When are we going to start pronouncing years twenty-oh-nine in stead of two thousand nine?....etc?

Question

we've always called the early nineteenhundreds as ninteen-oh-three, nineteen thirty, etc. why are the 2000's different?

Answer 1

It's a good question. These things just go the way the tide of society takes them. Some people do use the "twenty-something" form, but you're right, by far most people use "two-thousand-something." Why? Maybe the idea of two of something is easier to deal with than twenty of something. Thinking ahead, I have a hard time imagining people saying "two thousand fifty-one" rather than "twenty fifty-one." It's shorter, for one thing. Maybe the change of the millennium just affected people so much they have to get that out of their system for the next few years. I dunno.

Answer 2

apparently not everyone has been informed yet. its been twenty-oh-whatever since 2006 in 2010 it will be twenty ten, the teens will be twenty 15 etc...  

Answer 3

in 2010.  it's different because nineteen-oh-  sounds different than twenty-oh-  and we don't really know what adults and the general public called 1903 when it was 1903, we are only looking back on those years with how we refer to them now.  maybe someday people will look back and call it twenty-oh-....

i do know, according to my great grandmother, they used "ot" instead of "oh".  but i don't think that helps here.

Answer 4

I find they're generally referred to as  "two-double oh -eight" etc.

But if you look back decades of the late 1900's are referred to as the "fifties" or "the eighties" and so on. I can't really think of  a short phrase or word for the present or next decade (noughties is great, but more of an "in" thing and not generally used)

I'll bet in a few years "two thousand and eight" will be referred to as "two double oh eight" - one less syllable and less emphasis on the thousand bit - doesn't make such an impact if you were born in the same century, you are just referring to the year.

I don't think "twenty something" will ever catch on - "twenty fifteen" doesn't really roll off the tongue does it ? - Sounds more like a car oil grading or the opening times of a convenience shop.

Answer 5

it's two thousand eight, genius.  it's how it's pronounced.  that's how i say it.  say it however you want.  I'm sticking with my way.   if someone tells me it's twenty oh nine, I'll look at them funny and ask them to repeat it.