Please settle an argument between me and DP..... what does 'mild' mean?

[Limth]

You may be preventing a fucking divorce here, so please help by answering this question -

Question: If I said "It's milder today than it was yesterday", would you take that to mean:
A: Its warmer than it was yesterday
B: Its colder than yesterday

Very many thanks!

Warmer.

But he isn’t thick Or a stupid twat? He’s correct. You can have mild summers. Mild summers are those that are cooler. The technical definitely of mild is les extreme. You can say ‘it’s milder today after yesterdays storm’ relating to wind. You can say it’s milder today as in less hot than the extreme heat of yesterday. You can say it’s milder today as in warmer than yesterdays ice blast.

In our holiday apartment in Spain they suggested the same thing. 'Don't chill to less than 23C to save energy'.

I'd say 10.

Move forward is bring closer. The opposite would be to move it back.

Oh gawd.

We had that thread.

People were maimed.

I respectfully withdraw my remark.

But he isn’t thick Or a stupid twat? He’s correct. You can have mild summers. Mild summers are those that are cooler. The technical definitely of mild is les extreme. You can say ‘it’s milder today after yesterdays storm’ relating to wind. You can say it’s milder today as in less hot than the extreme heat of yesterday. You can say it’s milder today as in warmer than yesterdays ice blast.

No, he's not. The OP said he thinks that 'milder' always means colder/cooler/lower temperature. That's plain wrong.

Always means, not correct. But that’s not different to the people saying it always means warmer - because it doesn’t. I can mean warmer or colder or less windy or whatever. It means both. So if he’s a thick twat so is everyone else saying it definitely only means warmer.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "less severe", so warmer. He might want to argue against you, but is he also willing to take on the dictionary?

Warmer. He might not believe 100s of people on mumsnet but he might believe the dictionary

As a Linguist, with the MA to prove it, the only way to find out about a spoken language is to ask native speakers of that language. Which is what OP has done. There isn't always a clear cut answer.

Asking native speakers works best for testing whether a sentence devised by the linguist is grammatical or not. Our professor, a very distinguished theorist in syntax, used to sometimes turn up half way through a lecture given by someone else, to ask the opinion of any native speakers of English on the latest sentence he wanted testing.

The use and meaning of mild, this week/next week and various other things are more about semantics/pragmatics. They give rise to various ambiguities, as PP have noted. There is no right answer.

Even I, sad pedant that I am, have to accept that "under the circumstances" is just as good British English as "in the circumstances." My linguistics course was very clear that British English consists of "the language as she is spoke" and that "I never done nothing" is a perfectly valid sentence in British English, double negative or not.

@SequentialAnalyst summed up this thread in a nutshell 😂

Warmer in winter, colder in summer. Today I'd mean warmer.

@PennyProud the issue is not about mild . It is about milder.

A its warmer ( to me milder means less cold)

Have probably added stuff to my post since you posted this - I think I was editing while you were posting

Oh dear...... Mild means LESS cold than yesterday

Depends on whether yesterday was too hot or too cold! It means less extreme.

Love comments like yours @SequentialAnalyst! As I said, language is a wonderful thing.

Well thank heavens for @SequentialAnalyst! I definitely use the milder in both directions - cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

I am a native English speaker, but not British.

But mild means not hot hence mild curry ...

It’s all about context. In this instance you’re talking about the extremities of spice. In the OPs example she is talking about the extremities of weather.

Mild usually clear sky's no rain. Though still cold not damp and miserable.

You’re both right - it just means it’s easier to be outside and not be uncomfortable. Sort of the opposite of “inclement” used on trains to mean “not pleasant” and can mean 36 degrees of heatwave or driving hail.

A - warmer today