Okay, Somebody Really Messed This Up

by rabbifink on January 4, 2010 · 9 comments

In my last post I reflected on the Aughts.

There was something I neglected to mentioned. Whoever is “In Charge” Has got some ‘splainin’ to do.

The full name for 1950 is Nineteen-Fifty. The proper name for 1999 is Nineteen-Ninety-Nine.

The proper name for 1908 is Nineteen-Oh-Eight. The proper name for 2010 is Twenty-Ten.

So then who was asleep at the wheel when 2001 was called Two-Thousand and One??!! It was supposed to be Twenty-Oh-One!!

And 2009 was supposed to be Twenty-Oh-Nine. Why did we call it two-thousand and nine??!!

Who is in charge of this stuff?

I want to see that person in my office immediately!

Like I said, somebody has got some ‘splainin’ to do…

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Tagged as: aughts, funny

  • Ben

    What, pray tell, would you have called 2000?

  • http://myweirdkids.blogspot.com/ tesyaa

    Efink, I think it’s your fault. Why didn’t you say something at the time??? No one knew there was a problem!

  • Paul Mc

    I believe it started with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

  • http://finkorswim.com rabbifink

    Wow.

    Paul, you may very well be correct. I had not thought of that. It’s all Kubrick’s fault!!!

    • Ben

      Pat Kiernan made this point (mine, too) in an op-ed for Mediaite that got some attention here in NY last week. (Cited in NY Post, etc.)

      http://www.mediaite.com/print/welcome-to-20-10/

      I’m still not sure where I stand on this. I’m too used to saying “two thousand” to change, even though “twenty” might be more correct. Also, think what you want to be saying 700 years from now.

  • Dinky Londoner

    While we’re at it, could they change it in Israel too? It’s not great for a Modern Hebrew student to have to work out one-thousand-nine-hundred-and-sixty-nine etc each time a date of birth is given.

  • Mike Wilson

    I was just curious if “Ninety-Ninety-Nine” was a typo. If not, why would the “nineteen” rule not apply to the year 1999 as it does for 1995 or 1950.

    • http://finkorswim.com rabbifink

      Just a typo. Fixed it now. Thanks.

  • http://finkorswim.com rabbifink

    I dunno, maybe twenty-oh-oh. Or Even two-thousand, but the next year should have been twenty-oh-one.

    Wait, you seem awfully defensive – Is this your doing?? ;)

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