Do you use the phrase "half past" when telling time?
Posted by HonestNectarine7080@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 406 comments
One of the common core standards for first grade math is students should know "half past" means 30 minutes past the hour (i.e. "half past two" is 2:30). I feel like I've rarely heard this actually used. It sounds uncommon and outdated to me, so I'm wondering how common this phrase is in different parts of the US and among different age groups. I'm in my 30s and live in the south.
Prize_Consequence568@reddit
"Do you use the phrase "half past" when telling time?"
Sometimes.
"It sounds uncommon and outdated to me,"
Because you haven't been out and about.
PPKA2757@reddit
Yes. And “quarter til/after.”
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
I also use “quarter of.”
YourGuyK@reddit
I can never tell what "quarter of" means. Pretty sure it's before, but after and 'til are much clearer for me.
asphid_jackal@reddit
Of is before
Sad-Assignment-8030@reddit
I've come across this recently in a couple of Stephen King books and was wondering if it was a regional US thing. Doesn't make sense to me, is quarter of quarter past or quarter to?
Online_Discovery@reddit
It doesn't make logical sense to me either. It's 15 past the hour they say
Healthy_Blueberry_59@reddit
Not where I live (Midatlantic). Quarter of 4 is 3:45.
Online_Discovery@reddit
I don't use it and never have. Only person I've heard say it is my grandfather and that's how he says it
He likely has dementia so not sure if that plays into it
Healthy_Blueberry_59@reddit
It might be different depending on where you are. These regional/dialectal differences are common, not just in English.
asphid_jackal@reddit
No, his grandpa just uses it wrong
blay12@reddit
Same area, same interpretation
Patrizio_Argento@reddit
Quarter of 4 is 1
Healthy_Blueberry_59@reddit
LOL
hollyannerberry@reddit
Same for me. Southeastern US. Although I will say, I would only say “a quarter of” if the person I was speaking to already knew the hour, i.e. the party starts at nine. When should we leave? A quarter of. (8:45) Or, if we’ve established the time is 4:30…15 minutes passes and they ask the time, I would say a quarter of (realizing they would know that meant 4:45). If, however, no base time has been established, I would say it’s a quarter ‘til (or to) 5.
sfdsquid@reddit
Who's "they?" It's 15 before the hour.
Online_Discovery@reddit
My grandpa. 70s, with an upbringing in the Midwest and Chicago
atheologist@reddit
Stephen King is from Maine. I’m from New England (Massachusetts) with parents from New York and Maryland (all four grandparents were from NY) and this phrasing is familiar to me, so it could be regional east coast or northeast.
vwsslr200@reddit
Seems plausible... I remember first learning it from my 3rd grade teacher in the Boston area.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
I think people under a certain age don't know it. I grew up in California and I know it well and probably say it... If I'm looking at an analog clock.
Spirited_Ingenuity89@reddit
I think it’s more regional than generational. It seems that “quarter of” remains very common in the Northeast, but “quarter till/to” seems to be more common in the rest of the country.
Raibean@reddit
I’m from California and never heard of it until Easterner from the internet mentioned it… What do you think the generational gap is? I’m an early 90s baby.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
Hard to say. I'm Gen Jones, so quite a bit older than you. I think it comes down to kids who grew up with mostly analog clocks versus mostly digital ones.
Raibean@reddit
There has to be a bridge generation, one which heard the phrase growing up but didn’t use it enough for them to pass it down. US patents for digital clocks were in 1970, so my parents’ generation. Maybe I’ll text mine.
FormerlyDK@reddit
Quarter of 3 is 2:45
Raibean@reddit
Yes, hence the quotation marks around the word explain
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
Wow!
Raibean@reddit
Update: my mom knew and correctly knew what it meant!
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
I say quarter after or quarter to. Different areas of the country I guess.
Anthemusa831@reddit
quarter to
PracticalBreak8637@reddit
I slur it and it becomes quartera 4.
1911Earthling@reddit
To!
Oreo_Cow@reddit
My mom used to say "quarter of" and it drove me crazy as a boy. "til" and "past" or "after" are intuitive. WTF does "of" mean? A quarter of a pie makes sense as a serving, doesn't matter which quarter. But why does this mean a quarter remaining in an hour instead of a quarter into an hour? Both are quarters "of" an hour.
ImLittleNana@reddit
I’m 58 and I still can’t tell you if ‘quarter of 9’ means 9:15 or 8:45.
Linguistically and mathematically, it makes more sense that it’s a quarter of the ninth hour, or 9:15. Except that isn’t accurate because 9:00 is the beginning of the 10th hour. Nine hours have passed, and you are now entering the tenth.
I’ve thought too much about this over the years and I’m glad I rarely hear it anymore.
I also don’t understand what people mean when they say ‘friday next’. If today is Thursday, they often mean not tomorrow but the following Friday. To me, tomorrow is the next Friday. Nope, tomorrow is plain Friday and next week is Friday next.
asphid_jackal@reddit
Quarter of means quarter of an hour left until
EpiZirco@reddit
It is Schrödinger time. It is simultaneously both 8:45 and 9:15 until you look at a clock.
asphid_jackal@reddit
"quarter of 4" means there's a quarter of an hour left until 4
PreviousGolf9541@reddit
I feel like it’s missing the word “shy”, like “quarter shy of the hour.” It’s a bit old fashioned phrasing which would make sense based on who’s saying it.
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
Another one heard In Indiana and we can be backwards and old fashioned
Oreo_Cow@reddit
that makes more sense than anything else I've heard.
though could just as easily been "quarter ahead of the hour"
annang@reddit
Not any more confusing than Brits saying “half five” to mean 5:30. It’s just a colloquialism. Which is why it needs to be taught to anyone who wants to be fluent in an English dialect that uses it.
marvsup@reddit
It's simple. Quarter of 5 means 5:00/4 which is 1:15. Quarter of 9 is 2:15. Quarter of 12 is 3:00. What's the issue? /s
_Barbaric_yawp@reddit
When I first moved to Scotland for school, I was sitting in a hallway before class and someone asked me for the time. I said, “five of.” And he looked at me like I had three heads.
NecessaryPopular1@reddit
I’d look at you the same way too 😂 my reaction, actually, when I first heard the infamous ‘number of’ to tell time.
bfm211@reddit
We'd say "5 to" in the UK (well at least where I am, I assume Scots say it too).
McTwist1260@reddit
The Brits have landed! Get ready for “half six”!
Oreo_Cow@reddit
More nonsense! Another shibboleth!
