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AIBU?

To call it a new decade in January?

21 replies

RosemarysBroomstick · 26/11/2019 07:04

The other day I said it’s cool that there’s a new decade starting in January’The Twenties’. My colleague said no, the 20s don’t start until 2021. What do you think?

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Am I being unreasonable?

AIBU

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wheresmyliveship · 26/11/2019 07:06

Of course it starts in January...

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zigzagbetty · 26/11/2019 07:07

Do they not class 20 as being in the 20's Confused

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c3pu · 26/11/2019 07:09

Technically they have a valid point, as when you count to 10 you don't start at 0 and end at 9.

But anyone who says that a decade starts on year 1 is a cockwomble.

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SegregateMumBev · 26/11/2019 07:12

When did your colleague celebrate the Millenium?

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RosemarysBroomstick · 26/11/2019 07:30

Good point segregate!

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megletthesecond · 26/11/2019 07:35

Technically they're correct. But pedantic.

"The Twenties" does sound cool though. I'm with you.

I wonder if the flapper dress will be resurrected?

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MiddleClassProblem · 26/11/2019 07:38

Wait so 1980 was not part of the 80s? Does that mean DH was born in the 70s 😂

No

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Beveren · 26/11/2019 07:53

Technically it's the last year of the current decade, given that we start counting with 1, not 0. But who cares, really.

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ShatnersWig · 26/11/2019 07:54

Technically they're correct. But pedantic

No, they're not correct. 2021 means one year has happened, not that it's about to happen. Technically, during 2021 you are in the second year of the decade.

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CookPassBabtridge · 26/11/2019 07:56

It reminds me of my Nana who said your first year doesn't start until you turn 1. No, you have your first year and then mark it with the number at the end and then start second year etc. Same with decades. This will be the first year of the decade.

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JAPAB · 26/11/2019 08:29

Technically they have a valid point, as when you count to 10 you don't start at 0 and end at 9.

When counting discrete items maybe, but in naming periods of time I don't think I have ever met anyone who would consider the 80's say, to cover the period of time between 1981 and 1991.

As for the whole 'the new millenium started in 2001 because they would have called the first year 1' thing, well they never actually started the new A.D. calendar until decades I think after Jesus' birth, and retrospectively counted backwards to his estimated d.o.b. It is hugely unlikely that he was actually born on what would eventually become known as 1 / 1 / 1. Plus do we actually know that they wouldn't habe started at 0 anyway, just as they would nowadays when assigning an estimated d.o.b to a person whose actual one is unknown.

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JAPAB · 26/11/2019 08:41

Sorry, of course Jesus wasn't meant to have been born on 1st Jan. But you know what I meant about retrospectively starting the calendar on estimates and do we actually know they wouldn't have started at 0 anyway since they weren't just "counting" but trying to roughly alighn it with his existence.

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onalongsabbatical · 26/11/2019 09:04

Show her this OP. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020s

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x2boys · 26/11/2019 09:20

Of course the 20,s start on he first of January although I'm struggling o accept its been a whole 20 years since we all celebrated the millennium the 90,s only seem like a couple of years ago to me Shock

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tillytrotter1 · 27/11/2019 08:05

This goes back to the argument about the millennium, 2000 or 2001. As there was never, according to historians, a year 0, the first year of a millennium, decade, etc was 01.Apparently the numbering system was decided by some church synod, Synod of Whitby maybe, it's why different religions have different calendars.

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CAG12 · 27/11/2019 08:52

Urgh she sounds super pedantic. Shes also going to have a tough year if it annoys her that much!

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RosemarysBroomstick · 27/11/2019 08:57

So does anyone know anything interesting about the 1920s or things that might make a comeback? It’s not really a decade I know much about.

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busybarbara · 27/11/2019 08:59

The thing with centuries is because they have “th” on the end. So the first century was 1-100. But decades are not called the “9th decade” they’re named after the actual numbers in the year such as “90s”. Decades are not counted, they are named after the digits in the years.

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Ponoka7 · 27/11/2019 09:08

Watch the film 'A thoroughly modern Millie', it's a musical set in the 20's.

My Grandmother was 9 in 1920 and cut her hair into a Bob type style, which was the new fashion. Before that girls and women only cut their hair if they were ill. Her dad chased her with his belt. He didn't catch her, she ran to the Woman who she cleaned for. This was in Liverpool.

Look up the fashions. It was considered a time of liberation for women.

They'd done the work of men, because of WW1 and there was an optimism about, but also a dread of another war.

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Ponoka7 · 27/11/2019 09:10

Look up Clara Bow. Strong lipsticks, short hairstyles, along with short hemlines. Long bulky jewellery.

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RosemarysBroomstick · 27/11/2019 09:36

Thanks, I’ll definitely watch Thoroughly Modern Millie. And look up Clara Bow later.

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