Two weeks is a fortnight. A two week cycle is 'fortnightly'.

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
S

SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: dug777

Wow. You're my hero. Thanks for pointing out the globvious.

*********standing ovation**********

If we've got one word that works, why make up another?

I suppose it's easier to understand, if you're an idiot ;)

Well who the hell made up fortnight and what did it replace? Were your limey ancestors bemoaning the loss of yet another perfectly serviceable word meaning "two weeks" when some upstart invented a new word for it?

What is all this bickering over words anyway? I'm off to the pub to pick up some sheilas mate. Cheers! :beer:
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
"Two weeks"

"Fortnight"

Both have two syllables. And because of the sounds in "two" and "weeks," the entire phrase can be said as one continuous sound. "Fortnight" is obsolete. :p
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
7,160
1
0
Your threads have gone downhill since I frequented the forums daily.

Pick it up, go walk a furlong or two, drinks a hogshead of beer, smoke a dram of ganja then throw a gill of nitro in your go-kart and come back with something fresh.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,259
14,684
146
downundas....they THINK they speak English...but it's unlike any I've ever heard anywhere else in the world...;)


Yes, fortnight is nearly extinct in modern American English...it's a rare occasion to hear anyone use it except perhaps Shakespearean actors...or downundas...:D
 

bobsmith1492

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2004
3,875
3
81
Fortnight, sure - it's in all the British-origin books. ;) Fortnightly? Never heard that one... well-read Midwesterner here.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
I know the word, of course, but I'd feel like a douchebag if I ever said it. And I don't like feeling like a douchebag.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,472
1
76
Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Australians seem to like that word for some reason. I've never heard any other nationality use it commonly, though.

It's common in the UK.
 

Foxery

Golden Member
Jan 24, 2008
1,709
0
0
Originally posted by: dug777

Replacing it with the clumsy and forced 'bi-weekly' is a dumbing-down of our wonderfully expressive language.

Your speak is double plus ungood.

Anyway, yeah, we've dropped a lot of British words... noone around here could tell you how heavy "ten stone" is. This one baffles me twice as much when it's the Brits who use metric, and we're the fools still running around with the imperial system.
 

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
3
81
Even though I'm an American, I actually prefer fornight to bi-weekly. Bi-weekly is one of the stupidest words in American-English.
 

fatpat268

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2006
5,853
0
71
Originally posted by: Mill
Even though I'm an American, I actually prefer fornight to bi-weekly. Bi-weekly is one of the stupidest words in American-English.

Agreed.

Everytime I hear the word bi-weekly, I think twice a week, not once every two weeks.
 

Colt45

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
19,720
1
0
Originally posted by: Foxery
Originally posted by: dug777

Replacing it with the clumsy and forced 'bi-weekly' is a dumbing-down of our wonderfully expressive language.

Your speak is double plus ungood.

Anyway, yeah, we've dropped a lot of British words... noone around here could tell you how heavy "ten stone" is. This one baffles me twice as much when it's the Brits who use metric, and we're the fools still running around with the imperial system.

1st = 14lbs. it's an archaic thing. Same reason beer is still served in a pint. I'm suprised the US doesn't use stone... a fatty saying they're "20 stone" sounds better than "280 pounds" :p


I'm willing to guess most kids in the US don't know how many rods are in a chain, or how many chains in a furlong, neither... and they aren't really british as such, they were used a lot here too.
 

Xyclone

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
10,312
0
76
14 days is a strange time measurement, and is rarely used in every day speech other than when speaking of paychecks, I guess.
 

Xyclone

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
10,312
0
76
Originally posted by: Colt45
Originally posted by: Foxery
Originally posted by: dug777

Replacing it with the clumsy and forced 'bi-weekly' is a dumbing-down of our wonderfully expressive language.

Your speak is double plus ungood.

Anyway, yeah, we've dropped a lot of British words... noone around here could tell you how heavy "ten stone" is. This one baffles me twice as much when it's the Brits who use metric, and we're the fools still running around with the imperial system.

1st = 14lbs. it's an archaic thing. Same reason beer is still served in a pint. I'm suprised the US doesn't use stone... a fatty saying they're "20 stone" sounds better than "280 pounds" :p


I'm willing to guess most kids in the US don't know how many rods are in a chain, or how many chains in a furlong, neither... and they aren't really british as such, they were used a lot here too.

The only measurement you listed (other than stone, which is common to read online) that I've actually seen used is the furlong, in horse races (only been twice, pretty common measurement).
 

AlienCraft

Lifer
Nov 23, 2002
10,539
0
0
Originally posted by: dug777
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: dug777
It's better than calling you all Seppos at least...

Convict. :p

ZV

It's considered quite fashionable to have a true convict heritage here :)

I can only imagine the Holidays when you get those families mixing with the families from the side of The Law or in this case The Crown..
It's gotta happen, hell that's what makes love stories.if I may.... The Muse has me in her spell.....

Son (holding sobbing woman in his arms): "But Ma, They're Petty Thieves, it's not like they're MURDERERS !!1!" Mother crosses her arms, scrunches her face into a rage ,whirls and as she reaches the door he freezes her hand at the knob with a single sentence "At least she's still a virgin!"

Cut to close up of Mom's face . Reaction shot hold for long count.

Cut to black.
The End.

Ahhhh, good times :D


<---Son of Scots / Irish rabble that didn't like the local produce.

 

TXHokie

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 1999
2,558
176
106
My bills are due bi-fortnight. My wife goes batty on me bi-fortnightly. Wait...