Half “til” 6 or half “past” 6?
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
I love that reference! Siboleth🤣
Oreo_Cow@reddit
Arrive at the wrong time and you'll be revealed and killed!
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
Say it wrong and you’re toast
bfm211@reddit
"Half six" sounds so normal to me, it's weird that anyone would find it weird haha
DawaLhamo@reddit
"5 to" or "5 til" makes sense. "Of" is unclear.
MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit
And then there’s the whole “half six” thing. Is that 5:30 (UK rules) or 6:30 (German rules)?
Howtothinkofaname@reddit
Other way round.
MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit
See, I’m just a dumb American. 🤣
Adventurous-Time5287@reddit
What the fuck does five of mean?
_Barbaric_yawp@reddit
Like if it’s 10:55. That would be 5 of 11. Since you probably know what hour we are talking about, we leave out the 11. It’s five of.
Adventurous-Time5287@reddit
Wild! Thats very interesting.
_Barbaric_yawp@reddit
I just asked my Californian wife and she didn’t know that expression, but my Maryland son was taught the “of” terminology in school. As others seem to be saying, it appears to be a North East US thing.
WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit
Northeast here. 'Of' is common, "'til" slightly less common, "to" slightly less common than that, a.ong the people I regularly talk to around the northern mid-Atlantic/NewYork/New England area. (I've seen people call it the BosWash corridor) (let's call it the "Amtrak NE Regional" corridor!)
Oreo_Cow@reddit
Nah my mom is native CA. And her mom too.
Adventurous-Time5287@reddit
Likely, could even just be east coast. I'm from ohio.
fireflyslove@reddit
Five of six would be 5:55
DawaLhamo@reddit
No, that's triple nickel.
blay12@reddit
Five minutes until the hour
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
I've literally never heard of someone being confused by this. "Quarter of" and "quarter to" mean the same thing and are used equally commonly where I live...
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
It comes from the definition of “of” that means before when used in relation to time.
Oreo_Cow@reddit
That definition doesn’t say anything about “before.”
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
Definition 11 b
: BEFORE quarter of ten
It literally says of is a synonym for before and as an example shows the exact usage under discussion here.
FuckIPLaw@reddit
Confess from? That definition only exists at all for weirdos who use "quarter of."
Comedeorologist@reddit
I'm from the Midwest, and I had a call center type job and heard people from all across the US.
I'd never heard, or hadn't noticed, the "10 of" or "quarter of" thing until I worked there.
But I noticed that it seemed to be an eastern seaboard thing. From South Carolina up to Maine, they said "of." No one else did.
RedSolez@reddit
Thank you this has driven me crazy my entire life. A quarter of an hour can be any 15 min segment within the hour.
Powerful-Act3516@reddit
Just another weird thing grown ups do to confuse kids 😅
GenericAccount13579@reddit
This is apparently incredibly divisive. I grew up hearing it all the time but every time it’s said here there’s tons of people who’ve never even heard it
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
What does that mean? 15 before or after the hour?
Online_Discovery@reddit
My grandpa uses this to say 15 after the hour. So quarter of 4 is 4:15
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
Thank you
atheologist@reddit
Don’t thank them. Grandpa is wrong.
Airlik@reddit
That’s interesting… I’ve only heard “quarter of” to mean 15 minutes BEFORE the hour… like here:
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+quarter+of+four
Online_Discovery@reddit
My grandfather likely has dementia so it could play into his use of it
I don't understand the logic of the phrase to begin with so I can't rationalize it one direction or the other
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
It’s likely the dementia - “quarter of” has only ever meant fifteen before the hour where I’m from.
draaz_melon@reddit
Quarter of means 15 til.
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
Okay now I’m confused. Got two different answers
FormerlyDK@reddit
Quarter of, quarter to, and quarter till are all the same thing.
As are quarter after and quarter past.
draaz_melon@reddit
That's because the other person's grandpa is wrong.
Giddyup_1998@reddit
Both.
atheologist@reddit
Quarter till and quarter of mean 15 minutes until the hour or X:45. Quarter past means 15 minutes past the hour or X:15.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
I've literally never heard of someone being confused by this. "Quarter of" and "quarter to" mean the same thing and are used equally commonly where I live...
Valcyor@reddit
This is a crazy conversation for me to have right now because I'd never heard anyone use the phrase "quarter of" before yesterday. And, of course, I misinterpreted it and ended up 30 minutes late because I naturally thought it meant "quarter after" because why would you have a different word for "to" when "after" could easily be shortened to "of?"
CPLWPM85@reddit
I disliked this tremendously when I moved to Delaware/Maryland for a few years. The only place I've ever heard it.
MonsieurRuffles@reddit
I’m not orignally from Delaware but learned it growing up in the NYC metro area.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
I say this sometimes and have had younger people ask me what I mean (before or after).
GalianoGirl@reddit
My late mil who grew up in Boston and Cape Cod learnt that saying “quarter of”, made no sense at all in BC Canada. She was an elementary school teacher.
Ninja_Hillbilly@reddit
Me too
OmicronPerseiNate@reddit
I also say this.
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
Indiana - all of those
quidpropho@reddit
Half past monkey's ass, quarter to his balls
fizzymangolollypop@reddit
This was my first thought too!! Bwahaha- never gets old!!!
ATaxiNumber1729@reddit
And this is not unique to English. Spanish does the same thing
Confetticandi@reddit
How old are you? I feel like everyone I hear use these phrases is Gen X or older.
7eregrine@reddit
Never
Airlik@reddit
Same… though one I only looked up recently was bottom of the hour to mean half past, because the minute hand is at the bottom of the clock.
kcshoe14@reddit
My parents/grandparents will just say “quarter after.” Which annoys because sometimes I don’t know what the hour is, so I’m like “quarter after what???”
Giddyup_1998@reddit
Quarter to/past.
Red_Sox0905@reddit
I use quarter til/after all the time, but don't recall using half past, which is what seems common where I live.
Current_Poster@reddit
Yes I do.
thunder-bug-@reddit
Yes we know what it means.
dystopiadattopia@reddit
Nope. Just quarter to and quarter after.
Suspicious-Nebula475@reddit
If you are in online meetings with people in different times zones, it can help.
butterflygardyn@reddit
My gen z daughter had to have neuropsych testing done about 10 years ago and one of the tests was drawing a clock face at 2:10. I burst out laughing. She didn't know how to tell time on a clock. I had tried to teach her years earlier and she told me "I don't know how to read a sundial either and it's fine".
