4 ms·

> This clock solves that problem. In English! In Dutch this would actually create a problem, as when it is 3:45 we say it is "15 before 4". I noticed that I ac

by orlp 4y ago

> This clock solves that problem. In English! In Dutch this would actually create a problem, as when it is 3:45 we say it is "15 before 4". I noticed that I actually struggled to interpret the wobbly clock when it was close to changing the hour.

SamBam 4y ago
We do this on English too. 3:45 is "a quarter to four." I always think that the prevelance of saying "three forty-five" is a result of digital watches.
- hamburglar 4y ago
  My kids hate the "quarter to four" construction because, in their words, it makes them do math in order to tell time. Which, of course makes me prefer it just to force them to get comfortable with it. I've even pointed out how 60 is nicely divisible by a lot of numbers, so we can say "a twelfth to 4" just to be a pain in the butt. :)
  - SamBam 4y ago
    I really think it simply depends on whether you're used to analog or digital. I actually learned to tell time by someone telling me that one side of the clock if the "past" side and the other is the "to" side (a little hand-wavey around 30-40 past). This made sense to me. What was important was the closest hour, and how many minutes (or fractions) past or to it was. I taught my kids similarly. Starting with the hours, and then "half past" and then "quarter to" and "quarter past." Only after all that was second-nature did I even explain to them the idea of 60 minutes.
- Accacin 4y ago
  Well not just that. In England at least we generally say "20 to 4", "10 to 4", etc . if we're using a 12-hour clock. If I'm using 24hour we generally just say 1545, etc.
  - WhyNotHugo 4y ago
    In German and Dutch you also say "half four" which means "half to four" (e.g.: half past three).
    - peterashford 4y ago
      Haha! In New Zealand, "half four" would be half past four: 4:30
- maweki 4y ago
  In western Germany we say "quarter to four" and in eastern Germany we say "three quarters (of) four".
  - em-bee 4y ago
    "three quarter four" is also common in austria, but worse (for visitors) is "quarter four" which is a quarter past three.

by orlp 4y ago

SamBam 4y ago

We do this on English too. 3:45 is "a quarter to four." I always think that the prevelance of saying "three forty-five" is a result of digital watches.

hamburglar 4y ago
My kids hate the "quarter to four" construction because, in their words, it makes them do math in order to tell time. Which, of course makes me prefer it just to force them to get comfortable with it. I've even pointed out how 60 is nicely divisible by a lot of numbers, so we can say "a twelfth to 4" just to be a pain in the butt. :)
- SamBam 4y ago
  I really think it simply depends on whether you're used to analog or digital. I actually learned to tell time by someone telling me that one side of the clock if the "past" side and the other is the "to" side (a little hand-wavey around 30-40 past). This made sense to me. What was important was the closest hour, and how many minutes (or fractions) past or to it was. I taught my kids similarly. Starting with the hours, and then "half past" and then "quarter to" and "quarter past." Only after all that was second-nature did I even explain to them the idea of 60 minutes.
Accacin 4y ago
Well not just that. In England at least we generally say "20 to 4", "10 to 4", etc . if we're using a 12-hour clock. If I'm using 24hour we generally just say 1545, etc.
- WhyNotHugo 4y ago
  In German and Dutch you also say "half four" which means "half to four" (e.g.: half past three).
  - peterashford 4y ago
    Haha! In New Zealand, "half four" would be half past four: 4:30
maweki 4y ago
In western Germany we say "quarter to four" and in eastern Germany we say "three quarters (of) four".
- em-bee 4y ago
  "three quarter four" is also common in austria, but worse (for visitors) is "quarter four" which is a quarter past three.