Random discussion - the year 2100

[Tuomas]

Humm humm

* Tuomas looks around

2010 eh? Why not, should that day ever come ¬¬

[EagerMind]

Once it's 2010 it's "twenty ten" and so on ... but below ten it sounds odd to say "it's twenty OH six" so I usually just say "two thousand six" instead.  I can't wait for 2010 so I can start saying "twenty ten"

It's all about laziness. We say "nineteen oh six" because it would take forever to say "one thousand nine hundred six." But it takes just as much work to say "two thousand six" as "twenty oh six" (count the syllables). "Twenty ten" however is quicker than "two thousand ten." I think our ancestors can look forward to saying "twenty one hundred" and "twenty one oh one", etc, etc.

Anyway, you're all hopelessy unhip. You should be saying "two kay six"!

[Darth Mandarb]

Laziness??

It doesn't (at least for me) have anything to do with that.  For me, 'twenty OH six' just feels awkward and gangly.

Anyway, you're all hopelessy unhip. You should be saying "two kay six"!

It's actually funny you mention that.  I commented on it in my last post, but decided to cut it out.  My brother and I had this ongoing joke about the whole Y2K bug thing ... and since we've referred to this first decade as 2K-whatever.

[EagerMind]

Laziness??

It doesn't (at least for me) have anything to do with that.  For me, 'twenty OH six' just feels awkward and gangly.

Sure, but I think the original point/question was, why do we say "nineteen hundred" but not "twenty hundred"? "Nineteen hundred" is obviously easier/quicker than "one thousand nine hundred". But "twenty hundred" is actually longer to say than "two thousand".

For the single-digit years, "two thousand six" and "twenty oh six" take just as much work, so we stick with what feels more natural. But as you suggested, I would expect us to switch to "twenty ten" when we hit 2010.

As for awkwardness and gangliness, I can't think of anything that beats "twenty one oh one", but I don't think you'll find anybody saying it any other way! ("Two kay one oh one" maybe?)

[MrBen]

I still say if more ppl were willing to throw there hats over the wall, we'd all be in flying cars.

[Darth Mandarb]

Sure, but I think the original point/question was, why do we say "nineteen hundred" but not "twenty hundred"? "Nineteen hundred" is obviously easier/quicker than "one thousand nine hundred". But "twenty hundred" is actually longer to say than "two thousand".

I gotcha!  I mis-understood 'cause you quoted my text above it (thus I thought you were calling me lazy!)

I think, technically, if we had the convention of saying nineteen-whatever we should probably stick with that and use twenty-whatever.  No matter how awkward.  Then again ... I reckon it really doesn't matter.

If I say 2K6, twenty-oh-six, two thousand six, or "in the year of our lord two thousand plus six", I think most people will get it.