Half past and quarter to are fading into history like the sundial.
FlyingSpacefrog@reddit
Half past two is slower than saying or writing 2:30
Altaira99@reddit
All the time.
Lower_Neck_1432@reddit
Half-past the monkey's ass,
Quarter to his balls.
No-Lettuce-5783@reddit
I say "two-thirty," or "two-fifteen," before I would say "half-past," or "quarter-past." I know what it means if it's said to me, but I just say the numbers. It cuts out some confusion, and it's clearer to me to say "two-thirty."
goblin_hipster@reddit
Eh, it's typically easier for me to just say exactly what the time is.
SummitJunkie7@reddit
I use X-thirty more often, but it's not unheard of. Quarter to /after are more common.
ididreadittoo@reddit
Sometimes, also quarter til or past sometimes
Queasy-Flan2229@reddit
Yes
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
Vaguely related but I look through some receipts and don't know why some receipts from the same grocery will use regular time and others use military or 24 hour time.
jawshoeaw@reddit
The funny thing is no one asks for the time anymore so I have no idea what i would say! I think smartphones have become watches
Neither-Attention940@reddit
No
50 years old lived in the US my whole life. Wasn’t taught to say that. Figured it’s just a preference as you get older.
peter303_@reddit
Theres an urban legend than some youngsters cant read an analog clock anymore because they can look at their phones. Some of these phrases refer to analog clock positions.
Joel_feila@reddit
Solution, make analog clock display the default on phones.
Joel_feila@reddit
Almost never have i heard any relative time from Americans.
silverbatwing@reddit
Half past a cows ass, and a quarter of its tail.
WhiskeyAndWhiskey97@reddit
For ages, I didn’t wear a watch. If someone asked me the time, I’d pull out my phone and say “8:53” or whatever.
I now have an Apple watch, and I’ve configured it to an analog clock face. I use “half past”, “quarter to”, and “quarter past” on the regular, unless I need to use a 24-hour clock, in which case it’s, say, 15.30.
Traditional-Let9530@reddit
Most people know what it means but barely use it, you’ll hear “two thirty” way more than “half past two,” it sounds a bit old school to a lot of Americans now
Treyvoni@reddit
My fave to use is noon-thirty and midnight-thirty just to see people's brains briefly reset as they parse that.
dkesh@reddit
I'm frequently saying "half past" or "the bottom of the hour" because I take a lot of meetings with people in different time zones and don't want to confuse people by saying half past what hour.
tetlee@reddit
As someone that does use it but only short term.
"What time do you want to go out?"
"Half past?"
Solid_Reserve_5941@reddit
Yeah my mom (60s) uses "quarter til" and "half past" all the time but I never hear anyone in my generation talk like that
HonestNectarine7080@reddit (OP)
That's my impression as well.
arah91@reddit
I feel it makes more since on a analog clock which are starting to be considered old school themselves.
Most people use digital clocks and just read the numbers.
Donohoed@reddit
No, I've heard it but typically from older generations or when speaking to kids about when something will happen if they're watching an analog clock but can't tell time very well. Easier for them to tell when the big hand is halfway around than pick out a specific time
Ivy7424@reddit
I know what it means, but I never hear it said. I’m 40 I live north near the Canadian border and I could not tell you the last person I heard say that. I can’t conscious it feels like more words to say “Half past 5” then to say “530”
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
No
TheFakeMachuga@reddit
I say Noonthirty and midnight fifteen more often than I say half past or quarter after/'till.
VillageSmithyCellar@reddit
I find old people use it a lot more. I pretty much only hear this from my parent and grandparents. Even when I was a kid and the classes had analog clocks, we always just said the exact time instead of "quarter past" or something.
But that may also be because most of the people I hang out with are autistic and way too specific. 🤷♂️
Positive_Aioli8053@reddit
No. i havent heard that too often. when i was a child someone my teacher ? answered that i was like haf oassed what
liv_free_or_die@reddit
I definitely use “quarter of” or “quarter past” frequently, but I rarely (if ever) use half.
Phoenix_Court@reddit
Yes, extremely common. Also "quarter past" and "quarter to".
Freyjas_child@reddit
Yes. “Half past”, “quarter to” and “quarter past” are all commonly used. Also things like”five past one” and “ten till two” are used here. Northeastern US.
Alpha1964@reddit
All the time. Also quarter past and quarter til. And fifteen til and fifteen past, but never 30 past. No idea why.
Maple-4590@reddit
My elderly relatives from Maine tell time this way, but I haven’t heard anyone else do that.
KayIslandDrunk@reddit
I use it multiple times a day
alwaysboopthesnoot@reddit
I do, sometimes. It’s.random. I will say it’s a quarter past 5, a quarter to 7, but then say it differently on another day ie; “it’s 5:15” or “it’s 6:45”. Most often I do just say the full hour and minutes, ie: “it’s 2:30” or “it’s 6:40”.
GinoValenti@reddit
I remember in grade school asking a classmate what time it was and they said, “half past the monkey’s ass and a quarter to his balls.
LoreKeeper2001@reddit
Kids - no, young adults dont understand these terms because they refer to a clock face (quarter past) and no one is taught that anymore.
mikegalos@reddit
Absolutely use it
silverokapi@reddit
I used to, but my job involves telling people appointment times and a lot of clients get confused when you say things like half past or quarter to. So I only say the exact times now
OpelSmith@reddit
I feel it's pretty normal in Connecticut
SwoleKing94@reddit
I’m from Connecticut and my parents definitely use it. But my sister and I don’t. Maybe it’s like a generational thing?
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
I think it's generational because I am 28 and do not ever say this, but my boomer and gen X relatives from across the country absolutely do say it.
OpelSmith@reddit
maybe, I'm 37 for what that's worth
littlemissmeggie@reddit
38, Connecticut. I don’t think I can think of anyone I know who doesn’t say it other than maybe my 6 year old niece.
HonestNectarine7080@reddit (OP)
My grandma is from Connecticut and I'm pretty sure she says it.
Jessica_1224@reddit
I mean my dad says it but I don't really see anyone else saying it
redknight1969@reddit
Half past the monkey's ass, and quarter to its balls.
sean8877@reddit
I still use that one especially at work when someone asks what time the meeting is at. Usually goes over well.
r2k398@reddit
No. I’ll just say “Two thirty”.
Vyckerz@reddit
Seems like it was used more in the past before digital clocks were prevalent
But yeah, “half past”, “quarter to” etc
dararie@reddit
All the time
MissingGrayMatter@reddit
My mom and grandma used phrasing like this all the time.
