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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask what you’d interpret by the phrase “Close of Play”

330 replies

CyanSnake · 18/03/2021 19:24

Hello all.

WIBU to ask you to help settle a light hearted debate I had with a colleague over lunch today?

I’d sent an email out asking for a task to be completed “by close of play Friday”. Now what I meant by this, was that I’m going to work on the project over the weekend; so I need other staff to do their part before 5pm on Friday.

If I knew I wasn’t going to look at it until Monday I’d have said “The deadline is first thing Monday” or “Can I have it by 9am Monday.”

Now my colleague said that she would interpret the phrase “by close of play Friday” to mean “I want to work on it first thing Monday” and that if I directly set a deadline of Monday morning it sounds like I’m directing staff to work over the weekend.

I asked what she would do if she needed something to work on over the weekend and she said she’d ask for it by Friday lunch and chase over the afternoon if it wasn’t done.

So how would you take the phrase?

YANBU - “Close of play Friday” means “By end of business hours on Friday”

YABU - “Close of play Friday” means “On my desk before I start work on Monday”

OP posts:
PattyPan · 19/03/2021 13:49

@LookItsMeAgain not necessarily, and in offices where not everyone goes home at 5pm on the dot I think it’s worth specifying the time, especially since now a lot of people are working flexibly around childcare etc.
I think my office closes at 9pm although the latest I’ve stayed in person is 8. I’ve definitely been working until gone 10pm on a few occasions from home and some of my colleagues have been regularly work until midnight recently (big project). A lot of colleagues have always stayed in the office until 6 or 7 just because they’re more productive in the evening and come in later in the morning.

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 13:54

"Close of Play" can be interpreted many ways - in the UK alone. It's imprecise and ambiguous. Whereas calling it bollock-speak is clear, precise and succinct.

GreyhoundG1rl · 19/03/2021 14:04

What on earth are people still confused about? There are even people on this thread who interpreted it as meaning the next morning Confused
There's nothing remotely ambiguous about it.

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 14:12

There's nothing remotely ambiguous about it.

The very length of this thread rather runs counter to that assertion.

It's rather like asking people what shade of blue indigo is.

Blueskyredcloud · 19/03/2021 14:20

@TheTempest

I think it’s completely clear that it’s 5pm Friday. It’s completely standard wording in my industry and I’m a bit Confused that you could take it as anything else really.
But in the industry we're in people will often work till midnight and/0r get up early in the morning to finish work by a deadline, so close of play is more vague.
Whythesadface · 19/03/2021 14:39

Add a time, it stops the ones who think they are clever from taking the P.
It's a good thing to get into the habit of doing, if people can take an inch, they will take a mile, but this has shown you who is disrespectful in the office.

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 14:40

@Whythesadface

Add a time, it stops the ones who think they are clever from taking the P. It's a good thing to get into the habit of doing, if people can take an inch, they will take a mile, but this has shown you who is disrespectful in the office.
What's disrespectful, out of interest ?
Whythesadface · 19/03/2021 14:49

The person knows it means Friday, it says Friday in the time for end of play.
It's very clear it means not Saturday, but people who think they can hand it in on Monday are disrespectful of the OP.

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 14:51

@Whythesadface

The person knows it means Friday, it says Friday in the time for end of play. It's very clear it means not Saturday, but people who think they can hand it in on Monday are disrespectful of the OP.
But what time Friday ?
prettybird · 19/03/2021 14:51

Close of Play Friday very definitely = End of the working day on Friday - so 5pm(ish).

If you'd just said "by Friday" then any time up until midnight on Friday Wink but you didn't do it was very clear Grin

PlingPlingPling · 19/03/2021 14:52

Friday 5pm

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 14:53

Close of Play Friday very definitely = End of the working day on Friday - so 5pm(ish).

Already there's an "ish" ....

Why is it so hard to say "5pm" ?

GreyhoundG1rl · 19/03/2021 14:53

Well, the end of play suggests before they go home... Suggesting this could be 23.59 is a bit silly, very few people work till midnight unless they're doing shift work.

Blueskyredcloud · 19/03/2021 14:56

@Whythesadface

The person knows it means Friday, it says Friday in the time for end of play. It's very clear it means not Saturday, but people who think they can hand it in on Monday are disrespectful of the OP.
Or maybe they didn't understand it was need for Sat am and instruction need to be given more clearly. And maybe it's best not to assume people are stupid, lazy and disrespectful - until you learn to ask and be clear about what you want.
Whythesadface · 19/03/2021 14:56

If no time stated sent by 23.59pm is still Friday.
As we all said just give a time.
Friday is Not 9am Monday morning.
OP would have said Monday if it was wanted for Monday.

PlingPlingPling · 19/03/2021 14:57

The sender of the request is z poor communicator and should state clearly when and what time the deadline is eg fri 1/1/11 @ 17.00

If I wrote that, my colleagues would think I've lost the plot Hmm Grin

Close of play is colloquial for the end of the working day, which in the UK is 5pm. Nothing ambitious about but. It's ignorant to not know that if you work in an office.

Blueskyredcloud · 19/03/2021 14:57

@GreyhoundG1rl

Well, the end of play suggests before they go home... Suggesting this could be 23.59 is a bit silly, very few people work till midnight unless they're doing shift work.
Some people are working from home - it's not silly for them to be working till midnight at home.
prettybird · 19/03/2021 14:57

DGR: because official business hours might be 5.30 or 6. It depends on the working practices of that particular location. It might even be 4 or 4.30 on a Friday Shock

But presumably the OP knows the working practices (and hours) where they work - although it would seem that the colleague/friend does not Wink

PlingPlingPling · 19/03/2021 14:58

Haha *nothing ambiguos about it, not even ambitious either.

Coasterfan · 19/03/2021 14:58

I take it to mean the end of the working day, so I would ensure you had it by the time I go home Friday. Whilst secretly judging you for wanky business speak 😂😂

DGRossetti · 19/03/2021 14:59

Or maybe they didn't understand it was need for Sat am and instruction need to be given more clearly. And maybe it's best not to assume people are stupid, lazy and disrespectful - until you learn to ask and be clear about what you want.

Arguably it's just as disrespectful to dish out vague deadlines like "Close of Play" rather than be precise and professional.

Well I would argue that.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 19/03/2021 14:59

@cluecu

I would assume you would mean end of day Friday. However, I would add that you planned to work on it over the weekend so that no-one could claim to have misunderstood and to help you out.
Yep. This.
GreyhoundG1rl · 19/03/2021 14:59

Op was speaking to this person over lunch; they're both clearly in the office. The phrase precedes the working from home phenomenon by several decades anyway Hmm

PlingPlingPling · 19/03/2021 15:00

Arguably it's just as disrespectful to dish out vague deadlines like "Close of Play" rather than be precise and professional. Close of Play while a bit cringe is pretty standard office speak. Smile

PlingPlingPling · 19/03/2021 15:02

I prefer a concise By cob.

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