Date

Yuh   Friday, July 30, 2004, 00:44 GMT
When you refer to a date, would it be understood if I said "8/4" to mean "Aug 4"?
Dulcinea del Toboso   Friday, July 30, 2004, 01:27 GMT
Do you mean "8/4" written or spoken?

When written, it depends on where you are in the world. In the U.S., most people would take 8/4 to be August 4th. Elsewhere, 8/4 would be April 8th (actually, it might likely be written 8.04).

When spoken, at least in the U.S., I think the month is always explicitly stated: "August 4th". The only time I hear a number referring to a month is the ubiquitous and nauseating term "9/11".
Damian   Friday, July 30, 2004, 07:33 GMT
UK style just for your information:

Today is July the thirtieth (as most people here would say it verbally) or it can be: the thirtieth of July. The definite article "the" is generally included.

In writing, it is usually: 30 July 2004 or 30/7/04 or more usually: 30.07.04

In my mind, it seems more logical than the American way in that the day precedes the month which in turn precedes the year, a sort of natural time progression from day through the month to the year.

It's a bit annoying when confusion arises as once in an official document my date of birth (07.04.82) was taken for the fourth of July instead of the seventh of April! I'm a ram and not a crab!
Jordi   Friday, July 30, 2004, 07:56 GMT
Damian,
I have a question for you here. Traditionally, and I still see it in some letters, you'll find 30th July 2004. Would you say that the "th" is not longer necessary or would it be too formal or old fashioned? Do you know if there are official academic recommendations in the UK regarding how one should write dates?
>>I'm a ram and not a crab!
I enjoyed that one. Does that mean you move forwards (as a ram) and not backwards (as a crab would)?
David Winters   Friday, July 30, 2004, 08:56 GMT
Crabs move forwards and sideways, mate. Welcome to the planet Earth.
Damian   Friday, July 30, 2004, 10:03 GMT
David: I

I'm sure Jordi is aware of that, he was just making a point. From what I know of Jordi he is only too aware of Planet Earth and how it spins. You are so acerbic sometimes, pal! One day you may just get out of bed on the right side. Please don't let the UK down by your bad manners.

Jordi:

You are right, nobody uses "the" in writing the date...I really don't know for sure if they ever did. In the UK the date is usually written as 30 July 2004 in letters and official documents; only occasionally 30th July 2004..the ordinal form is a wee bit superfluous. Strangely enough, all newspapers/periodicals etc show the date in the American style: July 30, 2004. Check it out. I could never work that one out.


As it happens, Jordi, I can move in all directions...it depends on which is the most advantageous to me at the time!

I have a day off today and ..Hey!!! It's going to be 30C today in some parts of England. Sadly, here in Scotland we will have to shiver in 22C! Oops! ... not supposed to discuss weather! Sorry!
Jordi   Friday, July 30, 2004, 10:23 GMT
David:
Not only that, mate, I love to go crab hunting in the Mediterranean rocks and they are one of my favourite dishes, with a bit of mayonnaise or even barbie sauce on top. One of those bloody colonial things some of us wogs learnt while growing up back in Oz. I still don't know if that was brought in by the British convicts or if the abos already did that from the dawn of time. Maybe the former learnt from the latter. Who cares? It's absolutely delicious. Some of your Brit ex-pats have learnt to love the thing at my home parties where they don't even have to bring the beers. We happen to be quite a welcoming inferior race who don't feel inferior at all. Fuck off, David!
Random Chappie   Sunday, August 01, 2004, 22:21 GMT
To avoid confusion, I usually write the date library-stamp-style, e.g. "1 Aug 2004" and I would discourage Yuh from writing either 8/1/04 or 01.08.04.

I hope to move to Scotland one day. 22°C in summer? How nice! Come snow, come rain, come sleet, come subzero temperatures. Sun, sun, go away, don't come again another day, little Random Chappie doesn't want to play, sun, sun, go away. I hate Calfornian summers (offensively glaring sun) and English summers (oppressively hot and humid).

