is 2018. I’m surprised by the poll results so far. (I would have thought 2017 would be unanimous.) You’re aware that your last sentence isn’t even unanimous with your first? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/13 "2017-12-21T11:01:09Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > What year did last month come in? I think you’re going to be inconsistent “Last month” would clearly be November. “Last November” would clearly be (in my dialect) November 2016. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/14 "2017-12-21T12:34:01Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > What year did last month come in? I think you’re going to be inconsistent I am large. I contain multitudes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/15 "2017-12-21T15:05:02Z")
If I meant Summer 2016 I would have no issues saying “last Summer”. If I meant 2017 I would say “This past summer” to clarify. When it’s Friday and someone says “Last Wednesday” you don’t assume they meant two days ago unless you are unfun at parties. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/16 "2017-12-21T15:09:51Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > 2016, since it was last year. For 2017, I would say “this past summer.” It’s this year’s summer, but now it’s over. Got it in the first post! ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/17 "2017-12-21T15:30:53Z")
To those of you for whom “last summer” currently means the summer of 2016, I’d like to ask. What does “last US government fiscal year” mean? What does “last (U.S.) Congress” mean In July 2016 what does “last February 29th” mean? In July 2017 what does “last Christmas break” (from college) mean? What does “last board meeting” mean? Does it matter if there is only one a year in September or two a year in March and September? I believe all of those references are unambiguous to those of us who say last summer means the summer of 2017. I suspect they are somewhat ambiguous (or perhaps undefined) to those of you who say last summer means the summer of 2016. Can you give me an algorithm I could use for a computer program to interpret the general phrase “last \_\_\_\_\_” where \_\_\_\_\_ refers to a point or period of time? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/18 "2017-12-21T15:32:58Z")
If you had asked the question in August, the answer would have been 2016. September is where things get confusing and I think they stay that way for October even though October isn’t summer by any stretch of the imagination. But by November, “last summer” is clearly 2017. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/19 "2017-12-21T15:48:27Z")
As soon as the first day of Fall 2017 occurred, the summer of 2017 became “last summer”. The dictionary definition for this use of “last” is “most recent in time; latest”. As of this writing, the most recent summer occurred in 2017. That said, I usually phrase it differently if I need to be completely unambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-last-summer/804976/20 "2017-12-21T16:03:06Z")
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