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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:
Parentpower20 · 18/03/2021 20:39

@sphn

I’d clarify that I was going to work over the weekend, but without that clarification I wouldn’t begrudge someone getting it to me pre 9am Monday.
Yeah, I think it means by 5pm Friday but also that you wouldn't start work until Monday, so not a big deal to get it to you before 9am if pressed for time on Friday. So I think you are right but also you should specify.
AlfonsoTheTerrible · 18/03/2021 20:40

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

Magnificentmug12 · 18/03/2021 20:41

Is it not cockney rhyme
Close of play-end of day

peridito · 18/03/2021 20:42

But doesn't it depend on what business you are in - I imagine some work doesn't finish at 5pm .As said IT/techie stuff may well be shift work covering 24 hours .

Surely that's why COP is used ,indicating when all the loose threads are tied up and the "game" is ended .

A ridiculous outmoded expression .{IMHO.}

Chunkymenrock · 18/03/2021 20:42

This phrase is used at my workplace and I think it's utterly ridiculous and incredibly annoying. Just say by the end of the day on Friday please.

Wishing14 · 18/03/2021 20:42

It definitely isn’t close of business, which would be ‘COB’. But it is Friday evening, whenever you personally ‘end play’ eg. Before 23:59. It is a deadline which can be given to ensure someone stays late to finish something, if needs be.

Thighdentitycrisis · 18/03/2021 20:42

End of day Friday but that doesn’t mean you will be working on it over the weekend
You need to be explicit about that

StrawberrySquash · 18/03/2021 20:45

I would have added that you were going to work on it over the weekend. That way people know that they are actually inconveniencing you if they don't send it Friday.

Viviennemary · 18/03/2021 20:48

It means Friday. Your colleague is taking the p

Parkerwhereareyou · 18/03/2021 20:49

I'd have a no-weekend-work policy in place. I understand why she'd try the Friday end of morning tactic to make sure she got it. But really Friday is Friday.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 18/03/2021 20:52

Well, now you know she's one of those people who 'interprets' instructions you know to be very much more specific with her.

Itsokthanks · 18/03/2021 20:53

I would assume you meant by the end of the working day on Friday. I can't see how anyone would interpret it to mean Monday.

steff13 · 18/03/2021 20:54

I've never heard the term "close of play" so I would have assumed it was a typo. But, I would have inferred that you meant you wanted everything by close of business on Friday.

notacooldad · 18/03/2021 20:56

YANBU
I would say I would have to submit before I finish work on Friday.

Bear65 · 18/03/2021 20:57

In my world, close of play means its needs to be with the recipient by 00:00 for the next business day, whereas COB ( “close of business") refers to the end of a business day and the close of the financial markets in your country /area.

EOD stands for “end of day" and its used to set a deadline for a task that should be complete by the end of the business day -- typically 5:00 PM, and when no time zone is provided, end of day is relative to the sender’s time zone.

Close of business and end of day refer to explicit working days, if you have weekend as non working days "it's your choice to play" - so theoretically your friend is right (on the assumption you arent contracted to work weekends?)

And in true email acronym style:

TL; DR When in doubt, clarify your acronyms

Unexpectedbaby · 18/03/2021 20:58

It should mean before they log off on Friday, however I would be explicit that I was going to work on it over the weekend.

This week our team have 2 deadline tomorrow. However we know that the team we have to submit to will not look at anything prior to Monday morning. As long as the work is uploaded and submitted before midnight Sunday it would be fine.

However, unless I knew that for a fact, if I thought I couldn't make the deadline of COP Friday I would check in with the person and ask if they needed it before 9am Monday, I would make sure it was waiting for them when they logged on after the weekend.

DGRossetti · 18/03/2021 21:00

I'd think the use of a colloquial phrase - when it takes less time to type an exact time - would strongly imply a lack of importance.

GreyhoundG1rl · 18/03/2021 21:03

@DGRossetti

I'd think the use of a colloquial phrase - when it takes less time to type an exact time - would strongly imply a lack of importance.
Odd take on it.
CoRhona · 18/03/2021 21:04

My place of work used to use this phrase - I also understood it as 5pm but business hours were not 5pm finish, so they now specify the time so as to avoid confusion!

SpeakingFranglais · 18/03/2021 21:05

Close of play Friday, mean send of working day Friday. Hell, you might want to work on it from 8am Saturday,

Lifeaintalwaysempty · 18/03/2021 21:07

I would assume it’s needed before end of working day on Friday as you may need to work with it over the weekend. And if you didn’t you’d just say Monday pre 9am.

Jolie12345 · 18/03/2021 21:08

5pm Friday obviously. But I would also have said I’ll be working on it over the weekend. If you’re business doesn’t operate over the weekend then they may be thinking you won’t be at work until Monday so they’ll do their bit over the weekend

MajesticWhine · 18/03/2021 21:09

I would think 5pm Friday

Benjispruce2 · 18/03/2021 21:09

Close of play means end of the day.

GrumpyHoonMain · 18/03/2021 21:09

@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”

Depends who sent the deadline but in the UK it usually means as late as you want Friday
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