Sorry, I can't refrain from discussing weather. I carp whenever I see the sun and cry for joy whenever I hear the pitter-patter of rain.
Damian   Sunday, August 01, 2004, 23:19 GMT
Random:

Right then....I guarantee you will find your craving for the pitter-patter of rainrops will be easily satisfied when you are installed in your tiny croft on a Scottish Hebridean island. However, the poetic imagery in your mind at present will be shattered by reality.....the pitter-patter will more likely be a torrent battering your windows by a south westerly gale. Still, you will be able to blot it out by practising your Gaelic to enable you to discuss the current price of haggis with the locals down at the pub on the quayside.

Actually, recently the west of Scotlnd has been basking in semi-glaring California style sunshine........the Scottish climate is a guaranteed lottery...you take what's on offer and that's that! The misty islands just inspire poetry and mood music.
Julian   Monday, August 02, 2004, 07:43 GMT
<<I hope to move to Scotland one day. 22°C in summer? How nice! Come snow, come rain, come sleet, come subzero temperatures. Sun, sun, go away, don't come again another day, little Random Chappie doesn't want to play, sun, sun, go away. I hate Calfornian summers (offensively glaring sun) and English summers (oppressively hot and humid). >>

You sure are a peculiar chappie. All around me are East Coast transplants who can't praise enough the sunny-all-year-round California weather. They remember what it was like back home having to shovel snow from the walkway during the wee hours of a cold winter's morning or sitting at home freezing their asses off because the pipes had all frozen over. Sometimes ya just gotta be thankful for what you've got ;-)
Damian   Monday, August 02, 2004, 10:14 GMT
Julian:
There are down sides to the Californian "paradise"...not so long ago on TV half of it seemed to be in flames! I hope San Andreas always remains dormant.... I know what you mean about snow shoveling....it was always my job to clear the path to the gate and clear the pavement (sidewalk to you) beyond.

PS: I liked your use of the Scottish "wee"! ;-) As an American you are permitted to use "gotta" in spite of the official title of this Site: "Antimoon.com
Learn English effectively"!

I suppose the "effectively" bit means being able to communicate in such a way as to be fully understood; we all understand what "gotta" means so I guess you are perfectly at liberty to use it. ;-)

Cheers for now!
Random Chappie   Tuesday, August 03, 2004, 04:43 GMT
Yay! Clouds over Silicon Valley and temperatures between 14°C and 22°C today!!! Hope the good weather continues...
Random Chappie   Tuesday, August 03, 2004, 04:50 GMT
The above post should read...
"Yay! OVERCAST SKY over Silicon Valley and temperatures between 14°C and 22°C today!!! Hope the good weather continues..."

I wasn't precise enough: an overcast sky is a world away from a few wispy clouds.

To Julian:
I don't like the US East Coast because of its oppressively hot summers. Ditto for England. During my childhood in England, my favourite season was winter but I could never stand the summers (at least there is air-conditioning in my current house in California). Maybe I'll have to move to Sweden. I'd rather be shovelling and freezing than sweating.
Julian   Tuesday, August 03, 2004, 06:08 GMT
Damian,
We get our fair share of natural disasters in California: brush fires, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, celebrity murder trials... So yes, things aren't always golden here in the Golden State. But, I really can't complain since we don't have such extremes in temperature.

Random Chappie,
To each his own, I guess :-)
Random Chappie   Tuesday, August 03, 2004, 15:52 GMT
Still, I must say that Northern California is MUCH better than Southern California. At least in the northern half of the state, we get five months of <18°C temperatures. Besides, the misty, chilly, and poetic seaside of Nor. Cal. is a much better sight-seeing destination and living environment than the sun-scorched, sunbather-infested, dirty, and generally hellish beaches of So. Cal.

And...
1. The great forest fire that occurred last year did not reach Northern California.
2. Traffic is generally smooth in Nor. Cal., at least when compared to So. Cal. and England.
3. There is less pollution in Nor. Cal. than in So. Cal.

So, yes, I AM grateful that I live in Northern California instead of Southern California.