Philosophical Question about Time Second Try

[VictorBravo]

Time Question

I put up a poll earlier and messed it all up, so here is my second try on this burning issue. The background of the question was this:

Ever since at least Heraclitus, time has been a mystery for people. I routinely encounter a practical variation on the mystery of time. For example, if we take as a given that today is Wednesday, and I tell someone, "this needs to be done by next Friday," which Friday would you think I'm talking about? The answer can mean, among other things, going to jail....(My view is that "next Friday" means the Friday closest in time to today).

I had hoped to merge everyone's previous helpful responses, but I couldn't get the merge function properly (user error, no doubt).

Here are excerpts from responses on the prior thread:

To my mind, "this" always means the Sunday-Saturday cycle (in that order) in which we are currently standing, so on Wednesday "this Friday" is the day after tomorrow. I wouldn't expect someone to say "next Friday" if he meant the day after tomorrow, so I'd interpret that as the Friday corresponding to next week...
I will delay voting until you do change it, but my vote would be that "next Friday" always means "the Friday that belongs to the Sunday-to-Saturday cycle that follows the one we are currently in." I have always understood "next" in the context of days to mean "after this one," not "after today," which appears to be different from your usage. All of this goes to show that if I ever am employed by you, I will want my deadlines dated for fear of being thrown in jail.

Scott R said:

I agree with Austin's usage. To me, "this Friday," "this coming Friday," and "next Friday" all mean different things. "This Friday" means "the Friday belonging to the current week" (even if it is in the past) while "this coming Friday" means "the Friday we will first arrive at" (so if it is Wednesday it is two days from now, but on a Saturday it is in six days. "Next Friday" is "the Friday belonging to next week."

Alan wrote:

I've always used "this Friday" to refer to the Friday of this week, in this case, two days from now (May 9). I would say "next Friday" to refer to the Friday of the following week, i.e., May 16.

But I've also recognized our divergences in this respect (like Scott, my wife and I don't always use this the same way) and thus tend to specify when I say "this Friday" by saying "this coming Friday" and when I say "next Friday" by saying "Friday of the next week."

Peace,
Alan

Matthew held my view:

"Next Friday" or "Friday next" is the Friday next on the calendar as opposed to Friday week.

The rest of the responses have disappeared into the ether, I'm afraid. Sorry for confusing my merges.

Anyway, I find it very interesting how reasonable people have different views of this.

 

[VictorBravo]

All of this goes to show that if I ever am employed by you, I will want my deadlines dated for fear of being thrown in jail.

What triggered this was the judge this morning telling my client "you need to get your fine payments current by next Friday, or the State's motion for jail sanctions will be granted."

My client had expected to pay by day after tomorrow, but was suddenly confused. I said, "let's put a date on that, your honor." So we do have a certain deadline.

But it got me to thinking about my usage when I talk to others. I see that many hear something different from what I mean.

 

[Claudiu]

Alan wrote:

I've always used "this Friday" to refer to the Friday of this week, in this case, two days from now (May 9). I would say "next Friday" to refer to the Friday of the following week, i.e., May 16.

But I've also recognized our divergences in this respect (like Scott, my wife and I don't always use this the same way) and thus tend to specify when I say "this Friday" by saying "this coming Friday" and when I say "next Friday" by saying "Friday of the next week."

Peace,
Alan

This is how I take it.

 

[VictorBravo]

I asked my wife this morning what her view was:

"I never use the phrase because of confusion. Next means next, but half the people I talk to thinks it means 'after next.'"

 

[SRoper]

That's interesting that you and your wife agree on the literal use of "next" in "next Friday." I suppose the question "this Friday or next Friday?" offers no real choice for you (unless it is actually Friday).

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Deep stuff being discussed here. I dare not wade into such lofty matters. Just thankful for those with the intellect to dissect these issues with razor-like precision.

 

[VictorBravo]

I suppose the question "this Friday or next Friday?" offers no real choice for you (unless it is actually Friday)

That's right, so my wife will say, "this next, upcoming, Friday."

I discussed this with one of the senior prosecutors I deal with daily, and he says he has run into the same problem. He goes for redundancy by saying "This Friday next, as in the end of the week we are currently in."

It is funny how usage has become muddled. This morning I was convinced of the usefulness of "next" meaning last workday of following week as distinguished from "this" as in last workday of the current week, but it seems far from standardized. That was from the mind-image of holding a week in your hands--"this" and then pointing to the week to come--"next."

But that conflicts with my linear approach to calendars.

And Scott, did I see you say earlier that "this Friday" could refer to the immediately preceding Friday if we on, say, a Saturday? My mind reels at that one....

 

[jwithnell]

I wonder if there are regional differences? Growing up, mostly in the deep south of the US, I had no idea the term was used for anything other than a reference to the very next time that day of the week occurs. My husband, a Marylander, uses it as a week from the next time that day of the week occurs. That caused some problems the first few years we were married.

 

[au5t1n]

And Scott, did I see you say earlier that "this Friday" could refer to the immediately preceding Friday if we on, say, a Saturday? My mind reels at that one....

If I said "this Friday" on a Saturday, I'd mean "yesterday."

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass (1872):

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' "
"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they're the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That's what I say!"

L. Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass (Raleigh, NC: Hayes Barton Press, 1872), ISBN 1-59377-216-5, p. 72.

 

[Hemustincrease]

If I said "this Friday" on a Saturday, I'd mean "yesterday."

Yes, this is what I would mean. ‘This’ referring to the present week and ‘next’ referring to the week after. Thus, next Friday means the Friday of next week and can never mean the Friday of the present week and ‘this’ Friday must always mean the Friday of the present week and never the Friday of the week after. As clear as mud!

 

[CJW]

I take next Friday to mean the Friday in the next week (synonymous with Friday week). This Friday would be the Friday in this week. So if this Wednesday you said something was due next Friday, I would take it to mean I had a week and two days to get it done, although I would most probably ask if you meant this Friday or next Friday! If you had meant it to be due in two days, I would think you would have said due on (no adjective needed) Friday. I was raised in Texas, if anyone is keeping track of regional differences

 

[SRoper]

And Scott, did I see you say earlier that "this Friday" could refer to the immediately preceding Friday if we on, say, a Saturday? My mind reels at that one....

Yes, although, I'm not sure I would often use it that way.

I take next Friday to mean the Friday in the next week (synonymous with Friday week).

In doing a little reading on this question I came across this phrase, "Friday week." I don't think we use it anywhere in North America, but I like it--it is quite economical.

 

[JoannaV]

I like to say "Friday week" but I'm not sure that everybody understands what that means. Kind of like when I say "fortnight" and people look at me like I'm a

"This" could refer to the past, but generally you should be able to tell by the tense used in the rest of the sentence, so that shouldn't be too confusing.

Generally, I always considered "next" to follow "this". So first we have this Friday, and then we have next Friday. However I have moved continents and my husband doesn't abide by that usage so nowadays I just nail down an actual date.

 

[Edward]

Let's view the implications of some of the responses in this thread:

For those who believe that 'next Friday', when said on a Wednesday, means the second occurring Friday rather than the first --

If I were giving you directions and said "Turn right at the next street", would you turn right on the first street you come to, turn right at the second street you come to (or continue without turning, while saying 'no one can tell me what to do)?

 

[BJClark]

If speaking on Wednesday and you "this Friday" I take it to mean two days from now, "next Friday" would mean the following week (my husband views it the same way) .

If it's Saturday and you say "this Friday" I take it to mean the Friday coming up, not the Friday just past..that was "this past Friday" and the Friday before that was "last Friday"