LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.01.03 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 03 January 2009 - Volume 03
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From: KarlRein at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.01.03 (02) [E]

It is amusing to me to read about this "Northern German custom"; it is also
a generalized custom in the United States (and, I suspect, in many other
countries).  I have tested this in language classes, and loud arguments come
forth over what "next Thursday" means if it is said, let us say, on Monday.
I once phoned a business person I had been expecting for an hour, and he
told me, not at all confused, that according to his schedule, he was due to
call on me in a week.  I suspect that this confusion is quite universal.



Karl Reinhardt

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From: Heiko Evermann <heiko.evermann at gmx.de>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.01.03 (02) [E]

Hi Marlou,

Much more amusing is the northern german custom of saying "This tuesday we
will have a meeting" in contrast to "Next tuesday we will have a
meeting." (I think this has been discussed already here, hasn't it?) Now
what is "this" tuesday? It is in fact the next tuesday to come. The nearest
tuesday. In Hamburg at least it is so. The people of this extraordinary town
are some time ahead of time, quite without the help of relativity and speed
greater than that of light. "Next tuesday" is the tuesday after. I have seen
people miss meetings on these grounds. A Hamburg man said "Next tuesday", an
Austrian man came -- this tuesday! It would have been clearer simply to say
"We will have a meeting on tuesday." (This would mean *this* tuesday, of
course.)

 The height of confusion would be to say "this tuesday" on a tuesday in
Hamburg! :-))

We have had this discussion in our family several times and I am still
confused. I do it the way you described for Hamburg, my wife (from the area
near Hildesheim) does not.
When someone says "this Tuesday" the meaning is clear. When someone says
"next Tuesday" I usually ask back "Tuesday this week or next week", just to
make sure.

Your proposal to say "We will have a meeting on tuesday." is of no avail. I
would ask back: "which Tuesday? This Tuesday or next Tuesday?"

The only fully relialble way is to name the date.

Hartlich Gröten ut Hamborg,

Heiko


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From: Kevin & Cheryl Caldwell <kevin.caldwell1963 at verizon.net>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.01.03 (02) [E]

This is a major source of confusion in English as well – different speakers
have different understandings of "this Tuesday" and "next Tuesday" (or
"Tuesday next"), and there's even "this coming Tuesday" and "Tuesday week"
(a week from this coming Tuesday).

Kevin Caldwell

From: M.-L. Lessing <marless at gmx.de>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.01.03 (01) [D/E]

Much more amusing is the northern german custom of saying "This tuesday we
will have a meeting" in contrast to "Next tuesday we will have a
meeting." (I think this has been discussed already here, hasn't it?) Now
what is "this" tuesday? It is in fact the next tuesday to come. The nearest
tuesday. In Hamburg at least it is so. The people of this extraordinary town
are some time ahead of time, quite without the help of relativity and speed
greater than that of light. "Next tuesday" is the tuesday after. I have seen
people miss meetings on these grounds. A Hamburg man said "Next tuesday", an
Austrian man came -- this tuesday! It would have been clearer simply to say
"We will have a meeting on tuesday." (This would mean *this* tuesday, of
course.)

The height of confusion would be to say "this tuesday" on a tuesday in
Hamburg! :-))

Marlou

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Idiomatica

No wonder I'm such a confused puppy being an escaped Hamburger (with a
capital H)!

Furthermore, I've lived in more than one English-speaking country, and there
are variations there as well. Sometimes, when I draw one of my senior
moments, I forget what the correct version is where on earth I happen to be.


I think in Australia I used to say "this Tuesday" for the coming Tuesday and
"Tuesday week" for the Tuesday after that. (Or am I mixing/making this up
now?) Here in the States I tend to say "this Tuesday" or just "Tuesday" for
the Tuesday coming this week, and, because I have confused people before, I
tend to say "next week Tuesday" for the other guy. But I think this is
idiosyncratic.

And interesting times are being had by all.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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