What does next Friday mean to you?

It BeeMee · 13-01-2014 04:11PM

Next Friday week.

Sir Humphrey Appleby · 13-01-2014 04:20PM

barleybooley wrote: »

Debating at lunchtime what the term 'next Friday' means. I was the only one who said that it would mean the 17th as opposed to the 24th of January, my logic being that it's used in its literal sense as in the next Friday you encounter.

So, what do other boardsies think?

The clue is the word "Next"
adjective
adjective: next

1.
(of a time) coming immediately after the time of writing or speaking.
"we'll go to Corfu next year"
synonyms:following, succeeding, to come, upcoming More"we shall turn to this issue in the next chapter"

antonyms:previous, preceding
- (of a day of the week) nearest (or the nearest but one) after the present.
  "not this Wednesday, next Wednesday"
  synonyms:following, succeeding, to come, upcoming More"we shall turn to this issue in the next chapter"
  
  antonyms:previous, preceding
- (of an event) occurring directly after the present one in time, without anything of the same kind intervening.
  "campaigning for the next election"
  synonyms:following, succeeding, to come, upcoming More"we shall turn to this issue in the next chapter"
  
  antonyms:previous, preceding
2.
coming immediately after the present one in order, rank, or space.
"the woman in the next room"
synonyms:following, succeeding, to come, upcoming More"we shall turn to this issue in the next chapter"

neighbouring, adjacent, adjoining, next-door, bordering, abutting;
contiguous, connected, connecting, attached;
closest, nearest, proximate
"a brick wall separated the garden of the next house from ours"

antonyms:previous, preceding

adverb
adverb: next

1.
on the first or soonest occasion after the present; immediately afterwards.
"he wondered what would happen next"
synonyms:then, after this/that, following that/this, after, afterwards, after that time, later, at a later time, subsequently, at a subsequent time; Moreformalthereafter, thereupon
"people argued about where to go next"

antonyms:before
2.
following in the specified order.
"Jo was the next oldest after Martin"

WilyCoyote · 13-01-2014 04:22PM

My understanding is:

Next Friday = the nearest Friday to the spoken term
Friday week = one week after the nearest Friday

But out here, next Friday = Friday week and this Friday = next Friday

Tea, coffee anyone?

ZiabR · 13-01-2014 04:30PM

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

I've had this confusion before and so I always say this Friday and Friday week.

Same here.

Daqster · 13-01-2014 05:22PM

Next Friday? Let me see.

The day before that is a Thursday,
so that means the next day after that will be a Saturday
and Sunday follows after that.

7 a.m I'll be waking up. I got to be fresh, as I'll be driving on the
highway. I'll be kicking in the front seat, sitting in the back, have to make my mind up
which seat will I take.

Fast lane, switching lanes, with a car up on my inside.

Yeah, that's what next Friday to means to me and most Fridays actually.

Shzm · 13-01-2014 05:26PM

This Friday = the Friday in this current week.
Next Friday = the Friday in the next week.

???

JustAddWater · 13-01-2014 05:27PM

barleybooley wrote: »

Debating at lunchtime what the term 'next Friday' means. I was the only one who said that it would mean the 17th as opposed to the 24th of January, my logic being that it's used in its literal sense as in the next Friday you encounter.

So, what do other boardsies think?

A bus is coming, you say, I won't get this one, I'll get the next one. That means a bus (Friday) will come and go and you'll get the next one (Friday 24th)

Also, this Friday is the 17th. Next Friday cannot also refer to the same Friday.
This and Next are different

Next Friday is the 24th

Kersh · 13-01-2014 05:32PM

24th.

17th is this Friday

Tiddlypeeps · 13-01-2014 05:51PM

JustAddWater wrote: »

A bus is coming, you say, I won't get this one, I'll get the next one. That means a bus (Friday) will come and go and you'll get the next one (Friday 24th)

If you put it in that context it's easy to figure out what you mean. If I was to blankly state that I'm going to get on the next bus then most people take that to mean I plan on getting on the first bus to pull up at the stop.

It's completely context dependant and often ambiguous. To state it's anything but ambiguous is silly given the number of differing opinions in this thread alone.

bee06 · 13-01-2014 05:59PM

When I say it I always mean the next Friday that will happen and I'm always told I'm wrong

bobbygrant · 13-01-2014 06:05PM

Why bother saying 'next' if you mean this Friday, you would just have to say Friday and that would suffice.

Pumpkinseeds · 13-01-2014 06:24PM

Surely 'next Friday' is the Friday coming. Therefore, the 17th. Otherwise it makes no sense. If you were the next patient waiting to be seen at the doctors and someone jumped ahead of you when the receptionist said 'next' you wouldn't be long pointing out the mistake to the queue jumper.

Bananatop · 13-01-2014 06:27PM

A man rode into town on Friday, stayed two days and left on Friday.

Friday=horse.

Ergo 'next Friday' is 'next horse'

wretcheddomain · 13-01-2014 06:28PM

Next Friday <=> January 17th <=> Forthcoming Friday

Friday week <=> January 24th <=> Friday + 1 week

I know some people are slow but why hasn't this caught on yet?

