this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2024
431 points (95.8% liked)

Showerthoughts

30006 readers
488 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics
    • 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
    • 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
    • 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
quinten
vatlark
forkball
Thekingoflorda
431
I hear phrases like "half-past", "quarter til", and "quarter after" way less often since digital clocks have became more commonplace. (midwest.social)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
169 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It's inefficient is what I'm suggesting.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 9 months ago (3 children)

It is a one syllable difference, at most. Fif-teen versus Quar-ter-Past. Or Thir-ty versus Half-past. And for-ty-five versus quar-ter-till.

But it is also about precision. If I say "Let's meet up at 4:45" that implies a lot more specificity than "let's meet at quarter to five". The firmer is an exact time people should meet at and the latter is "around that time".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeopkvAP-ag goes into the difference between analog and digital time and what that means with thought processes. But a lot of it boils down to thinking in terms of "parts of a whole" versus "specific times".

[–] joel_feila 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm curious why it got the name digital time.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Because it is expressed as digits (numbers)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://www.piped.video/watch?v=NeopkvAP-ag

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

it's not like people generally pronounce it fully anyways, it'll come out as "qua'tr" or "quartah" depending on dialect

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

All of which is still two syllables?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

The most inefficient part of human brain is having to consciously process things. So going with whatever patterns you're used to is always going to be faster