"It's a quarter to one." Younger Du'ers, you digital natives, would you say it that way? nt

[raccoon]

[ret5hd]

1. I'd probably say...

"It's oh-beer thirty."

But that's just me.

And I'm not young.

[csziggy]

2. For the really young DUers, they could sing this song

And learn that usage:

[csziggy]

3. Are you sure it'e not a quarter to three?

[fizzgig]

4. what qualifies as young?

early 30s here and that's how i say it.

[Duer 157099]

5. How silly.

They say it exactly as their digital clocks show: twelve forty-five 12:45

[Sanity Claws]

6. I had a similar question the other day

A young woman, young enough to be my daughter, asked me the time. I told her about quarter to 6. After I said that, I wondered whether that was an old-fashioned way of speaking. I don't know why my mind jumped to that thought --- maybe she looked at me odd.

[In_The_Wind]

7. It's a quarter after one ...

I usually say 12:45 but it that doesn't get the required reaction and a quarter to one does whatever works.

[Blue_Tires]

11. Throughout grade school, most of my teachers for whatever reason

spoke in the language of:

"two 'til three" (i.e., 2:58, or just shorten it to "two 'til&quot , and/or used the radio DJ standard of "forty-one past (the hour)"

I did the same too until some girls in high school asked me for the time and died laughing when I responded with "fifty-four past"
That was 19 years ago, and to this day I still remember that exact time...

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. In England, I've heard the term ....

for 8:30 (or any half hour) - not "half past 8 or just "half past" but they'll say it's "Half eight".

[Boom Sound 416]

8. I say it's nappy time

[In_The_Wind]

9. Soon

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[Ron Obvious]

10. And who would say quarter OF one?

The first time I heard that it, it totally confused me. I suspect that particular usage is regional. The South maybe? That's where I first heard it anyway.

[Tom Ripley]

14. That one still confuses me whenever someone uses it

[Still Blue in PDX]

16. I think it probably is a southern thing.

I would say "a quarter o' one."

I'm from the Northwest, but a lady from the South (that would be my momma) taught me how to talk and how to tell time. Didn't realize until now that it is an odd way to say it.

[tabbycat31]

12. Not at all

I would say 12:45 (or 12:47 if that were the case).

It takes me time to comprehend what 'quarter to one' means, and frankly I have not worn a watch since I've had a cell phone (2000). I'm 34 if that makes a difference. I also don't like people estimating times. If it's 12:47, tell me that, don't round it up or down.

[politicat]

15. Depends on who is asking.

Lots of context goes into time. My work colleagues are usually trying to either get somewhere or set a setting, so they need the precision. (It takes 11 minutes to walk from one building to the other, so saying it's quarter to when it's 47 after can blow a schedule; ALS, if we're setting a clock or timer, it needs to be synched to all the others.)

With others... With the ladies in my grandmother's assisted living, I have to use the quarters, twenty after, et cetera. With my students, we use digital time, though I wear an analog watch.