I just say the exact time because it’s less ambiguous and simply easier for everyone to understand.
Vegetable_Size_8066@reddit
Only when I’m wearing an analog watch. 😂
BAMspek@reddit
Nope. I just use the numbers. Give me the time not a riddle.
amethystmmm@reddit
it's not uncommon? idk. it gets used. Midwest here.
IgntedF-xy@reddit
I'm 19 and I don't say it ever. It's phasing out as digital clocks take over. Words like "half" and "quarter" make more sense when looking at a physical clock where the hands move, but on a digital clock it makes more sense to me to just say the number.
Scarlet-Fire_77@reddit
The phrases probably aren't as popular because digital is taking over analog. I still much prefer analog wall clocks but dont use those terms. I'll just round to the nearest five minute mark. My friend hates that and always corrects me with exact time (I dont think he can read analog lol)
Dapper-Presence4975@reddit
Not usually. It’s more common for people to say like “six-thirty,” but “quarter of” and “quarter past” are pretty common.
Amardella@reddit
I'm 65, from WV. We said "half past", "quarter of", "quarter til" and "quarter to" all. Most people my age said quarter til, my parents said quarter to and my grandparents said quarter of. My German great-grandfather said "halb sieben" meaning 6:30 (halfway to seven) and my Scots great-grandma on the other side said "half seven" meaning 7:30. So I had a plethora of time-telling around to learn before I even went to school.
Oh, and digital watches/clocks? I had a red LED alarm clock when I was in high school (early 70s). My sister got a pushbutton red LED giant watch for Christmas in 1974 (I know because she kept pushing the button to see the time while watching Jaws in the theater the summer of 75). But for the most part analog clocks/watches were the norm until at least the year 2000 (with the exception of alarm clocks). Quartz movements took over from winding watches in the late 80s-early 90s.
crazycatlady331@reddit
(Xennial).
I know what the phrases mean but I've never used them. I grew up in the NYC metro area where a lot of things (such as trains) ran on exact times. If the train left at X:42 and you got there at quarter to, you missed the train. Our school bell schedule also ran on exact times. There were real consequences for not following exact times.
Curmudgy@reddit
While I agree for the purposes of intercity travel, but I had to think for a moment when you said trains. Growing up in NYC, “trains” usually meant subway, and we never concerned ourselves with subway schedules. They always ran so often that it didn’t matter.
crazycatlady331@reddit
I was in the suburbs. So the trains meant Metro North. Off-peak, the service to the city was typically hourly.
Insomniac_80@reddit
Same generation, and I agree. If the train leaves at 12:19 you have to get there at that exact time, so it is harder to use an analog clock to get there.
dweaver987@reddit
Yes. I grew up in Massachusetts and was born in the early 1960s. I have noticed it is less common in California.
iowanaquarist@reddit
Yes. We also use top and bottom of the hour.
ChironXII@reddit
I don't. I remember being taught this, and I remember making the switch at some point around middle school, because I found it an annoying and ambiguous way to say it. Generally if asked the time I will just say the actual time, or else round it to the nearest 5.
shirlxyz@reddit
Yes
ExternalTelevision75@reddit
Very rarely
GreenBeanTM@reddit
I was taught what it means in elementary school while learning how to read an analog clock, but by the time I was old enough anyone was asking me what the time was I was checking it on an iPod touch where it made more sense to just read the exact time.
wyvern713@reddit
I usually default to just saying "(hour) thirty" (2:30, 7:30, etc) but I'll often use "half past (hour)" as well.
lrhouston@reddit
I sometimes use quarter till, and a quarter after, but never half past.
Bluemonogi@reddit
I would understand it if I heard or read half past six but I have always just said six thirty myself. I am 51 years old in the middle US.
NightDragon8002@reddit
Anecdotally this seems to be more commonly used by older generations; I hardly ever say "half past" (or "quarter til/to/after") but I'm pretty sure my grandparents do
RiskBig3301@reddit
All my life. But then growing up I learned to tell time on a clock face and not a digital readout. There were no cell phones. If you wanted to know what time it was you wore a watch or looked for a clock. Although we had a pretty good idea of the time by where the Sun was in the sky. Or by when the streetlights came on. We were more feral then and our parents would just holler at us as we ran out the door, ‘Be home by dark!’
Patient_Parsley7760@reddit
Yes. Half past the hour, quarter til the hour. Using a phrase lie 'half six' would confuse the ever-loving heck out of everyone in my area. You could probably get away with it on the East coast, but not in the Midwest.
Pitiful_Fox5681@reddit
Yeah, I use it all the time.
Shepherd-Boy@reddit
Adults used it when I was a kid all the time (millennial) but I basically never hear anyone my age use it outside of giving a very vague answer when you’re not sure exactly what time it is and have never heard anyone younger use it.
december14th2015@reddit
It's very common, more in some areas than others. I made a point to explain it when I was an ESL instructor. Did a whole chapter on time expressions actually.
Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit
I just say the time
DryEyeKitty@reddit
Growing up it was always "half past, quarter till" etc. with my boomer parents, aunts, etc. I've always hated it.
I remember as a teenager I said the time was "nine forty seven" and my mom kind of mocked me for it. I would always say "quarter till what?".
The navy really knocked the quarter till shit away. Everything is meticulous and detailed. "Seaman Stane assumes the watch at time zero zero zero seven".
AtheneSchmidt@reddit
Yes
Awdayshus@reddit
I hear it pretty often where I live. I probably say it, too. But I say 2:30 more often than "half past two"
Char_siu_for_you@reddit
I do, but I learned how to speak and tell time in Ireland. Moved to the US when I was eight.
MrTeeWrecks@reddit
It’s ‘passed’ not ‘past’
Odd_Obligation_1300@reddit
I never use that phrase and don’t really hear anyone say it.
DNSGeek@reddit
Yes, all the time. And hearing a Brit use the phrase "half two" really caused me cognitive dissonance because I kept wanting to think it meant 2:30 not 1:30.
ELMUNECODETACOMA@reddit
I just realized that I learned it wrong from a particular book because the author was American and got it wrong (used the German 1:30 rather than the correct British 2:30).
GaryJM@reddit
"Half two" in British English does mean 2:30 (or 14:30).
DNSGeek@reddit
The one who was talking to me definitely meant 1:30. Maybe it's a regional thing?
Crumptes@reddit
It absolutely isn't. Half two is unequivocally 2.30pm every time in Britain.
