[quote user="R.Flowers"][quote user="shadowman"]
But the 11th is 1 day before the 12th, right? And Septembet 12th was 0 days before the 12th.
Perhaps you were interpteting it as 1 day remaining until the day before the start of nuclear war?
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Yes, it was a misinterpretation. But consider this:
Let's have the meeting next Friday.
Now if this is Wednesday, will the meeting be in 2 days, or 9 days?
At my last job, the staff met bi-monthly. At my new job, we meet bi-weekly.
At face value, I take bi-weekly and bi-monthly to mean every two weeks (or so). However, by that logic, some of the meetings could take place twice a week, every two weeks, or every two months.
I'm not sure if such idioms are in use outside the US, but they have always caused me (mild) confusion. I'm just saying, when it comes to dates, math, and the English language, I don't feel so bad for misinterpreting something.
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Actually bi-monthly means every two months. Semi-monthly means twice a month. You have to figure out whether bi-monthly means every two months or twice a month in your case because the people who told it to you want you to figure out what they meant, not what they said. Correct them someday and marvel at the response.....
You: Ummm.... why do you want to see us at another bi-monthly meeting in two weeks? Bi-monthly means every other month, here's the dictionary reference.
Boss: Bi-monthly can mean twice a month under certain circumstances, it has become common usage. Are you one of those people who refuses to think outside the box? You are now demoted to the mail room.
Many people like to flap thier lips and then want you to ignore everything they've said and do exactly what they want you to do. It has become so prevalent that most of us don't even bat an eye when something truely rediculous is said. The best example is "I could care less.". Most people say it improperly, but they assume that you will know what they mean because you recognize the phrase as a magic phrase that means that the utterer doesn't care rather than actually listening to the words and figuring out the meaning. If you try to correct them, they say "but you know what I meant!!!".