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It's Sunday and someone says "next Saturday". What do they mean?

If it's Sunday, when is "next Saturday"?

  • In 6 days

    Votes: 572 83.6%

  • In 13 days

    Votes: 102 14.9%

  • Yesterday

    Votes: 10 1.5%
  • Total voters
    684
Melpomene

Melpomene

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jun 9, 2019
18,414
Literally the only reason this question even exists, really, is because people don't universally regard Sunday as the "first" day of the week. Even in places where it's "technically" the first day of the week, it often isn't regarded as such, because the work week supersedes it.

The answer to this question, in any case, is "in 6 days," though, because contextually it's the only answer that makes sense.
 
Shiz Padoo

Shiz Padoo

Member
Oct 13, 2018
6,200
In this context, 6 days. But if it's Thursday and someone says "next Saturday" I'll count it as the Saturday after, because the nearest Saturday is this Saturday coming.
 
MIMIC

MIMIC

Member
Dec 18, 2017
8,370
I always ask for a date when it's slightly unclear.

"Next ______"
"The 14th?"
 
Ferrio

Ferrio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,129
Why are people talking about the start of the week as if that matters? Doesn't change the order in which the Saturdays come, it doesn't reverse time.
 
PinkSpider

PinkSpider

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,992
Technically weeks are from Sundays. However we live in a society that life is generally based on a working week and the majority of us work (Fuck SQL in this regard). So a it's 6 days. It's the one post today.
 
Vincent Grayson

Vincent Grayson

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,902
Mount Airy, MD
There's a threshold during the week where "Saturday" definitely means "the one coming soon" and "next Saturday" means the following one. But on Sunday, it's a bit ambiguous and I wouldn't use it.
 
BennyWhatever

BennyWhatever

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,835
US
There should be a poll option for "A person should not say 'Next Saturday' on a Sunday" because that's what I'd answer. It's a very presumptive phrase.

To me, "Next Saturday" means not this coming Saturday, but the Saturday after. Reasoning: It's Friday and someone says "we'll do this next Saturday" do they mean tomorrow or the following Saturday?

Melpomene said:
Literally the only reason this question even exists, really, is because people don't universally regard Sunday as the "first" day of the week. Even in places where it's "technically" the first day of the week, it often isn't regarded as such, because the work week supersedes it.
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My family and I consider Sunday to be the end of the week and we've always considered "Next Saturday" to be "the Saturday after the one coming up," so we would choose the 13 days option.
 
Goldenroad

Goldenroad

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,475
If I'm at work on Monday and someone is like, "We all had such a good time at the bar this weekend, you should really come next Saturday", I'm going to assume they mean this coming weekend. On the other hand, if it's Monday and someone is like "I'm going camping with my family this weekend, but we should get together next Saturday", I'm going to assume they mean the Saturday after this coming Saturday.

Basically, words are all meaningless devoid of context.
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Banned
Sep 30, 2019
167
This Saturday, On Saturday, Saturday would be how you ask about the next coming up Saturday.

"Next" Saturday means you skip the nearest one and go to the following week.
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
39,236
They most likely mean in 6 days, but I agree it's confusing so I'd usually ask like, "oh do you mean Sat the 12th or Sat the 19th?"

nekkid said:
But what about "next Friday" when it's Monday?
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If I asked someone at work, on MOnday, "When will you start working on this thing?" And they said, "Oh, looks like I'll start next Friday," i'd assume they meant ~11 days into the future. If they said, "I'll start working on it on friday," I'd assume 4 days into the future.
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever™
Member
Sep 24, 2019
34,602
Six days. The week may technically begin on Sundays, but for me, Sunday is the weekend. Shit begins on Monday.
 
Menchi

Menchi

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,158
UK
Next _day has always meant the week after to me, so 13 days. If it was the soonest Saturday, surely you'd just say Saturday, without a qualifier (Though, I suppose depending on the context of the conversation, they could think you mean the Saturday prior)
It's best to check, I guess, but not really had any issues with just Saturday & next Saturday
 
Ottaro

Ottaro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,541
Even if it were Monday, Tues, whatever--"next Saturday" to me means the Saturday that's immediately approaching.
Ya know, the next Saturday in line.
We had a Saturday, so we are now heading towards the next Saturday.
 
Inugami

Inugami

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,995
It's always the closest Saturday unless someone prefaces it with "not this upcoming, but next."

We figured this shit out ages ago, please stop trying to overthink everything, thank you.
 
Stoof

Stoof

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,851
It's weird, if I heard someone say "next Saturday" and it was currently Sunday I would think 6 days from now. But if it was like Wednesday or something I would assume they mean the Saturday for next week.
 

Deleted member 27938

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
943
people don't realize there's a distinction to be made so it's the wild west on what a person says vs. means

I want "this saturday" and "next saturday" to mean 6 and 13 per the example but that's a lost cause
 
Dad

Dad

Member
Oct 25, 2017
525
If you told me "next Saturday" on a Sunday, I'd assume you mean in six days, but if you told me "next Thursday" on a Tuesday, I'd assume you mean in nine days. I guess I just think of the weekend as a single entity timeframe-wise.
 

