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Grammar pedants - help please.

3 lurkers | 95 watchers

Diogenes Feb 2022 5:36pm, 23 Feb 2022 67,453 posts	Quote Pin Diogenes Ah, military intelligence, the classic oxymoron. [Posted earlier elsewhere]
DeeGee Feb 2022 11:17am, 25 Feb 2022 21,752 posts	Quote Pin DeeGee Not sure about trains and buses, though. The railway day starts at 4.30am, avoiding "which day is midnight in questions completely" I've long had issues with this sign: goo.gl I'm hoping that "midnight tomorrow" means "24 hours and 1 minute from 11:59 tonight", or folk trying to make an overnight Eurotunnel after a late stop at Thurrock will be unreasonably punished. But if it's legal wording then it needs to be unambiguous.
DeeGee Feb 2022 11:18am, 25 Feb 2022 21,753 posts	Quote Pin DeeGee "which day is midnight in questions completely" Should have read '"in which day is midnight" questions.'
sallykate Feb 2022 11:42am, 25 Feb 2022 9,080 posts	Quote Pin sallykate In the 24 hour clock the day starts at midnight, so "midnight tomorrow" would actually be tonight. Way too open to interpretation, though, and I agree best avoided.
Dvorak Feb 2022 1:10pm, 25 Feb 2022 24,689 posts	Quote Pin Dvorak Whereas I would unquestionably take that sign as meaning "by the end of the day after today": otherwise it would just have read "midnight".
Dvorak Feb 2022 1:12pm, 25 Feb 2022 24,690 posts	Quote Pin Dvorak *that should probably be "unquestioningly", though it could be both.
GordonG Feb 2022 1:44pm, 25 Feb 2022 8,998 posts	Quote Pin GordonG Living locally to the Dartford Bridge, I've always interpreted it as if today is Friday, payment must be made by sat/Sun midnight. Never thought of it any other way, but now you mention it...
Dvorak Feb 2022 1:54pm, 25 Feb 2022 24,693 posts	Quote Pin Dvorak The charges run from 6 am to 10 pm. So if the aim is to establish a practical payment window, a 26-42 hour limit is more sensible than 2-18 hours. (I know, we are all about the pedantry here, rather than tha actual application.)
LindsD Feb 2022 3:22pm, 25 Feb 2022 53,151 posts	Quote Pin LindsD I'm going to get a T shirt with that on. The charges run from 6 am to 10 pm. So if the aim is to establish a practical payment window, a 26-42 hour limit is more sensible than 2-18 hours. (I know, we are all about the pedantry here, rather than tha actual application.)
LindsD Feb 2022 3:23pm, 25 Feb 2022 53,152 posts	Quote Pin LindsD Oops. Just the last bit.