jackofallgeeks: (Default)
John Noble ([personal profile] jackofallgeeks) wrote2008-07-17 08:31 am

Next Weekend?

So, here's something I don't get: what's with the confusion over 'next
weekend' and 'this weekend'? When I speak, I use "this weekend" to refer to
the upcoming Fri-Sun cycle, and "next weekend" to refer to the weekend after
next week. (I guess my assumption is that the week 'ends' on Sunday; "and
the the 7th day he rested.") This seems perfectly reasonable to me, and
allows for "last weekend," "this weekend," and "next weekend" to have
distinct meanings. Yet it seems I'm constantly having trouble communicating
when people think I mean THIS weekend when, on say a Monday or Wednesday, I
talk about NEXT weekend. I can understand where they might get that meaning
from "next," but interpretting it like that obviously causes confusion. Am
I missing some kind of social cue for why my definitions aren't widely
accepted?

[identity profile] quix.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Technically the next weekend that people will encounter will be the immediately upcoming weekend. So while you're viewing "next weekend" the sense of only viewing the weekends in your mind, thus the upcoming weekend is already accounted for. For others unless the upcoming weekend isn't accounted for as it is still in the future, and as such, will be the "next weekend" that they will experience.

It's not a missing social cue, just a fault in the english language. :)
Edited 2008-07-17 14:47 (UTC)

[identity profile] tiel.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I was going to say the same thing, only less eloquently.

Talking about "next" weekend and "this coming" weekend has always solved the problem for me.

[identity profile] quix.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Not sure how that would solve anything. People could still think you meant the weekend immediately upcoming when you said "next weekend" when you meant the weekend following.

[identity profile] jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it only clears things up if there's something worthwhile to say about the upcoming weekend, which there often isn't.

[identity profile] starlight1184.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my God. You have a Court Jester icon. I don't know who you are, but I love you.

[identity profile] quix.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Moi? :)

[identity profile] jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com 2008-07-17 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Rachel, meet Jason. He's a very cool buddy of mine.
Jason, meet Rachel. She's my very awesome cousin.

[identity profile] starlight1184.livejournal.com 2008-07-18 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
:waves: Again. Awesome icon. There are so few people who know the awesomeness that is that movie. I'm glad Andrew knows two of us. ;-)