Scrutable

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:01 pm**

OK
So does a decade run from 00 - 09 or 01 - 10?
Are we at the end of the decade or is 2020 the end?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:16 pm**

Can we have a long argument about how we celebrated the new decade on the wrong day now, except for the really clever ones who celebrated it on the right day, on their own?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:23 pm**

More importantly what are going to call it?

We were going great guns until the Nineties, we began to struggle a bit with the Noughties and now we are in 2019 and the whole preceding decade is is still a "TBC"; the Tennies? the Teenies?

Now in only a matter of weeks we are approaching the Twenties (?) and unless we all going to start wandering around like Peaky Blinder extras, doing the Charleston and reliving the Great Depression (all 3 eminently possible ATM) it's going to get very confusing.

Nevermind Brexit this is shirley the country's priority!

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:26 pm**

Little waster wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:23 pm... unless we all going to start wandering around like Peaky Blinder extras, doing the Charleston and reliving the Great Depression (all 3 eminently possible ATM) it's going to get very confusing.

I thought you already lived in Newcastle?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm**

This is one of those occasions when science, maths and facts have to bow to common usage - as often happens with language use. It's not like anyone is harmed by celebrating the end of the decade at the end of the year ending in 9 as they can be by other misuse of data/scientific method. Otherwise there's the risk of ending up as a whiny pedant killjoy who doesn't get invited to any NYE parties anyway.

I'm happy to call it the Twenties. It's not like a lot of people who remember the last Twenties are still around to get confused. Or, more likely, the f.cked Decade.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:46 pm**

Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm Or, more likely, the f.cked Decade.

That could certainly cause confusion with the one after that.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:58 pm**

Little waster wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:23 pm More importantly what are going to call it?

2020s already has associations, like 20/20 vision, so I'm happy with that, or "20s 2, just when you thought it was safe..."

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:17 pm**

I imagine that in 1919, people 100 years older than us were saying that the 1920s couldn't possibly be called the twenties, because obviously the twenties were the 1820s.

They didn't have online forums to debate this in, though, so there's that.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:25 pm**

bolo wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:17 pm I imagine that in 1919, people 100 years older than us were saying that the 1920s couldn't possibly be called the twenties, because obviously the twenties were the 1820s.

They didn't have online forums to debate this in, though, so there's that.

But there wre some very testy telegram exchanges though.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:44 pm**

Gentleman Jim wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:01 pm OK
So does a decade run from 00 - 09 or 01 - 10?
Are we at the end of the decade or is 2020 the end?

Depends on whether you are programmed in C, Python, Java etc. or Fortran.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:46 pm**

Vertigowooyay wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:25 pm
bolo wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:17 pm I imagine that in 1919, people 100 years older than us were saying that the 1920s couldn't possibly be called the twenties, because obviously the twenties were the 1820s.

They didn't have online forums to debate this in, though, so there's that.
But there wre some very testy telegram exchanges though.

Heard you were calling 1930 the last year of the 20s stop Stop stop

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:51 pm**

bolo wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:17 pm I imagine that in 1919, people 100 years older than us were saying that the 1920s couldn't possibly be called the twenties, because obviously the twenties were the 1820s.

They didn't have online forums to debate this in, though, so there's that.

Posh people had letters to the Times, the rest had the pub.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 2:49 pm**

Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm This is one of those occasions when science, maths and facts have to bow to common usage - as often happens with language use. It's not like anyone is harmed by celebrating the end of the decade at the end of the year ending in 9 as they can be by other misuse of data/scientific method. Otherwise there's the risk of ending up as a whiny pedant killjoy who doesn't get invited to any NYE parties anyway.

I'm happy to call it the Twenties. It's not like a lot of people who remember the last Twenties are still around to get confused. Or, more likely, the f.cked Decade.

When did Twenties ever mean anything other than 20-29?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:00 pm**

Perhaps the Borisies.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:19 pm**

TimW wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 2:49 pm
Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm This is one of those occasions when science, maths and facts have to bow to common usage - as often happens with language use. It's not like anyone is harmed by celebrating the end of the decade at the end of the year ending in 9 as they can be by other misuse of data/scientific method. Otherwise there's the risk of ending up as a whiny pedant killjoy who doesn't get invited to any NYE parties anyway.

I'm happy to call it the Twenties. It's not like a lot of people who remember the last Twenties are still around to get confused. Or, more likely, the f.cked Decade.
When did Twenties ever mean anything other than 20-29?

It's not what period they cover, it's whether they should have the same name as the last lot.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 4:01 pm**

GeenDienst wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:46 pm
Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm Or, more likely, the f.cked Decade.
That could certainly cause confusion with the one after that.

And the preceding one.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 4:18 pm**

Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:19 pm
TimW wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 2:49 pm When did Twenties ever mean anything other than 20-29?
It's not what period they cover, it's whether they should have the same name as the last lot.

Fine, but this bit seemed to imply that the period is contentious:

Tessa K wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:37 pm It's not like anyone is harmed by celebrating the end of the decade at the end of the year ending in 9 as they can be by other misuse of data/scientific method.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:21 pm**

GeenDienst wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:00 pm Perhaps the Borisies.

After The Event.

Or Event: Right After.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:24 pm**

insignificant wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:58 pm
Little waster wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:23 pm More importantly what are going to call it?
2020s already has associations, like 20/20 vision, so I'm happy with that, or "20s 2, just when you thought it was safe..."

Mixing the two themes
20s 2, just when you thought it was safe: the Boris Years.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 6:28 pm**

Twenties Redux?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 6:47 pm**

Twenties reflux?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 7:45 pm**

GeenDienst wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:00 pm Perhaps the Borisies.

Or "The Time of Darkness when a Shadow fell across the Land"?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2019 8:25 pm**

GeenDienst wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:00 pm Perhaps the Borisies.

Has somebody already said "twunties"?

Posted: **Thu Dec 19, 2019 12:11 am**

Gentleman Jim wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:01 pm OK
So does a decade run from 00 - 09 or 01 - 10?
Are we at the end of the decade or is 2020 the end?

It's all down to whether there was a year '0', isn't it? The general historical consensus is that we went from 1 BC to 1 AD; so logically the first decade would be from 1 AD to 10 AD. Therefore, the end of each decade is the end of the year ending with '0', not '9'. The centuries are the end of each year xx00, and the millenniums are the end of each year ending x000.

But no-one brings logic into this, so the social consensus is that we're 12 days from the end of the decade.

Posted: **Thu Dec 19, 2019 12:16 am**

Martin_B wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2019 12:11 am
Gentleman Jim wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2019 12:01 pm OK
So does a decade run from 00 - 09 or 01 - 10?
Are we at the end of the decade or is 2020 the end?
It's all down to whether there was a year '0', isn't it? The general historical consensus is that we went from 1 BC to 1 AD; so logically the first decade would be from 1 AD to 10 AD. Therefore, the end of each decade is the end of the year ending with '0', not '9'. The centuries are the end of each year xx00, and the millenniums are the end of each year ending x000.

But no-one brings logic into this, so the social consensus is that we're 12 days from the end of the decade.

Is the written historical record complete and accurate enough that we can count back every year to 1 AD and 1 BC with no breaks. Kind of like tree ring dating, but with written historical records across cultures?

How sure are we that it's actually 2019 years since 1 AD?

I suspect the answer is "very sure", but I don't know which records do this, or whether any of them are in dispute or contradictory, particularly with various calendar changes etc.

I should probably wander off to Wikipedia now.

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