# You can call me a backward Limey if you want but
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 13, 2002, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787 "2002-05-13T11:44:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cadboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadboy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/1 "2002-05-13T11:44:23Z")
I have a problem with presumtion that the American way is always right. I work for a Norwegian Oil sector company, world wide buisness but mainly employing Europeans, work force over 3000. The Company has just taken over a small Houston based company, workforce 100.
Now to the nub of the issue, Dates, how did America come up with the Arse about face date form of Month-Day-Year when the rest of the world uses Day-Month-Year. My Company grown-ups have decided without consultation to adopt the American date system to avoid upsetting the 100 houston based employees.
I cannot help but feel that the European system, which is a natural progression from second-minute-hour-day etc is the more logical.
I am prepared to listen to arguments that support the benefits of the American system however, I beleive it would be far simpler for everyone if America enmass adopted the European system
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### Author:  [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/2 "2002-05-13T12:09:34Z")
Backward Limey.
Yes, it is annoying. I’m from here, and I prefer DD/MM/YYYY, but it just confuses people. When I have the choice, when I’m writing CGIs and such, I always use DD/Mon/YYYY notation. That way, it’s in the logical order and it can’t be confused for the merkin standard MM/DD/YY.
For those who are a bit dense:
DD/MM/YYYY is 13/5/2002 or 13/05/2002 if you’re a geek.
MM/DD/YY is 5/13/02, U.S. standard.
DD/Mon/YYYY is 13/May/2002.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/3 "2002-05-13T12:13:24Z")
The American military does use a Day-Month-Year format, although the Navy does like to use Monty-Day-year for its “Standard Business Letter” format.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/4 "2002-05-13T12:18:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Monty \*
> **Monty** -Day-year for its “Standard Business Letter” format.
Weird.
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### Author:  [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/5 "2002-05-13T12:25:42Z")
What do we celebrate on Monty Day? Can we have ice cream?
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/6 "2002-05-13T12:27:27Z")
OK, you backward limey. 😃
The truly logical proceeding would be to file things yy/mm/dd. From general to specific.
So, we’re _all_ wrong.
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### Author:  [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/7 "2002-05-13T12:29:14Z")
Yeah, but we have to eat it while removing our clothes to music.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/8 "2002-05-13T12:37:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Xerxes \*
> \*\*Yeah, but we have to eat it while removing our clothes to music. \*\*
WTF??? 😕
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/9 "2002-05-13T12:38:08Z")
Happy Monty Day, one and all! Come see the gifts I have for you in my bulging sack!
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### Author:  [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/10 "2002-05-13T12:43:12Z")
Bosda, Xerxes was referring to Francesca’s post. 😃
Dear Backwards Limey,
I’ll personally make sure that the Americans conform to the European date system, ALL of them. The only thing you have to do for me is for your country to switch to metric. 🙂
Signed,
Ambivalent in Amsterdam
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/11 "2002-05-13T12:53:53Z")
Hey Cadboy I totally agree. Our system is dd/mm/year too down here (god, I am soooo sick of saying ‘down HERE’ when we are the superior beings!!)
Fucking Americanization!
Why don’t you pompous Yanks get it into your brains that you are NOT the centre of the universe!
{skulks sheepishly and runs like mad}
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### Author:  [@cadboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadboy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/12 "2002-05-13T12:57:02Z")
I can speak in 2 languages Inches & centimetres, in other words I’m 6 foot 3" with a 90cm chest.
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### Author:  [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/13 "2002-05-13T13:05:43Z")
A 90 cm chest? Ya sure it ain’t **cad_girl_** 😉
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### Author:  [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/14 "2002-05-13T13:12:22Z")
I’ve taken to using the YYYY/MM/DD convention for all computer files. Frankly it makes much more sense and is sorted alphabetically correctly automatically (blimey that’s a lot of adverbs).
Failing that, DD/MM/YYYY always seemed to me to have more internal consistency. But I hear that Merkins would say “May 13th 2002” rather than “13th May 2002”, so that may explain things somewhat.
Now, back to the **Monty** day celebrations. Do we all need to become Mormons?
pan
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### Author:  [@cadboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadboy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/15 "2002-05-13T13:12:38Z")
Just a thin frame, all length very little width
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### Author:  [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/16 "2002-05-13T13:29:50Z")
You sound like a Marks and Spencer dressing mirror, **cadboy**. I thought everything up there was pies and puds.
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### Author:  [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/17 "2002-05-13T13:41:57Z")
I like the american system better, but not for any real reason other than being used to it. It sounds like your real problem is with the idiotic Norwegian company that changed its entire system to accomodate a small number of employees. I simply cannot imagine any american getting particularly upset about changing the date format for business purposes(of course, these are texans we’re talking about). As others have said, if you work with computers, Americans don’t even use that format, we use YYYY/MM/DD.
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### Author:  [@cadboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadboy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/18 "2002-05-13T13:48:38Z")
I just an innocent Englishman surrounded by the Heathen Scots, I’am from Hot pot county definately not Haggis land
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/19 "2002-05-13T13:56:09Z")
Gee, I’ve always had delusions of grandeur. Now that there’s a calendrical position (more jokes, please; keep 'em rolling!) named after me, there’s no telling where this’ll end.
In all seriousness (yep, I know…too late), that should’ve read Month-Day-Year.
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### Author:  [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-a-backward-limey-if-you-want-but/108787/20 "2002-05-13T14:05:00Z")
So you’re saying… it should be **Monty** _month_??
The humanity!
pan
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