Howtothinkofaname@reddit
Sure they weren’t German or Dutch? Half two is definitively 2:30 in the uk.
bfm211@reddit
I'm British and have never encountered it in that way. Where was that person from?
DrunkHacker@reddit
American here, I’ve only ever interpreted “half X” as 30 minutes past the hour specified. So “half two” would be 2:30. German kinda screws this up for people who studied both. In practice, most Americans would just say “two thirty”.
HamsterTowel@reddit
Half two does mean 2:30.
masoleumofhope@reddit
YES. They way they use half is so unclear.
jigokubi@reddit
I came here to say this.
AidenStoat@reddit
Yeah, I hear it. Also hear "quarter to" and "quarter past" as well.
DarthJarJar242@reddit
I'd be curious to know how young you are that you think this is outdated. I use "half past" and "quarter to" "quarter after" frequently and I'm in my 30s.
MattieShoes@reddit
It may be dated, but it's not outdated. I don't use it myself but I do think it's important to be able to understand what that means. Also quarter past or quarter to/of.
FlyByPC@reddit
I understand it and consider it fairly widespread, but if you ask me for the time, I'll generally give the hour and minute.
No-Mouse4800@reddit
As kids we used to say "Half past the monkey's ass, a quarter to his balls."
Ok-Flight-1504@reddit
I came here to say that, but you already did!
Niro5@reddit
Or if I dodnt have a watch, id look at my bare wrist and say its a hair past a freckle.
largos7289@reddit
Not anymore confuses the young'ns
Discount_Plumber@reddit
Yes but more often with the saying "half past the monkey's ass and quarter to his balls"
Ok_Remote_1036@reddit
No. Some elderly family members I know (age >80) sometimes say this but it’s rare.
I have heard British folks who say “half X”. For example, “half 2:00”. I’m not sure if that means half to 2:00 (1:30) or half past 2:00 (2:30).
Consistent_Damage885@reddit
Yes it is used occasionally here in Colorado.
DrBlankslate@reddit
Not much used here in SoCal anymore, but "quarter till" and "quarter after" is still commonly used.
Several_Ad2072@reddit
No one casually asks the time anymore, every has a phone. And in business or professional settings the full time is used for clarity with appointments and scheduling. So not anymore.
sparksgirl1223@reddit
Depends on who I'm talking to.
Benchod12077@reddit
No
botulizard@reddit
I do. That and "quarter of".
tuC0M@reddit
You want to really fuck somebody up say you have to leave at the bottom of the hour.
myboyfriendsback777@reddit
Not unless I’m saying ‘half past a monkey’s ass and quarter to his balls.’
Traditional_Entry183@reddit
Yes my entire life (almost 50)
Ive only recently seen people complaining about it so much.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
Pretty sure these are part of the common core is because talking about time that way, along with using an analog clock, helps kids understand time better than just learning the numbers. You know what they mean even though you don’t use them because you understand how time works. They use them because they’re trying to teach kids how time works.
Hogwaller19@reddit
As an American, I heard it way more when I visited London than I ever have in the States. I've never been to New England though, sounds like it may be common there as well.
iswhyouhavenofriends@reddit
Yup
HomemadeBananas@reddit
I’m 33. I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone my age say that.
ZeroCoolMom@reddit
Yep, pretty common
malheather@reddit
No.
Possible-Cicada-9662@reddit
I think its mainly older people who use "half past" and "Quarter till" since i've never heard someone younger than like 25 say it.
KingSpork@reddit
I say it and assume everyone knows what it means, but I fear I may be old fashioned.
Otney@reddit
Yes I do but I’m ancient.
danzerpanzer@reddit
I've used the phrase a very few times; I'm *much* more likely to say 2:30 pm. Early 60s, midwest.
Ratatoskr_The_Wise@reddit
I stopped because nobody seemed to know what it meant.
Emergency-Whereas978@reddit
Grew up in Wyoming, it is very familiar to me , but I don't use it anymore. I still use quarter till or past some. In my 60s now. Maybe it is getting outdated, I know I am . 😅
TravisSpomer@reddit
Mid-40s guy from Nebraska living in Washington: I don't know if I've heard a single person born after 1970 use that kind of phrasing in my entire life. I've heard it a lot from the elderly though; my grandparents and great-grandparents used those terms.
It'd be helpful to know what half past, quarter 'til/of, and quarter past mean if you're watching an old movie or talking to a very old person, but it seems way too archaic to include in a math standard.
CaptainPunisher@reddit
It's half past the monkey's ass, and a quarter to his balls.
VinegarMyBeloved@reddit
Maybe, but I’m way more likely to say 2:30
Altruistic_Rent_4048@reddit
Midwest of the US....you dont hear" half past" around here. You will hear "quarter til/after" but not "quarter past"...
AnInfiniteArc@reddit
I don’t use it myself (as far as I’m aware) but my dad was a strict quarter/half time-teller so I’m well versed in it.
Serious-Mongoose-387@reddit
my mom used that kind of language almost exclusively. i understand it but never use it myself.
jamshid666@reddit
Half past, quarter after and quarter til seem like outdated concepts based on analog clocks. Although I'm GenX and grew up with analog clocks, I'd be more inclined to just say like 4:30 rather than half past four. It's more concise. I spent large parts of my life in the military and around IT which probably influences it.
Antitenant@reddit
I learned all of that in school (in the '90s), but never cared to use it in my personal life. Either I state the exact time or give an approximation with less precise words like almost, just after, a little after.
Donald_J_Duck65@reddit
I may 🤔
Kinda hard to say, its conversational.
Alarmed_Drop7162@reddit
No. Sounds folksy. Don’t trust folksy.
Tron_35@reddit
I usually just say the exact time.
Ill-Butterscotch1337@reddit
Yeah I use it. I also say quarter of. I believe its more common in New England which is where I'm from.
meatinmybriefs@reddit
But you you say quarter of or quarter uh? If the former, you're not a true New Englander.
Ill-Butterscotch1337@reddit
I'm from CT so true New englander is the constant debate.
herpafilter@reddit
Also from New England, and it still seems common to me. I know my kids are still tought analog clock reading in school and the typical half/quarter past/till/of phrases. My 11 year old still struggles a bit with us when we use the old terminology, but we're sticking with it.
dgillz@reddit
Yes, but it is not as common as simply saying "one-thirty", or something similar.
