We have the seventies, eighties and nineties for "1970s", "1980s" and "1990s" decades, but what do we call this decade? The zero zeroes?
Seventies, eighties and nineties for "1970s", &quo
I think the most commonly used name is the "naughties" or "noughties". Although as Jasper points out, I think people tend to use circumlocutions to avoid the issue - I've very rarely heard any name used for this decade in common speech.
I think someone on this forum has suggested that if we make exclusive use of ordinal forms to refer to centuries (eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first), then we could use "ninteen hundreds" and "two thousands" to refer to the first decade of each century.
And how about the next decade? Would it be the "teens"? The problem is that when we talk about human age, "teens" applies only to the years 13-19. Would it be the "tens"? For what it's worth, Google results strongly favor "nineteen teens" over "nineteen tens".
Here's a thought: what if, by the year 2020, we've raised a generation of people who aren't used to common, intuitive decade names, and the system ends up being discontinued? On the other hand, I think decade names like "twenties" and "thirties" would be *so* intuitive and convenient that people would probably end up reviving them regardless.
Does anyone know about usage in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
I think someone on this forum has suggested that if we make exclusive use of ordinal forms to refer to centuries (eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first), then we could use "ninteen hundreds" and "two thousands" to refer to the first decade of each century.
And how about the next decade? Would it be the "teens"? The problem is that when we talk about human age, "teens" applies only to the years 13-19. Would it be the "tens"? For what it's worth, Google results strongly favor "nineteen teens" over "nineteen tens".
Here's a thought: what if, by the year 2020, we've raised a generation of people who aren't used to common, intuitive decade names, and the system ends up being discontinued? On the other hand, I think decade names like "twenties" and "thirties" would be *so* intuitive and convenient that people would probably end up reviving them regardless.
Does anyone know about usage in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
<<I think the most commonly used name is the "naughties" or "noughties". Although as Jasper points out, I think people tend to use circumlocutions to avoid the issue - I've very rarely heard any name used for this decade in common speech.>>
Well, the thing is that many people still associate the phrase "turn of the century" with the early part of the 20th century.
Well, the thing is that many people still associate the phrase "turn of the century" with the early part of the 20th century.
<<For what it's worth, Google results strongly favor "nineteen teens" over "nineteen tens".>>
Not for me. It was the opposite when I searched, with "tens" being favored.
Not for me. It was the opposite when I searched, with "tens" being favored.
<<Does anyone know about usage in the 19th and early 20th centuries?>>
In the early 20th century, the decade from "1900" to "1909" was commonly referred to as "the aughts". People would say "back in aught five..." for example.
In the early 20th century, the decade from "1900" to "1909" was commonly referred to as "the aughts". People would say "back in aught five..." for example.
What about the 1800s versus the 1900s? While I use 1800s to refer to the entire 19th century, I would use 1900s to refer to the decade from 1900 and 1909 and never the entire 20th century.
<<Not for me. It was the opposite when I searched, with "tens" being favored.>>
That's true. I've just searched now, and it showed a slight preference for "tens", which becomes stronger if you include "the" in the search. I thought it was in favor of "teens" when I searched the first time, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I think my own preference would be for "tens".
<<In the early 20th century, the decade from "1900" to "1909" was commonly referred to as "the aughts". People would say "back in aught five..." for example.>>
Hmm, by that precedent I suppose we could call this decade "the ohs".
That's true. I've just searched now, and it showed a slight preference for "tens", which becomes stronger if you include "the" in the search. I thought it was in favor of "teens" when I searched the first time, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I think my own preference would be for "tens".
<<In the early 20th century, the decade from "1900" to "1909" was commonly referred to as "the aughts". People would say "back in aught five..." for example.>>
Hmm, by that precedent I suppose we could call this decade "the ohs".
<< I think the most commonly used name is the "naughties" or "noughties". >>
Certainly not here. I've never heard that in the U.S.
- Kef
Certainly not here. I've never heard that in the U.S.
- Kef
<<Certainly not here. I've never heard that in the U.S.>>
I said I found it to be the *most* common, not that I found it to be common. To clarify: I've almost never heard any name applied to this decade in the US. But when I have read or heard discussions about the issue, I think "naughties/noughties" is the most common one that's come up.
I said I found it to be the *most* common, not that I found it to be common. To clarify: I've almost never heard any name applied to this decade in the US. But when I have read or heard discussions about the issue, I think "naughties/noughties" is the most common one that's come up.
<<I said I found it to be the *most* common, not that I found it to be common. To clarify: I've almost never heard any name applied to this decade in the US. But when I have read or heard discussions about the issue, I think "naughties/noughties" is the most common one that's come up.>>
What about the "two thousands"? Isn't that name about as common or even more common than the "noughties"?
What about the "two thousands"? Isn't that name about as common or even more common than the "noughties"?
The "two thousands" to me just don't make sense as a decade. If you think about it, the "two thousands" will continune for at least the next 93 year. "two thousand ninety nine" for example.