Time - "the back of xx o clock"

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

This is just my thoughts spilling out but my husband just said to me "I've told your dad I'll be round at the back of 11" and i'm like so is that 5 past 11 or 5 to 12? And he laughed because he has definitely explained it to me before and I just can't wrap my head around it.
The back of something, to me, sounds like it would be the end. So I imagine it to be closer to 12.
I know I am wrong. But the saying is bullshit.
There. I said it.

l like learning different regional expression. Most are great. Yorkshire uses “8 while 10”. Perfectly understandable.

I have no idea what this means but I'd like to learn.

I agree "back of 3" is somewhere after 3 but before maybe 3.20.

And I was amazed to move to London for work and be told "outwith" is not a word and shouldn't be used in work documents. I've persevered now and it gives me great pleasure every time I spot a non-Scottish colleague using it.

Scots taking over the world one word at a time.

'The back of' I had no trouble with. 'The morn's morn' on the other hand confused the hell out of me when I first moved up.

Tomorrow morning. I love language when it just says what it means without any concern for grammar or correctness

Glad I know what it means now. I live in the south so probably explains why I’ve not heard it before.

Discovered this expression when I moved to Scotland 30 odd years ago, it's really useful!
Meaning shortly after a given time and definitely no earlier.

My mum used to always say ‘See you in the morn’s morn’ at bedtime when I was a kid!

I had to explain ‘the back of’ to my English DH when we first got together, but he gets it now, although has yet to use it himself. One day!

I AM SCOTTISH

I am English and until today had never heard of “the back of” or indeed “10 while 11”.

I’m very comfortable with “outwith” though don’t use it myself.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “forenoon” though I have certainly read it (I have a feeling Jane Austen might use it, though I might be wrong about that) and it’s pretty obvious what it means!

Oh man, I've read more comments. Maybe I should have started with the fact I am Scottish and it's a really common thing to say but it just messes with my mind :D
Lang may yer lum reek abody.

Yeh, I would never say it myself despite it being so common. Id just say "I'll be round just after 11"...

Sorry, I meant "its only in mn i found out..."

Next up in Things That Really Happened:

A Scottish person has to have a Scottish phrase explained to them.

This made me laugh. You are therefore forgiven . 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 😅

I’m Scottish. It would be between 11 and 11.30 to me.

🤣🤣

and a Scottish person that describes an everyday Scottish saying as bullshit 🤣🤣

I was comIng here to say this too! I moved to Manchester a couple of years ago and recall the first time someone said to me “10 while 11” and I was so confused!

Not sure why you find that so unbelievable?

Have you seen the amount of people who don't comprehend the difference between their, there and they're, you're and your or brought and bought?

I suspect they too have had them explained many times but that doesn't necessarily mean they retain the information.

Yeah I'd assume it mean close enough to 11, like saying 'around 11'. So anything up to about twenty past? Maybe half past latest?

I've no heard it before though.

Imagine that. The thing is the first few posts show that the meaning is really ambiguous. Some people thing not past quarter past, some people think no later than half past etc etc.
And that is why I never get my head around it.

Like I have a vision of it in my head that the front of 11 is 11 o clock and the back would then be nearer 12.

It’s rather charming to picture the hour hand of a clock coming towards the hour, then passing around the back of it. A wily battle manoeuvre.

Might be a Scottish thing what about 'ish' example I will get you at 11ish.

Thank you :D

Now I DO say that a lot!

😂😂😂I’’ve never heard the phrase but I would have thought before 11. In effect behind ( the back of 11?) so before it? I am clearly from reading this on my own in that thinking.