I need to settle an argument.

[CatMilkMan]

AIBU? I already know the answer, I think.

If something was planned for the 10th to the 17th but was moved back a week would you think that meant back to the 3rd to 10th or back to the 17th to 24th.

Is moving something from the 10th to the 17th to the 3rd to the 10th moving it back a week or forward a week?

Does this question make any sense at all?

Eh?! Back means back in time so earlier, 3-10th! I'm amazed people think otherwise! Is this a southern / northern thing like up/down the road?

Back is earlier.
Forward is later.

There must be some local variation in the country because I cannot think of any way that putting something back a week means it is happening earlier. Move it forward means it happens sooner.

If you say you are moving something back a week it implies you are moving backwards ie to the week before. It's very ambiguous though. Why would you not say can we move this to the 24th?

oh my brain hurts now, this is like when people talk about doing something Monday week - when is that? The first Monday that's coming up or the one after, or some random other time?

re OP I would say putting a meeting or event back is making it later and bringing it forward is making it sooner

Monday week is the same as a week Monday so basically a week after the next Monday that is coming up.

Asked DH and he said the same as me. Your explanation is very good, Euphemia

Yep back is a week later, forward a week earlier if you are dealing in time.

I would at first have thought making it earlier (putting the dates back) but I can see how it makes more sense the other way round - one of those things you need to make clear...and can mean different things to different people.

Reminds me of when we used to arrange life sharing for an after school activity by text...at first it was 'I can pick up' (or 'I can collect') - and it was confusing - is that take them from home to the activity? or vice versa...it took a while before we started using I can take or bring back

Back is later, forward is earlier.

If you have days lined up one behind each other ie tomorrow is at the front of the line, Sunday 13th next etc. Then you move the meeting back down the line to a later date and bring it forward to a place closer to tomorrow.

Ah much like Euphemia said but through 90 degrees like a card file

If time goes forwards, then moving something "back" should mean backwards in time.

I know most people think "bringing something forward" is the same as bringing it backwards in time. But this depends on you, the observer, and where you are. Bringing something closer to "where you are now" is putting yourself at the centre, whereas referring simply to time going back or forwards is less egocentric. So I think bringing something back should be back in time, and vice versa.

I wish I had stopped reading this thread after the first few posters agreed with me.

Maybe just agree with your DH that it can be miscommunicated and confusing and clarify the dates in the future? Take out the forward/back which different people have different ideas on? Has it ruined things holiday wise?

No nothing is ruined it's a pretty light hearted issue I was just baffled by her logic and some how someone on this thread had the same logic.
I'm pretty surprised this is the first time it's come up, I know I'm right and so are the majority on this thread.

I keep disagreeing with myself. Putting it back a week would be making it later, bringing in it back would be making it earlier.

Easier way to think of it is moving something back, is pushing it further away from you (the present), bring something forward is bringing it closer to the present. It's about moving a physical date written in a diary, (rather than time itself) relative to the current date.

It also is because both dates are in the future.

If we talk about the past, We talk about things further back in time are longer ago than things further forward in time, but again they are relative to the current date. This is where the confusion people are misinterpreting these as phrases that mean measures for time on a linear scale.