NoFleas@reddit
Half past a monkey's ass; a quarter past his balls
ReeMayRe@reddit
no, I usually say the exact time
The_Menu_Guy@reddit
No. That is an old way of talking about the time that maybe my grandparents used, but I have not heard used in the USA in a long time. We just say six thirty (6:30).
stitchdude@reddit
Yes, quarter and half to and past, for numbers, ## of/to and past. Not sure when /if they stopped teaching that but people talking will expose kids to it anyway so I am glad they cover it.
Aquarius_K@reddit
My grandparents and aunts/uncles use it but I've never heard younger people using it. I think it's because of digital clocks, that visual of half past is gone.
MilkstacheMustache@reddit
No, but I know what it means. Unless "a quarter of" which mystifies me every time.
MVS-SISL@reddit
“Half past a freckle, and quarter to a hair!”
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
If someone said that, yes I'd know what they meant, but it's a little dated. Most of us have a cell phone in our pocket and that phone tells us the ACTUAL OFFICIAL time, so we go by that.
2pnt0@reddit
I haven't heard half past in a while, but quarter-to, and quarter-after are still pretty common.
I think usage of these are waning due to how much communication we do via typing.
"quarter to seven" and "six forty five" are each only three spoken words. However, "quarter to seven" is 16 characters, "1/4 to 7" is nonsense, and "645" is only 3 keypresses.
Insomniac_80@reddit
Also fewer folks these days use analog clocks. I think seeing it a "quarter to," means you have an analog clock in your head.
Insomniac_80@reddit
Nope, but I know what it means. Although time is seen differently by folks who learned on digital versus analog clocks. To the "digital generation" who may have learned to tell time off digital alarm clocks and VCRS, 𝟏𝟏:𝟏𝟏 , is how time is seen in their head. When older people, in the "analog generation," who learned on nothing but analog clocks see time in their head, they hands on an actual clock. The clock looks like this, 🕰️ in their head.
lovemesomezombie@reddit
Half past a monkey's ass, a quarter til his balls.
MrsMitchBitch@reddit
Probably daily? Same with quarter of/past.
And I’m teaching my 7 year old as they’re learning to tell time at school (on analog clocks)
Electric-Sheepskin@reddit
I think some of these expressions that come from a standard dial clock are becoming outdated with younger generations. I don't know to what extent, but I would love to see these responses with people's ages.
NoBet8483@reddit
What time is the party? 4:00 What time should we head out? Quarter of.
Impulse2915@reddit
I use it pretty often, although not as often as quarter past/till.
Former-Fig-9686@reddit
I’ve never used it, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use it. I’m from a large southern city.
mouglasandthesort@reddit
Never
Suspicious-Boot9652@reddit
I’ve only really ever heard old people use it. But I find it to be just as pretentious as people who give directions using miles/yards instead of ETA/landmarks.
tn00bz@reddit
I know what it means, and boomers saying it. But ive never heard anyone under the age of 45 say it.
Honest_Road17@reddit
It is pretty archaic going back to when clocks had "faces" and "hands". It's helpful to know in order to understand direction of movement (2 0'clock, etc), but I imagine that one could live their whole life not being able to read a watch and still make it everywhere on time.
James-robinsontj@reddit
No
suzemagooey@reddit
No but I am inclined to give the precise time at all times so that may be what's driving it.
ContributionDapper84@reddit
Yes. Most of the peeps that i heard say it are dead but sometimes i remember then by sayin it
meatinmybriefs@reddit
I frequently use quarter past and quarter of. Rarely do I ever use half past.
Rays-R-Us@reddit
You never heard the joke:
“What time is it?“
“Half past yer ass”
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
No isn’t that British?
Baymavision@reddit
All the time.
newhappyrainbow@reddit
I use half past and quarter past or till.
JoulesMoose@reddit
My parents used to say it all the time when I was a kid and I found it very frustrating because when I asked the time they wouldn’t say “half past 2” they’d just say “half past” or “quarter to” and that wasn’t helpful, half past what, quarter to what.
StutzBob@reddit
No. Born in 1980, and just saying the actual time is both easier and less likely to be misinterpreted. "Two thirty" is the simplest thing in the world to say, never made any sense to me to play the "half" and "quarter" game and all that other antiquated silliness.
MiserableEase2348@reddit
More I believe it gets more confusing in other languages. If I remember my high school German 730 in Germany would be said “half acht” half way to eight.
CleverGirlRawr@reddit
Yes but I’m older. I still want my kids to recognize it, regardless of whether it’s common. We have an analog wall clock at home so it makes it easier to understand when they see it all the time.
BroCanWeGetLROTNOG@reddit
I only hear it from older folks
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
I don’t. I just say the time.
Zealousideal_Bad8434@reddit
I like to use it sometimes just to mess with people especially the younger generation.
AggressiveKing8314@reddit
Absolutely. Also quarter till and quarter past. Digital clock kids don’t like this.
avelineaurora@reddit
No, I don't know that I've ever said anything but #:30 in my life tbh.
heyitslola@reddit
Absolutely yes.
Franklinricard@reddit
Half past 230 = 245
Dear_Milk_4323@reddit
Older millennials and up say it. I’m Gen Z and I never say it. I say the exact time or close to it
SnooPineapples280@reddit
I’m in my 30’s too and rarely.
Peregrine79@reddit
I think these are somewhat outdated, partly because we're mostly reading time off digital clocks/devices. So we're less likely to round the time at all. A quick glance at a dial watch doesn't resolve to the minute (Yes, depending on the markings it's easy to read to the minute, but it's not automatic). A quick glance at a digital display does. So giving a quarter hour based time takes more effort (rounding) than giving the exact.
Intrepid_Table_8593@reddit
Only time I’ve used it after graduation is teaching my kids what it means and reinforcing it.
However everyone I work with uses it almost exclusively to refer to the corresponding times.
animeistheog@reddit
I hear quarter to the most. Like it’s quarter to four. Except it sounds more like quarter ta four.
Enchant23@reddit
Nope never, I think it's generational. Older people use it more.
DankItchins@reddit
I personally don't use it but it's common enough I don't blink when I hear it.
Patrizio_Argento@reddit
No, its stupid, just say 30
___HeyGFY___@reddit
I don't use it, but I know what it means.
Fluffy_Lavishness102@reddit
I usually don't with half but I do say quarter of or 10 of or after. But with half i usually say 30. But it's still normal around here either way. I'm in South Jersey btw.
pikkdogs@reddit
It’s an older way to say it, but I don’t see it as rare or anything.
nunyabizthewiz@reddit
No but I say “quarter till or quarter after”. My son hates it when I do that
No-Anteater1688@reddit
Sometimes.