JupiterKid · 13-01-2014 06:30PM

To me, next Friday is this coming Friday, Jan 17th. The Friday after that would be "the following" Friday.

DavyD_83 · 13-01-2014 06:32PM

emphasis on the next and possibly hand gestures are required for clarification

wretcheddomain · 13-01-2014 06:33PM

DavyD_83 wrote: »

emphasis on the next and possibly hand gestures are required for clarification

They're really not...I could be blind and it's pretty obvious what the word 'next' means.

mike65 · 13-01-2014 06:33PM

If the media is any guide many Irish have problems understanding the difference, throwing in "next" when they mean "this"

Chazz Michael Michaels · 13-01-2014 06:36PM

Open a book and pick a page. Turn the page. Relative to the first page you picked, is this new page the "next page" or is it the one after?

Obviously it is the former. Only a moron would think otherwise. :-)

wretcheddomain · 13-01-2014 06:38PM

Imagine being at a train station and the following conversation takes place between an imaginary passenger called Flan and the guy on patrol:

Flan - "When is the next train to Dublin?"

Patrol Guy - "Here's the timetable:

3.45pm
4.15pm
4.45pm"

Flan - "Ah, alright, so the next train is at 4.15pm!"

Patrol Guy - "Ermmm...no, the next train is at 3.45, check again!"

Flan - "But the 3.45pm is this train, I want the next train, so it's 4.15pm, thanks!"

Patrol Guy - "Where's the pub, I need a drink..."

Are the days of the week the only instances where people jump the 'next'?

krudler · 13-01-2014 06:41PM

Shzm wrote: »

This Friday = the Friday in this current week.
Next Friday = the Friday in the next week.

???

Yes, I dunno where all the confusion comes from, if it's a monday then just say friday, why even bother adding the next part at all.

corsav6 · 13-01-2014 06:44PM

Next Friday is the next Friday to occur, the 17th. I don't understand how next Friday could mean the Friday after the the next 1. Should next week not be called that so and instead call the week after next week.
Just reading that back and its a little confusing.

micar · 13-01-2014 06:50PM

next friday is the next one coming up. So It's 17th!!!!!

CFlat · 13-01-2014 06:51PM

I think it depends what day of the week it is. If someone said to you on Saturday, " I'll see you next Friday" well that would be the following Friday. If someone said to you on Thursday " I'll see you next Friday" than that's Friday week..eh I think...I'm confused now. What was the question again?

mike65 · 13-01-2014 06:58PM

CFlat wrote: »

I think it depends what day of the week it is. If someone said to you on Saturday, " I'll see you next Friday" well that would be the following Friday. If someone said to you on Thursday " I'll see you next Friday" than that's Friday week..eh I think...I'm confused now. What was the question again?

Just say "I'll see you on Friday" any day of the week (except Thursday of course)

CFlat · 13-01-2014 07:04PM

mike65 wrote: »

Just say "I'll see you on Friday" any day of the week (except Thursday of course)

Yep I agree, but the question is "what does next Friday mean to you"?

mel.b · 13-01-2014 07:05PM

I have this problem all the time at work and always thought it was an Australian thing, so actually good to see on the pole that the (slim) majority agree with me and that I just work with a group of weirdo's who don't understand the meaning of 'this' and 'next' :P

I've gotten to the point at work that I always ask people what date they mean.

This - THIS coming one
NEXT - the one after this one

Although when you hear things on the news like 'the election is July next' and they actually mean this July it's no wonder everyone is confused

mel.b · 13-01-2014 07:08PM

wretcheddomain wrote: »

Imagine being at a train station and the following conversation takes place between an imaginary passenger called Flan and the guy on patrol:

Flan - "When is the next train to Dublin?"

Patrol Guy - "Here's the timetable:

3.45pm
4.15pm
4.45pm"

Flan - "Ah, alright, so the next train is at 4.15pm!"

Patrol Guy - "Ermmm...no, the next train is at 3.45, check again!"

Flan - "But the 3.45pm is this train, I want the next train, so it's 4.15pm, thanks!"

Patrol Guy - "Where's the pub, I need a drink..."

Are the days of the week the only instances where people jump the 'next'?

But if the train is at the station and he asks for the next one, does he actually mean 'this' one that is sitting there, or the 'next' one that is coming after this one??

mike65 · 13-01-2014 07:09PM

Is it related to the Irish language I wonder - which leads to a Hiberno-English quirk. As in went to/came to etc.

bnt · 13-01-2014 07:12PM

mel.b wrote: »

But if the train is at the station and he asks for the next one, does he actually mean 'this' one that is sitting there, or the 'next' one that is coming after this one??

Not a good comparison. Friday is a weekday, so we refer to it in the context of its week. So this week contains this Friday, and next week contains next Friday.

If there's even a slight risk of confusion, I tend to elaborate, so I'll say "this coming Friday" or "Friday next week", just to be sure. If it's in an email, I'll put the dates in. You can't assume everyone makes the same assumptions as you do. :pac:

What does next Friday mean to you?

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