till

[Bruce Dykes]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Bigham" <TlhovwI at AOL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 23:17
Subject: Re: till


> > Except that in telling time in the South Midland, no one would say "a
> >  quarter until eight"!  Nor would most people say "quarter to 8" or
"quarter
> >  of 8."  So the only option is "till," and I'm sticking to it!
>
>
> I still can't decide if I'm saying "quater to" or "quarter til(l)".  All I
> get is "quarter t' "!

That's about the same with me...hours that start with vowels get something
like an extended apostrophe, while consonants get a shortened schwa. But it
is actually an abbreviated 'until': "A quarter 't'eight." or "A quarter
'ti'nine."

When there is no hour given, it's always "quarter till."

However, when signing off informal emails, I tradionally use 'till later,'
but there I can use 'til and till interchangably. But I have a personal
preference for 'til. It pleases me.

bkd