TherianRose@reddit
Yes. Typically in reference to meetings, e.g. "I'm unavailable until half past." We also use the top/bottom of the hour during longer meetings, such as "we'll take a quick break until the bottom of the hour" or "I need to drop at the top of the hour"
Extension_Abroad6713@reddit
If I’m asked the time I say exactly what time it is
PlzHelpWanted@reddit
No. I'm from the Pacific Northwest for reference and 27. I do understand that all those phrases mean, but never in my life have I used them or heard anyone under the age of 35 use them.
qu33nof5pad35@reddit
I’ve never used that phrase.
Phog_of_War@reddit
Yes but only when I'm talking with people my age or older. Kids, even my wife who was 10 years younger than I was, don't understand quarter or half past.
Spiel_Foss@reddit
I would rate this archaic language at this point.
Even many people's grandparents never used this term, so outside of niche groups or television, many people would have never even heard the term as a reference to time.
yeetskeetleet@reddit
I think it’s an older person thing. My grandparents do it and it drives me crazy
crypticcamelion@reddit
Why would it drive you crazy, it's simple and logical... I Denmark we use half tree, two thirty and 15.30 as we like, I have never heard that it confuses anybody...
yeetskeetleet@reddit
That’s a whole different country and language though
I think the reason it frustrates me is the people that use “half past” and other similar wording don’t typically specify what time it’ll be half past
Like, my grandma will do this a lot. She’ll say something like “we’ll start fixin supper at quarter after”. Ok…quarter after what?
That’s the issue I have with it. There’s so many extra steps that need to be taken instead of just saying the actual time
PretendJournalist234@reddit
Just "half" like i'll meet you at half 7 is 7:30.
microbial_comedy@reddit
Not so much. I’m more likely to use quarter til or quarter after. No idea why!
sfdsquid@reddit
I use it sometimes. Other times I say it's 2:30. I don't know what criteria I have for which I use.
Emotional-Dog8118@reddit
Yes. And “a quarter to” as well.
she-dont-use-jellyyy@reddit
No
Redbubble89@reddit
My mother used it a lot along with quarter of and quarter to. People aren't learning time on clocks anymore that it seems to be used less.
ereignishorizont666@reddit
Quarter to and after, yes. Half, never.
Mysterious_Luck4674@reddit
It doesn’t sound uncommon to me, but I really never use it. I think if any of my friends used it I’d be a little surprised. I’m mid-40s, not sure if it’s age related thing.
nessthing@reddit
midwest US millenial here and my parents and grandparents say "half past" and "five of" to mean 30 minutes into the hour and 5 minutes until the next hour respectively but I've always found that vague and open to misinterpretation so I just say "three thirty" or "four fifty five"
semi related but I also don't say soda or pop to describe soft drinks, I say the actual name of the variety of soft drink, like "I want a Diet Coke." for similar vagueness/misinterpretation reasons
MammothReputation298@reddit
Gen X raised in NYC. For me, no. I don't think I ever did, and I think always saw it as old fashioned. I don't even think my parents or grandparents did but not sure.
For :15 and :45 clock times it's another story. I grew up saying "a quarter after" and "a quarter to" but I'm probably less likely to say that now. I think my mother sometimes said "a quarter till" and many older people when I was growing up said "a quarter of" (for :45). I don't think I ever said "a quarter past" but I think that's another older form for :15.
rynbaskets@reddit
I’m an English as a second language person and I learned to say “quarter to/past”. My SO, on the other had, says “quarter of” and confuses the heck out of me. And he’s from the Deep South.
CoachiusMaximus@reddit
Wait til you get to Europe and “half ten” means 10:30 in UK but 9:30 in Germany
ImNotWitty2019@reddit
No idea where it came from but we'd say, "Half past the monkey's ass; a quarter to his balls." Nothing to do with time really though lol
EvaisAchu@reddit
I haven't ever actually heard this said in person. Only in TV/Film.
I know what it means but won't use it. I am in my late 20s so curious if there is a generational divide there.
ratchetcoutoure@reddit
Maybe some of the older folks from certain US region, not all, also, younger people, especially, won't usually talk like that, though they could. Digital clocks change habits, and we believe saying four thirty, (4:30), is clearer and easier than half past four.
RIPdon_sutton@reddit
Yup. Too bad my digital kinds can’t handle my analog ass.
RageDeemz@reddit
Not half past, but I do use quarter, ten, and five til/after
Winter_Bear_1707@reddit
30s in California. “Half past” might be uncommon but is known. If it gets used, nobody bats an eye.
On a separate note, I’ve been saying “noon 30” lately and it’s been driving my partner crazy 😊
TheRainbowWillow@reddit
20s, living in the PNW.
I almost never use it! It seems like something the generations before mine do a lot more.
CorrectCondition9458@reddit
Use both half past/before and quarter past/. before. Live in Maryland. Grew up in northern va. In my sixties.
LemonBerryCake@reddit
I know what it means but I don’t regularly use it
More-Detail9569@reddit
Also in my 30's and I use it often.
riptor3000@reddit
I don't, since I've just never understood the benefit of saying it this way over saying 2:30 or whatever
cfa_solo@reddit
Not really, it's usually something that the older generations use. At least on the west coast it is
raulmonteblanco@reddit
Agreed. My silent gen parents said the time like this but I don't ever hear anyone under the age of 50 doing it.
TheJeff@reddit
I know what it means, but never use it.
The one I use regularly is "top/bottom of the hour". I regularly work with folks in different time zones and thats an easy way to set a meeting within the next hour without the grief of calling out a specific time zone.
Vandal_A@reddit
It is common. So much so I'm surprised this is coming from another American. I was expecting it to be about how Brits just say "half ___" instead of "half past"
NatsFan8447@reddit
Very rarely. Most fellow Americans that I know would much more likely say "10:30," for example.
Common_Wrongdoer3251@reddit
I'll know what it means but it might take me a second to decipher it. I just say "two thirty" or whatever. The one that always confuses me is "10 of 5". Like, does that mean 5:10? Or 4:50? I assume the former but Idk. Just say the time.
Casehead@reddit
It's very common... I'm on the west coast
Solid_Reserve_5941@reddit
I only hear it among older generations here
AcadiaRemarkable6992@reddit
I will say “quarter past/quarter to” for the :15 and “_:30” for when it’s half past
Dramatic_Twist_8693@reddit
I use half past and a quarter till.
burlingk@reddit
It's used extensively.
