This Friday, next Friday

hsargent · Post by **hsargent** » Mon May 22, 2006 1:21 am

There is a convention which we practice in our family that the expression "This Friday" (Friday is arbitrary) refers to the next Friday if within about three days. "Next Friday" would actually be during next week.

But on a Saturday through Sunday, "Next Friday" is within the same week. On a Monday, one has to be sure what is meant by "Next Friday" where "This Friday" would be obvious.

Is this a common practice or just another for us down home folks?

gdwdwrkr · Post by **gdwdwrkr** » Mon May 22, 2006 1:29 am

We sometimes elaborate:
"This coming Friday" for this Friday
"A week from Friday","Friday a week" meaning two Fridays from now.
Probably problematic everywhere.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon May 22, 2006 7:53 pm

Assuming we're talking about future days (not days of future past/passed):
On any day of the week BEFORE Friday it's Friday or this Friday. Even on Saturday or Sunday, the forthcoming Friday is still Friday or this Friday. The second Friday (following Friday or this Friday) HAS to be NEXT Friday or a week from.
If I'm trying to arrange something for the forthcoming Friday, I say, "So, I'll meet you this Friday, ok?" Even if I'm talking on a Sunday, it's "So, I'll meet you Friday, ok?" If, on Wednesday, someone says to me, "I'll meet you next Friday", I figure they're talking about a week from the forthcoming Friday, but I say, just to be sure, "Ok, so I'll see you a week from Friday."
If it turned out they really meant the day after tomorrow, I'd try to withhold judgment.

kagriffy · Post by **kagriffy** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:40 pm

We had a similar discussion a few years ago on this site (This Saturday/Next Saturday) where you'll find Queen Meirav's dilemma on this same topic. By the way, what ever happened to Meirav? She seems to have disappeared off the face of WWLand!)

I still contend (as I did in the archived topic) that THIS Friday (or Saturday, etc.) is the one occurring within the next 6 days. (As Shelley said, on any day of the week BEFORE Friday; that is, any day AFTER the previous Friday. Although, if it's now Saturday, I might say "this COMING Friday" just to be sure no one thinks I mean "yesterday.") The Friday that is MORE than 6 days away would be NEXT Friday, or NEXT Friday WEEK.

If I were writing in a memo, letter, or e-mail, though, I think I would just refer to "Friday, May 26" (or "Friday, June 2") and leave off any vague references to "this" or "next." Then, you're sure to be understood clearly.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:57 am

kagriffy, thanks for highlighting the archived discussion on this. I'd never have thought there would be two minds on this. I'm glad I withheld judgment.

hsargent · Post by **hsargent** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:24 pm

So I can surmise from this discussion and the Archive dialogue that we Americans do use the "This" and "Next" convention with some concern about when we transition into referencing more than 7 days away.

By strict definition "Next" is the next so "This" and "Next" would be the same.

Our international friends have not participated in this conversation so they may be on the "side-lines" laughing! (another idiom!)

tony h · Post by **tony h** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:08 pm

This Monday was yesterday (today being Tuesday). When my wife asks me to collect her mother and bring her over to tea next Saturday I assume she means a week on Saturday, then Saturday comes and she is asking why I have not collected her mother. Well its too late then because I have made other arrangements for this Saturday.

It is funny how words can catch you out.

Bobinwales · Post by **Bobinwales** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:20 pm

This Saturday is the same day as next Saturday around here. The sequence would be This/next Saturday (or just to confuse the subject even more, "Saturday coming"). A week Saturday. A fortnight Saturday.

Ed P · Post by **Ed P** » Mon May 29, 2006 4:17 pm

When I was small it was very easy, anglian norfolk suffolk essex format: saturday gone, saturday coming, saturday week, saturday fortnight If it is saturday on the day, " a week today" etc.
I still use these for clarity when "next saturday" raises its ambiguous head or use Saturday 21st of....

"see you saturday week" one week after this coming saturday.

some of my relatives used to use the muddy reflexive versions "a week last saturday" and when was last saturday if today is saturday? is it today or 7 days ago? not " week back/gone/ago today" which was more usually used and clear in meaning.

paulwiggins · Post by **paulwiggins** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 6:54 am

We use on Friday for both the past and the future and structure the sentence so there's no ambiguity/ ''The teams played on Friday.'' ''The teams will play on Friday.'' Easy as.

Edwin Ashworth · Post by **Edwin Ashworth** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:06 pm

This Friday's "last Friday" next Friday.

Erik_Kowal · Post by **Erik_Kowal** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:45 pm

Talk about stating the obvious!

Edwin Ashworth · Post by **Edwin Ashworth** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:34 am

I was paraphrasing Shakespeare. Macbeth's speech, where he anticipates Stephen Hawking, the Existentialists AND the energy crisis. AND B-Movies.
One has to read between the lines. Like they do in B-Movies.

Erik_Kowal · Post by **Erik_Kowal** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:43 am

And what great interstices Shakespeare has bequeathed us: Britain's current generation of political manifesto writers still has much to learn.

Edwin Ashworth · Post by **Edwin Ashworth** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:00 am

"It's too late to call off the war. I already put a month's down-payment on the oilfield."
That WAS Shakespeare, wasn't it?