Turns of phrase

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pricilla

Registered User
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Hi, maybe some of you could shed a bit of light on these for me, I find it very confusing:

1) When you’re saying you totally changed your mind about something, do you say “I did a complete 180 degree turn” or “I did a complete 360” I always thought it was the former, but I’ve heard people saying 360, but maybe they changed their minds back to the original way again?

2) Just say it’s Monday. When I say “next Sunday” I mean, the next Sunday that is about to occur. If I was talking about the Sunday of next week, I would say “Sunday Week” Whereas my sister insists I should use “This Sunday” and “Next Sunday” only.

3) When a person uses the word other, as in: every other day.
What exactly does this mean? Every day, every second day or every day besides the one they are talking about? This one really throws me.



I know I’m not great at explaining myself, but I hope you understand what I meant
 
1) I think some politician or other was slagged off recently for talking about the Government doing a '360° turn' - which as you rightly point out puts you back facing in the same direction. What about an [broken link removed]or a 'volte-face'?

2) You're right, imho, and your sister's wrong. But 'this' Sunday could also mean 'this past Sunday'...

3) To me, 'every other day' = every second day.
 
Thanks a million Doctor, thats great. I still don't understand number 3, why don't they just say every second day?
Number 2 has had huge debate in our house. There seems to be several opinions about it.
 
For number 2 I would agree with your sister - this sunday for this sunday coming and next sunday for sunday of next week.

Number 3 always annoyed me - I know people mean every second day when they say every other day but to me it sounds like every day other than today.
 
1) a '360° turn' does indeed bring you back to where you were originally facing, but seems to have become accepted as meaning reversing or turning the opposite direction.

2) I use it the same way (next Sunday = Sunday coming). I think this is different in the US though, I always try to use dates when talking with my American colleagues (in the US format of course!)

3) again yes, 'every other day' = every second day
 
As a child I was always confused by "this Monday" vs. "next Monday", but as I now understand it "this" Monday and "next" Monday are the same day and I would always refer to the Monday after the coming Monday as "Monday week" which I think is clear enough! Or is it???. It literally means the Monday a week from this Monday (or next Monday!!!) As for the use of "every other day" I think this expression can be easily misunderstood depending on the context in which it is used, but "every other day" should not be confused with "every day". So if a milkman delivers milk every other day this is quite distinct from the milkman delivering every day. I hope I don't sound pedantic here but I sometimes got lost in this sort of semantics too! This is the kind of stuff that Ryan Tubridy thrives on I'm sure!
 
Number 3

The more I think about it, the more it's annoying me now.
Every other day should not mean every second day, it's a stupid phrase and it doesn't make any sense to me.
It should only be allowed to be used to describe every single other day (in the world) besides the day you are talking about.
 
Re: Number 3

pricilla said:
The more I think about it, the more it's annoying me now.
Every other day should not mean every second day, it's a stupid phrase and it doesn't make any sense to me.
It should only be allowed to be used to describe every single other day (in the world) besides the day you are talking about.
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Pricella, I understand your frustration.

This is according ot Merriam Webster Dictionary. Although the 2nd meaning seems more relevant than the 1st i.e. that "other" means "different" and so, (applied with ever), would mean every day is different. Therefore, every second day.



OTHER:
1 a : being the one (as of two or more) remaining or not included <held on with one hand and waved with the other one> b : being the one or ones distinct from that or those first mentioned or implied <taller than the other boys> c : SECOND <every other day>

2 : not the same : DIFFERENT <any other color would have been better> <something other than it seems to be>
3 : ADDITIONAL <sold in the U.S. and 14 other countries>
4 a : recently past <the other evening> b : FORMER <in other times>
 
Right place? right!

Also, when someone mentions next Sunday and it's already Saturday, do you not automatically assume that they are, in fact, referring to the following sunday (second sunday). Wheras if it was, say, mid week or maybe Thursday at worst then they would of course be referring to the coming Sunday.

I am always unsure as to which Sunday people refer to when saying next Sunday, especially if it's already Fri, Sat or Sun. Sunday week does make things fairly clear thought.

I'll get me jacket!
 
Thanks for that Gunnerbar. I re-read my post there and I actually sounded a bit cross, I was only messing!
But the phrase does annoy me and I will never use it EVER! :D
 
pricilla said:
Thanks for that Gunnerbar. I re-read my post there and I actually sounded a bit cross, I was only messing!
But the phrase does annoy me and I will never use it EVER! :D
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I know, it is a bit odd, thats why I only use it every other time!
 
Haha, you couldn't resist it could you :D
Is Clubman on holidays, I'm surprised he didn't reply to this. There's also a few duplicated posts that he didn't correct.
I think I miss him! :eek:
He really frightened me at first, but I'm getting to like him a lot now, he's the backbone of the site really.
 
Hi Pricilla,

I agree with you and find certain Idioms (in particular Irish ones) difficult.

The "This weekend and next weekend" idiom has always confused me. As far as im concerned next weekend is just that and not the weekend thats over 8 days away.

Another Idiom that I find difficult relates to rearranged meetings which are "brought forward or put back". Perhaps this is the engineer in me but forward means "to advance in time" and back "means to regress in time". But this is the exact opposite of the accepted usage of the phrase.

Ill always remember at school recieving 10 arithmetic questions as a test. We corrected them ourselves and when asked by the teacher how many I got right I replied "I didnt get one right" meaning there was one question I got wrong. The teacher understood that I got them all wrong and I got the leather! A very agrieved eight year old I can assure you.

If a native speakers can have so much difficulty with idioms spare a thought for people from whom english is not their first language.

ajapale
 
Whatever about "brought forward/put back", does anyone else get a pain in their face hearing that dreadful consultant-speak phrase "going forward" (= henceforth/in the future/from now on?) :D
 
ajapale,

I can see you total confusion regarding time being brought forward and put back. I was just trying to explain what it really meant when I got completely confused!

And I know what you mean about the double/contrary meaning of phrases. Like "near miss".

I also hate misuse of language like when news reports say that a body was cut from the wreckage when obviously, the fact is, the wreckage was cut to release the body.



Gunnerbar
 
Ajapale
I'm surprised you didn't recieve the leather more often at school particularly during the English class - your teacher must have been very agrieved. :)
 
DrMoriarty said:
does anyone else get a pain in their face hearing that dreadful consultant-speak phrase "going forward" (= henceforth/in the future/from now on?) :D
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No way man, this is how I make meetings more fun, throw in phrases like that!

Have you never played "Buzzword bingo" Dr. M?
 
pricilla said:
2) Just say it’s Monday. When I say “next Sunday” I mean, the next Sunday that is about to occur. If I was talking about the Sunday of next week, I would say “Sunday Week” Whereas my sister insists I should use “This Sunday” and “Next Sunday” only.
Click to expand...
I think I must be married to your sister. Even after all these years, this distinction causes no end of confusion, rows & drama between me and She Who Must Be Obeyed.
pricilla said:
3) When a person uses the word other, as in: every other day.
What exactly does this mean? Every day, every second day or every day besides the one they are talking about? This one really throws me.
Click to expand...
This seems to be a real 'middle England' phrase - every 'other' day (meaning every second day.
 
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