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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:
user1472151176 · 19/03/2021 17:31

End of play = end of Friday business hours.
I probably would have been more specific though just because anything that is open to interpretation will usually be interpreted to suit. I usually use brackets "close of play Friday (5pm)

OlivaX · 19/03/2021 17:34

Friday. She’s a piss taker.

mommybunny · 19/03/2021 17:42

Haven’t RTFT but when I was a lawyer in a Magic Circle firm (in London) we sometimes used to use the term “close of business in Honolulu” which would mean the recipient would have the piece of work for the first thing their next morning, ie, whoever was working on it would probably need a good portion of the night to work on it. Needless to say it was usually the provider of the work who would clarify the deadline in that manner, not the recipient who would ask for it!

Hesma · 19/03/2021 17:43

Friday 5pm

jamdonut · 19/03/2021 17:45

I totally understood you and would have got it in by end of the working day. Absolutely no room for ambiguity there at all! Person who thought otherwise was just being awkward because they probably hadn’t started it anyway, and figured they’d have the weekend - e.g. late Sunday - to get it done!!!🙄

exaltedwombat · 19/03/2021 17:50

Say 'By 5.00 Friday as I wish to work on it over the weekend'. That won't necessarily get it done, but at least they'll be clear about when you WANT it done!

HalzTangz · 19/03/2021 17:53

Close of play has always meant end of the business day, so if the business closes at 5pm then that's when work is to be expected.
Your colleagues argument is flawed, even if you started it on Monday morning, you'd still need it in and completed before they all broke up for the weekend, so close of play Friday would still be the deadline, not 9am monday

Graffitiqueen · 19/03/2021 17:55

You are right. However if I was really struggling to make that deadline I'd plan to work over the weekend on it assuming the person asking intended to start on Monday.

If I was the person asking I'd have planned some contingency time into my schedule in case things weren't running on time.

RightOnTheEdge · 19/03/2021 17:56

I'd say it's obvious you mean by the end of the working day on Friday.

SlothMumma · 19/03/2021 18:00

I would read that as they have to have it back by 5pm friday at the latest

Tas1984 · 19/03/2021 18:00

The weirdest set of words I have ever heard. I would definitely want the person who wrote that to repeat and reword what they meant. Takes 2 seconds to say by end of the day Friday?

cherish123 · 19/03/2021 18:04

Close of play Friday means end of working day Friday.

CowCuddler · 19/03/2021 18:06

By the end of normal hours Friday.

But this is why you should just say what you mean. "Close of play Friday" is longer to say than "5pm Friday", why use it?

csigeek · 19/03/2021 18:07

I would assume close of business on Friday, but I’ve also learned my lesson on that one and know to put “by 5pm Friday” so there’s no confusion!

DDiva · 19/03/2021 18:17

Close of play I would take as end if day.

Altho I hate vague timings like this I would have just said 5pm Friday to avoid any confusion.

QueenBee70 · 19/03/2021 18:19

@CyanSnake

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”

By the end of business hours on Friday .
Howshouldibehave · 19/03/2021 18:19

I would specify the time and say you’ll be working on it over the weekend-there’s no ambiguity then.

MrMucker · 19/03/2021 18:41

It's not the best management really. If you want to issue a deadline then you ought to keep it simple and unambiguous, even if the assumption is that most people understand. If you use the actual time then ALL people understand.
Plus "by close of play" implies you are all in this together, like a sports team, and you are not. You want something from them for you to work on. They are in it together but clearly there is some chain of command and a directive coming from somebody with a separate interest.
If I'd received that as a deadline then it would grate on me as a try hard I'm yer buddy manager. That's just me, mind.

pollymere · 19/03/2021 18:51

Before they leave on Friday would be my interpretation so they need to stay late to finish it.

Flatoutonsofa · 19/03/2021 19:01

Totally understand what you meant, but as others have said, best to be completely specific as then there is no scope for misunderstanding. Some might genuinely misunderstand and others use it as an excuse.

UntamedWisteria · 19/03/2021 19:05

We're well past COP Friday now.

Anyone else want to know if the OP got the tasks delivered on time?

jules0607 · 19/03/2021 19:44

Would assume Friday. But maybe try not to use bullsh1t bingo terms & you’ll not get bullsh1t responses... how would anyone know you intend to work on the weekend?

catpoooffender · 19/03/2021 19:48

I think you're both partly right. I would understand it as 'by 5pm on Friday' but I would also assume that you planned to work on it on Monday and would therefore not consider it bad form to send it later on Friday or over the weekend. However I don't think your friend's solution makes much sense either. I would have simply put 'I plan to work on it over the weekend so if I could have it by close of play on Friday that would be great'.

Yourcatisnotsorry · 19/03/2021 20:19

I interpret it as end of the day Friday, not necessarily 5pm though. COB I would say is 5pm.

anon666 · 19/03/2021 20:27

At the limit, I would probably accept midnight Friday, but no later.

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