Deleted member 14518

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,731
We also say Saturday week or Saturday fortnight.

fick said:
America invented calendars :(

but seriously do your phones show Monday at the beginning in your calendars?
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That can vary - its also configurable - but ask most Irish people and they'll tell you Monday is considered first day. I've never known anyone to say Sunday personally.
 
nekkid

nekkid

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
21,823
The Albatross said:
If I asked someone at work, on MOnday, "When will you start working on this thing?" And they said, "Oh, looks like I'll start next Friday," i'd assume they meant ~11 days into the future. If they said, "I'll start working on it on friday," I'd assume 4 days into the future.
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Me too, but I was just trying to work out the logic of why we think that.

Presumably it's shorthand for "the Friday of next week", with the colloquial assumption that the new week starts in a Monday. But then if on a Monday someone says "next Sunday" then that also doesn't work.
 
molnizzle

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
I view weeks as Monday-Sunday.

If you say it on Sunday, I'll think 6 days.

If you say it on Monday, I'll think 12 days.
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
39,236
nekkid said:
Me too, but I was just trying to work out the logic of why we think that.

Presumably it's shorthand for "the Friday of next week", with the colloquial assumption that the new week starts in a Monday. But then if on a Monday someone says "next Sunday" then that also doesn't work.
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I usually think -- for me -- it breaks down between "this" and "next," this being "this week's Friday" and next being "next week's friday."

But Monday to Sunday is confusing because if someone said "next Sunday," on a Monday, I'd probably think they meant ~6 days from now. Though, FWIW, that is technically "next week's sunday" per our Sunday -> Saturday calendar in the US. But it's all a wash, makes things more interesting to guess.
 
rucury

rucury

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,386
Puerto Rico
jediyoshi said:
If it's Tuesday and you say next Wednesday, you mean in 8 days; the Wednesday next week. In this scenario, if you meant in 6 days, you'd ostensibly say this Saturday, not next.
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jotun? said:
People often say to use "this ___day" if it's in the same week, and "next ___day" if it's in the following week.
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the difference here I think is the length of time between sunday (now) and saturday (in 6 days) which is almost a whole week. plus, even though sunday is technically the start of the week, the "weekend" feels like its own special set of days. so saying "next saturday" is like saying "the saturday during the next weekend".

but yeah now I can see what you mean by the thread title
 
diakyu

diakyu

Member
Dec 15, 2018
17,619
You played yourself by saying Sunday. Any day after that I would need them to be more specific. The week technically begins on Sunday, but for most people their internal clock doesn't care about the technicalities.
 
molnizzle

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
diakyu said:
You played yourself by saying Sunday. Any day after that I would need them to be more specific. The week technically begins on Sunday, but for most people their internal clock doesn't care about the technicalities.
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Yeah Sunday being the start of the week is fake nonsense. I go to work on Monday after the weekend. Monday is the start of the week.
 
RomanticHeroX

RomanticHeroX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,927
If someone says that and they mean 13 days from the present day, I will refuse to continue speaking with or interacting with that person.
 
TheYanger

TheYanger

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,178
Really depends on what they emphasize.

If I want to be clear I say "NEXT" Saturday. and make a little 'hop' nod to the side with my head.
 
grand

grand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,210
If someone says it the day of, 1 day before or 1 day after, then they mean the day that's 6-8 days away (i.e. saying next Saturday on a Fri, Sat or Sun means in 6-8 days and not this weekend or 2 weeks from now)

The confusion comes in when you say it for the other 4 days of the week, in which it can either be the day that's 2-5 days away or the day that's 9-12 days away. At best, it's a spectrum where the closer you get to the actual next "stated day", the more likely they are to mean the day over a week away (i.e. Next Saturday on a Monday is more likely to mean in 5 days while Next Saturday on a Thursday is more likely to mean in 9 days)

And yes, this means saying "next Saturday" at 11:59pm Tues or 12:00am Wed is a social mistake so severe that it can only be punishable by death
 
mute

mute

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,297
This Saturday == Next Saturday

www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of NEXT

immediately adjacent (as in place, rank, or time); any other considered hypothetically… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com www.merriam-webster.com
🤷‍♀️
 
Jakisthe

Jakisthe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,672
Ryan. said:
Even though the calendar shows Sunday at the beginning of the week it's still considered to be part of the weekend. Therefore they mean in 6 days
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This. Calendars never made sense to me. If someone has a normal M-F work life, I guarantee they see Sunday as the end and Monday as the beginning.
 
Steven

Steven

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,253
6 days = THIS Saturday. The one that is closest.

13 days = NEXT Saturday. The one that is after the closest Saturday
 
Eros

Eros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,712
my wife and i have gotten into multiple (not serious) arguments about the whole next thing. if i think saying next monday for example is going to be ambiguous, i'll either not say the next at all, or say next week on monday.

she'll use next though to mean the very next of that day, no matter how close we are to it. i can't call 2 days from now next sunday, i just can't.
 
AyaisMUsikWhore

AyaisMUsikWhore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,763
How it means anything other than the next 6 days, makes me question a lot about how people really go out their way to not understand certain shit. Assuming its not 6 days is childish to me idc...Purposeful dunce shit

If you aren't from the US, you get a pass.
 
ScoobsJoestar

ScoobsJoestar

Member
May 30, 2019
4,071
It's funny because if someone said "next Monday" I'd probably assume they meant a week later. But because the upcoming Saturday is so far away from Sunday I'd assume they meant the upcoming Saturday if they said "next Saturday" on a Sunday lol

Honestly though for real if someone said that I'd just guess based on context and/or ask them.
 
808s & Villainy

808s & Villainy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
42,923
I honestly don't understand how the people who didn't immediately choose 6 days get by lol
Some of you are trying to complicate things just for the sake of this discussion
 
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