How Do You Express Time

[alarson]

They dont teach cursive writing either.

No loss there.

 

[NWICY]

Both

 

[tplumm]

when a friend or colleague asks me what time it is, I make them work for it…I might say something like “it’s 20 minutes before 5 after 5”. I enjoy the reaction I get, then it can be funny watching them stop and figure out the time Based on what I said.

And yes, I tell bad Dad jokes as well.

 

[Rabbuk]

I usually just say the hour and the minutes. No real reason other than it leaves no room for misunderstanding.

 

[AlaCyclone]

 

[heitclone]

If you're trying to communicate effectively, you'll simplify things to the lowest common denominator.

 

[stormchaser2014]

If you're trying to communicate effectively, you'll simplify things to the lowest common denominator.

You express time in fractions? So it's six sixtieths or one tenth past 6 right now?

 

[aeroclone]

You express time in fractions? So it's six sixtieths or one tenth past 6 right now?

 

[Cdiedrick]

My 18 year old son HATES it when I tell time in terms of minutes before or after the hour such as, "We're leaving at a quarter to five" as opposed to, "We're leaving at four forty-five.". I think its related to the types of clocks we grew up with. I grew up with an analog clock. He grew up with a digital.

You must be awfully bored to think of this lol. I say both but most likely a quarter to five is used more.

 

[MuskieCy]

Military time.

"SIR!,..16:45,...YES SIR!!!"

 

[Althetuna]

You must be awfully bored to think of this lol. I say both but most likely a quarter to five is used more.

It just happened today but he always has a negative reaction to it. He accuses me of "tricking" him into doing math. He said I'm the only person that tells time in such a manner. He got me thinking about it hence the poll.

 

[KidSilverhair]

When I was volunteering and working with grade school children, analog clocks were still being taught. This was a few years ago; less than five. They had to learn what time "a quarter til four" meant. They suspiciously taught this at the same time they were teaching kids how to count money, which made no sense at all considering a quarter is 15 of one and 25 of another.

A quarter is also 1/4 of both an hour and a dollar, which is the reason we say “quarter to.”

 

[NorthCyd]

 

[tm3308]

I use both interchangeably in casual conversation, but I'm much more likely to use "quarter til" in conversation than "quarter after". I don't know why, but the extra syllable that it takes to say 45 compared to 15 just doesn't come as naturally verbally.

I'll always use :15 or :45 in a professional context.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Time: Mid-morning, late morning, around noon, early afternoon, later that same afternoon, supper time for the other people, early evening, my supper time, later evening, nighttime, even later that same nighttime, midnight, late night, bedtime.

Note, no early morning cause I don't do early morning.

 

[FilthyShadow]

Father had tip of his thumb cut off. He'd hold up his hand and say "5 o'clock" to meet some where. We would always question him when he did this, since it looked like he was indicating 4:45 with his hand.

 

[ISUATC]

Quarter til, quarter after.

 

[CoachHines3]

half passed a monkeys ass quarter to his balls

 

[Fishhead]

I knew someone was going to post that

 

[AgronAlum]

What time is it?
Time for you to get a watch!

I have said this to my wife every single time she’s asked this question for the last 9 years. This is not a joke. Every. Single. Time.

I still laugh.