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Pedants' corner

12 pm, 12 am.

9 replies

GrannyHaddock · 22/06/2019 21:45

What is meant by this? 12 o'clock can only be noon or midnight. I see it frequently, where hours of business etc. are listed.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 22/06/2019 22:02

12pm=12noon
12am=midnight

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 22/06/2019 22:07

24 hour clock is 00:00 or 12:00 but 12 hour clock, you need to specify am or pm.

I'm a nurse and always document in 24 hour clock but day to day I use am and pm.

FaithInfinity · 22/06/2019 22:08

There’s no such time as 12pm or 12am! P.M. means ‘post-meridiem’, and 12 is on the meridiem. It’s a common misunderstanding that I find very annoying! Even the BBC use it now though Hmm

dudsville · 22/06/2019 22:11

I refer to "12 noon" in written letters. I never need to refer to midnight but I would say this rather than "12pm".

ThinkWittyThoughts · 22/06/2019 22:21

My inner pedant wants to be BFF with @FaithInfinity Grin

FaithInfinity · 22/06/2019 22:36

Ooh friend Grin honestly I remember learning about this at school when I was 9. It bothers me more than I can say.
Also while I’m here it’s railway station not train station! Angry

JoJoSM2 · 22/06/2019 22:40

And anyway 12am should be an hour after 11am, and 12pm an hour after 11pm... People should best just say noon and midnight.

blahblah88 · 22/06/2019 22:51

Technically, 12am would be literally one nanosecond after midnight had struck but would still be considered just 12. The same for noon. Time is always counting.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/06/2019 22:53

12am is just before 1am. 12pm is just before 1pm.

But yes, it should be noon and midnight.

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