Friday, November 14, 2008

Contest reminder & has the word NEXT lost its meaning?!?!?

Don't forget to enter the Book Binge contest to win a $100 gift certificate. All you have to do is buy a copy of Demon Bound by Meljean Brook by the 15th and email them proof that you did.

Bottom line: if you think you will ever buy it, now is the time.

This sort of got me to thinking, what is the exact meaning of "by the 15th?" I never know the answer to that question, because it could mean midnight between the 14th and 15th, or it could mean 'at some point' on the 15th. However, they also said in their post "sometime in the next two weeks" and since they wrote the post on a Sunday, I'm guessing you'd have at least through Saturday the 15th. Plus, they're really swell girls and probably won't be big freaks about deadlines.

This got me to thinking about another issue that's been bugging me for years, but it's far too insignificant to bring up, but isn't that what a blog is for? My issue:

What's UP with NEXT???

What does "next [insert day here] mean?" Like, if I said, call me next Sunday, would you think it meant this coming Sunday, the 16th, or the Sunday after that? If it's Friday the 14th and I said call me next Saturday, wouldn't you think it meant Saturday the 22nd? Not tomorrow, Saturday the 15th? However, if it's Friday, and I say, Call me next Tuesday, why does that suddenly mean this coming Tuesday. Or does it? What is the crossover line?

It seems like when I was a kid, next whateverday meant not 'this coming whateverday' but the following one. But nowadays, it seems to mean this coming whateverday.

Put another way, because I guess I'm a dork, and possibly drank too much coffee, I used to think of it as this whateverday vs. next whateverday. This whateverday is the one coming, and next whateverday is the one after this coming whateverday.

Whenever people say it, I always have to clarify, like, "You mean this coming whateverday or the one after that?" and then the person will commonly, but not always say, "This coming whateverday." And then I'll think, why in tarnation didn't you say this whateverday? Why next? What does NEXT even mean????

Are you following? Am I crazy? Did I dream all this?

17 comments:

little alys said...

You kind of lost me half way through. I'm still too broke to buy Demon Bound at the moment, although I'm probably going to cave and buy stuff tomorrow.
Back to topic.
I agree with what I understood though. For me, I always annoy the heck out of my friends when I make them tell me specifically which day they are talking about. Especially the date. I pull out my lame-o planner, look for the date, and write it down.

Or when people say "Next time" without giving a definitive date. What do you mean "Next time?" Next week? Next month? Next year? Some stupid lame brush off of not wanting to read what I love for fear of hurting my feelings?

Nicola O. said...

Not crazy.

Here's what I think. If you define a week as Sunday through Saturday, it usually works. So if it's Wednesday, there is no "this Tuesday," only "next Tuesday."

If it's Sunday, then "This Tuesday" is the one two days away and "next Tuesday" is the one nine days away."

But I get annoyed by the whole uncertainty thing so I either say "this coming whatever day" or "a week from this coming whatever day".

JenB said...

I'm with you..."THIS" Saturday means the one coming up immediately. "NEXT" Saturday means a week from this Saturday. I usually say "this coming day" to clarify that I mean the day closest to us and not the "next" one.

My husband is really bad about saying "the other day". Sometimes he means yesterday, sometimes he means last week, and sometimes he means two months ago. Drives me batty.

Tracy said...

lmao! omg CJ you've just made my day. It's such a great question but one that doesn't get asked very often, ya know?

There was a great comedy routine I saw once about how it was always great to be next...you could always let people in front of you cuz then you'd always be next. lol

lisabea said...

I am compelled to say:

I don't really have a relationship with next.


You know you love me, CJ. Where are YOU? Tap Tap Tap.

KT Grant said...

You are thinking way too hard.
Next! LOL

Carolyn Crane said...

LA: yeah, next isn't inherently but, so misused!!!

Carolyn Crane said...

Nic: So if it's Friday, then next Sunday would mean this Sunday, right?

JenB: Oh, funny. That is a loose def of the other day!!

Tracy: OMG, so I could never call, because "next Tuesday" is never the current day!

LB: LOL. OR I have too much of a relationship with it.

KB: Next yerself miss Nano.

Serena said...

I just wanted to stop by and say that I love that bird in the photo...he is a gorgeous one.

raych said...

I know, right? Because I'm totally an over-communicator (let's face it, people are douche-hats and never intuitively get what I mean when I say 'you know, whenever') I'll always say 'This-coming-Whateverday' meaning the one most immediately soon after today, or 'Not-this-whateverday-but-next' meaning roughly not this Whateverday but next. And I say them as all-one-word so that I never forget and am never unclear. I do this to make up for my thrice-worn socks.

Jace said...

LOL

"Next" is a tricky word for sure. :-) I ALWAYS think of next whateverday as the one of the following week. Example: today's Saturday Nov 15. "Next Sunday" is Nov 23. But I ALWAYS state the date to make it clear.

However, "next" can be a MOST welcome word, especially when I'm waiting in at a bank, post office, etc. LOL

The Bookworm said...

that bird is so pretty!
next Sunday would mean this coming Sunday I think. unless since today is Saturday, it means next Sunday not tomorrow Sunday.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

Ana said...

/random.

AWWW you have the smugglivus widget up! Thank you! : D

Ladytink_534 said...

Not sure I followed all that but I kind of get what you're saying. Whenever I say 'next" I usually mean the one after the one coming up. If I had meant the day coming up, I would have said, "This coming ___day".

Pretty bird!

sula said...

is that a bird lured to your beeyootiful bird feeder of yore?

i get confused with "next" too. And in each of the languages i dabble in, it's just as confusing. oh well.

Voxy said...

Honestly, I have to clarify, too. It's one of those English language "quirks" that drives me bananas. I'm sure there must be some grammar or phrase book somewhere that explains the proper usage, but how does one search for that?! :P

Sarai said...

wow so um I'm lost usually when I say call me next Sunday I don't mean the one coming up but the one after if that makes sense. Or since today is Monday if I say I'll see ya next Tuesday I generally mean not tomorrow but a week away. Huh weird I've never thought about it...