this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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No Stupid Questions

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Why does bi-weekly mean "every two weeks?" This has always bothered me because intuitively it should mean "twice a week." (self.nostupidquestions)
submitted 11 months ago by LemmyKnowsBest to c/[email protected]
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Similar case in point: "bimonthly" means "twice a month." That makes sense.

But the definition for "bi-weekly" does not make sense.

What do you think?

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[โ€“] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

It's because of British English, and the fact that American English seems to have dropped a word which is caused confusion.

Bi-weekly means two times a week.

Fortnightly means every 2 weeks. But American English seems to have lost the word fortnightly, so there is this ambiguity now.

[โ€“] set_secret 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

thanks for the explanation, as an Australian reading this I had no idea what was going on cause bi-weekly means bi-weekly here and fortnight is every two weeks.

Til Americans don't have fortnights...

[โ€“] Crashumbc 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

They don't have "scores" either at least anymore.

[โ€“] Chriswild 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

We do, we're typically familiar with the concept it's just not something we say. Kinda like how we know what autumn is but we just call it fall.

It's kinda weird but I'm sure you know the feeling with some words you know of but it's kinda weird for people to use in a sentence.

[โ€“] totallynotarobot 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

What's the adjective in American for "having to do with the season fall?"

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Autumnal. It's not used much.

[โ€“] set_secret 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Don't they have scores when lots of people die? The news here only ever uses scores when it's referring to loss of life. like if a building collapsed. they'd say 'scores of people were killed today etc..'

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

"Scores" just means "a lot". Nobody here uses "score" (singular) to mean 20.

[โ€“] set_secret 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

wtf does 20 have to do with anything?

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's how much a score is.

[โ€“] set_secret 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

so?

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So I was relying to a comment about scores. Do you not understand how conversation works?

[โ€“] set_secret 1 points 11 months ago

not this one no

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Even worse is bisexual not meaning "having sex twice". Ask me how I know...

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

How do you know?

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

Hey, long time. Do you want to have sex again? No, it's my girlfriend's turn now...

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Fortnightly FTW. We can always (try to) re-educate the masses!

[โ€“] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Incorrect. Bisexual doesnt mean twice per sex, it means 2 sexes.