If a meeting at 12.00 is moved forward 2 hours

[IliveonCoffee]

What time is the meeting?

I saw this somewhere else. I've just asked my partner....I'm horrified --slightly dramatic- at his response!

What time do you think the meeting is?

@Nyctophyllia

My favourite not making sense thing is the phrase " behind my back" If you were behind someone's back you'd be in front of them

Eh?

@AlbertCampion

Just asked DH this and he says he has heard it being discussed before and the answer depends on whether you see yourself as central to your existence, or as simply a player in a wider plan. Thus, if you see yourself as moving through time, then bringing something forward moves it closer towards you (10am). Whereas if you see life as time moving along, then it would be later (2pm).

I am now even more confused. But I think he is saying that the way people reply to this tells us something about their psychology.

Not necessarily. I could also tell you about what people were taught.

I would say the meeting would be at 10am, simply because that's what I was taught, that bringing forwards meant the time moved closer to now, ie earlier.

I think it can be Either, as it's far too ambiguous. The people I know who speak like this (almost in a riddle!) I always say back to them. "So can I confirm the meeting is at 10am?" Half the time it's at 2pm, or the equivalent, but technically the words used should mean 10am.

It's the language used.

Moved forward -2pm

Brought forward -10am

But whatever, it should always be made clear what time the meeting is now scheduled for!!

www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/bring-forward

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/bring-forward#:~:text=bring%20somethingforward&text=1to%20move%20something%20to,forward%20at%20the%20next%20meeting.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.macmillandictionary.com/amp/dictionary/british/bring-forward

www.dictionary.com/browse/bring--forward

Bring forward/move forward- it means something is moved to an earlier time. It just does, by convention. If you think of it as moving something later, it might be best to change that. If you can't beat 'em...

@CatRamsey

But when you put the clocks forward, they go forward an hour from 1am to 2am, so surely if you move a meeting forward it will go from 12pm to 2pm, in your example.

If you said bring forward/brought forward I'd say 10am though, as you're bringing it towards you.

And this is a good example of how English is a weird language.

Many of our words and phrases have more than one meaning.

So putting the clocks forwards means time moves back.

But moving a meeting forwards means the same as bringing a meeting forwards, so a contradictory meaning that the time is now 10am.

But, it's always worth checking with whoever is arranging things.😉

Ah yes this irks me. I have a particular colleague who does this. Say I want to move a 3pm to 2pm, I'll say "is it ok if we bring our meeting forward an hour to 2pm?" And he'll say "you mean bring it back to 2pm". Glad to see I'm right. I've given up with him now and just say "can we please shift it"

10, but it does always surprises me how many people get midnight mixed up and don't realise that it's the start of the next day.

2pm as you're moving forwards in time!

You can't stand behind someone's back, you're facing it, not behind it

@FourPlatinumRings

www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/bring-forward

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/bring-forward#:~:text=bring%20somethingforward&text=1to%20move%20something%20to,forward%20at%20the%20next%20meeting.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.macmillandictionary.com/amp/dictionary/british/bring-forward

www.dictionary.com/browse/bring--forward

Bring forward/move forward- it means something is moved to an earlier time. It just does, by convention. If you think of it as moving something later, it might be best to change that. If you can't beat 'em...

It is if you assume "move forward" and "bring forward" are the exact same thing. Linking a dictionary definition of a different phrasal verb hardly shows that someone "is right". (The use of "move" in an explanation doesn't mean it's the same a "move forward".)

The OP specified 'move forward', so it all boils down to her poor communication. Plenty of people have said that bring forward and move forward have a different meaning.

Anyone who uses language based on what they interpret them as are poor communicators. You need to consider how your words are heard by others. If something is ambiguous then clarify it.

Thinking '"I'm right" won't make it any clearer. If you've just told everyone that your meeting has "moved forward" two hours without clarifying it with an actual time. This could very well result in you waiting four hours for the attendees to all turn-up. They having interpreted move forward differently to you. You might have got more attendees at 10 am if you'd said 'brought forward" the meeting.

Though it would take a whole lot of poor communication for that scenario to happen. There would usually be at least one person seeking clarification!! Not everyone assumes their interpretation is right.

@Nyctophyllia

You can't stand behind someone's back, you're facing it, not behind it

The behind is describing the position of the standing person in relation to where the person back is. The standing person is behind the person whose back has been referred to.

It's not the standing person's viewpoint.

Plenty of people have said that bring forward and move forward have a different meaning.

Plenty of people think specific and Pacific mean the same thing, or don't realise know the correct usage of your/you're or there/their/they're. Ultimately, there is a right answer here. Just because a misconception is widely shared, doesn't mean it's anything other than a misconception.

Delete the word realise from the above.

10am

(Without reading more than the op)

Bring forward means earlier. It's not debatable

I think most posters agree with that, however OP’s wording is “move forward” which is confusing. I agree it’s still 10am though.

@Honeybobbin

I agree with *@FourPlatinumRings*. Bring forward means earlier. It's not debatable.

I'd say the same about this Friday/next Friday. 'This' refers to the nearest day of this name in the future. 'Next' refers to the following one.

Yes, both of these (bring/move forward and this/next Friday) are accepted conventions.

Just because some people don’t know that or don’t understand it doesn’t make it any less so.

@FourPlatinumRings

Plenty of people have said that bring forward and move forward have a different meaning.

Plenty of people think specific and Pacific mean the same thing, or don't realise know the correct usage of your/you're or there/their/they're. Ultimately, there is a right answer here. Just because a misconception is widely shared, doesn't mean it's anything other than a misconception.

Not the equivalent. As you say Pacific and specific are different words - as are 'move forward' and 'bring forward'.

The equivalent on this thread would be someone linking the word 'specific' to prove that Pacific is correct.

What I'm saying it the OP's use phrasal verb that is ambiguous. Whilst some people might not understand what she means with 'bring forward' more people would misinterpret the use of 'move forward'. As pointed out by a lot of people on this thread.

(Also II think its more that people think specific is pronounced the same as Pacific. Though I'm sure some mix the two up in writing - I don't think 'plenty' of people think specific and Pacific mean the same thing).

I was pointing out that it doesn't matter what is "right" doesn't mean it's understood. Plus the fact that showing one phrase verb means something doesn't make a different phrasel verb means the same thing.

That’s why a convention exists - because no matter how ambiguous it might be depending on words chosen, the convention will always be consistent. You learn the convention and then you don’t have to have a long discussion every time to hopefully come to a consensus.

The deciding word is ‘forward’ or ‘back’ - those always mean the same thing.

We have many words and phrases that have multiple meanings, that's the fun with English.

Bring Forward and Move Forward mean the same, that the time is now earlier, regardless that the clocks go forwards.

Pushing a meeting back/moving a meeting back both mean a later time.

I thought move forward so 2pm
‘Bring it forward’ I would say 10am
Push back 2pm
Arghhh I need more coffee

I would be suggesting to the person who wrote it to have another look at the plain English training module. Bimonthly is another word to avoid.

I would have turned up at 2pm too. Moving anything in time pushes it forward because logically we can’t go back. So I would never assume you move something backwards by pushing it forwards.

2pm

When the clocks go forward they leap forward by an hour 🤷🏻‍♀️