AssSpelunkingAtheist@reddit
I have, I’ve also said “about a quarter after 8” and “ten of”, but more often than not I’ll just say the actual time.
missmeatloafthief@reddit
Very rarely. I usually say “two thirty” but if I did say “half past” no one would think it was out of the ordinary
Sea_Macaron_7962@reddit
I’ve only heard that used alot in Ireland when I went on vacation. I grew up on the west coast of the States and the south and never hear it
revocer@reddit
It’s a regional and generational thing.
DragonScrivner@reddit
I do, yes. 'Half past two', 'quarter past six', 'quarter to eight', etc.
I was told by a person from Michigan that "Americans don't speak that way". Like okay lol
I do also say 'two-thirty', however.
Ill-Secretary8386@reddit
Sometimes
alphaturducken@reddit
I just say the numbers.
2:30 12:45 6:10
You're asking me for the time, not a second grade math problem.
Yeahboyeah@reddit
Probably something my Dad said. He was born in the 1920s. Say "quarter till/quarter past." Keep in mind clocks were analog decades ago. Once digital was common is it was 9:53, that's the time we said.
yurinator71@reddit
Only if followed by "the monkey's ass"
redmambo_no6@reddit
Wait until your hear how the Brits use half past
wapera@reddit
I have never heard “half” until I met Irish and British people who say stuff like “half nine” to mean what I know as 9:30.
But I do use quarter til-quarter pas to signify a 15 minute increment. So
QV79Y@reddit
Sometimes.
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
No, I say whatever :30
IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit
Yes, but I’m GenX. I don’t think younger people do. When I lived in England they said “half-seven” which confused me. Did they mean 6:30 or 7:30? (They meant 7:30.)
shammy_dammy@reddit
Yes.
bill_ashcraft@reddit
I occasionally use the “bottom of the hour”
NS_8099@reddit
I know what it means but rarely use it.
Only_Presentation758@reddit
I guess I haven’t heard it that much. I say the specific minutes except I do say “quarter til,” that’s the only one. Just spoke it out loud & it sounds like “quarta ta”: “It’s a quartata two.” “We’re leaving at aquartata two.”
StinkieBritches@reddit
I only say half past if I’m following it up with a monkey’s ass.
Ok_Two_2604@reddit
I used to. Then I dated someone who didn’t understand fractions. She got really mad one day and said I was an a-hole for using fractions bc she would have to show up places early and wait bc she didn’t know what time I meant.
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
I always thought phrases like that were more literary than useful in real life. I never say them, but know what they mean.
Somewhat related is when people say “I’m down a quarter tank” when they have three quarters of a tank of gas. It’s sort of annoying and can lead to confusion if someone mishears and thinks you said “I’ve down to a quarter tank.”
Just say 12:30 or 3/4 a tank dude.
PghSubie@reddit
I do use it usually, . But, I probably use "quarter after" or "quarter till" more often
Jaymac720@reddit
Not that often. Frankly, I don’t tell people the time that often
cisforcookie2112@reddit
Yes but it depends on the context and flow of the conversation.
RockShowSparky@reddit
I prefer the British “half one, half two” I also prefer “midday” to noon.
But in the US, most people say “one-thirty, two-thirty”. Still I agree you should know what “half past” means.
Okokokok1995@reddit
Half past the monkey's ass and quarter to his balls
ATLien_3000@reddit
And you've never heard half past?
Whose the carpetbagger? You? Or your parents?
I assume you're in Atlanta or somewhere else full of transplants?
HonestNectarine7080@reddit (OP)
I knew I should have specified this in my post. Yes, I've heard of it and know what it means. But I have not heard it often.
ATLien_3000@reddit
None of that changes the thrust of my answer.
Porschenut914@reddit
it isn't an excuse, because its used in the north too,
kungfusexy@reddit
I feel phrases such as these are diminishing in use with the advent of digital watches, especially when added to smartphones. In my experience, it’s way more common to say/hear the exact time down to the minute nowadays. I mainly hear older generations use the phrases
TillikumWasFramed@reddit
No. I only use quarter to and quarter after. I don't like the halves. "Half of" is the worst.
JazzyJeff58@reddit
Sometimes.
Wink527@reddit
I’ve only heard it as “half past a monkey's ass, and a quarter to his balls.”
sneezhousing@reddit
Gen X very common for me and my gen
Half pass
Quarter till ___ to mean _:45
Coidzor@reddit
Yeah, sometimes. I don't believe it's my preferred vernacular, but I've certainly used it at least once in the past 5 years.
1Negative_Person@reddit
Yes.
Illustrious-Owl-2755@reddit
I thing the reason it started disappearing is digital watches/smartphones/etc. On an watchface, you literally see that the short arm has passed the number two. When you see the actual number, it's more natural to just read them: "two-thirty".
ScienceJamie76@reddit
Never heard it here in the Southwest
Responsible_Tax_998@reddit
Yes. But not always. I seem to be inconsistent.
Gen X
Sco_Queen@reddit
Yes
No-Lunch4249@reddit
Yes but I think as more people rely on digital watches or their phones for time its more common to just say the exact time to the minute. Phrases like Half Past or Quarter Past are definitely becoming less common
"Quarter of" still confuses me, it feels so counterintuitive. So I just say Quarter till or Quarter past
RektInTheHed@reddit
"a monkey's ass"
MissFabulina@reddit
Completely normal. Used often. North east (live now) & mid Atlantic (grew up).
theshadow107@reddit
I'd argue most people who the digital clock is what they've used most of their life just say the exact time. I doubt anyone under 20 says it anymore and probably most people under 30 don't either.
Longjumping_Ant7025@reddit
I feel like I only use when rounding to x:30. For example " It's like half past 3." When it's 3:26.
Kevin7650@reddit
No. I know what it means obviously and wouldn’t bat an eye if someone said it but I just say the hour and minute.
Agitated-Sock3168@reddit
I usually just state the time...the exception being that I sometimes use quarter to (never past)
Louisianimal09@reddit
Yeah my dad uses fractions for time almost exclusively
Mamapalooza@reddit
Sometimes, but my 21-year-old thinks it's weird and old-fashioned, lol. "JUST SAY THE TIME!"
So, obviously, I never say the time anymore, lol.
"What time is it?" "One-sixth past." "MOM!" "It's 3:10."
nottheonlyone709@reddit
Only if im talking to an older person. I know the idiots of my generation and below would be stumped.
CockroachNo2540@reddit
Yes. And quarters.
el_butt@reddit
I prefer half after and three quarter til
mustang6172@reddit
Depends on if the clock I'm using is analog or digital.
WebComprehensive838@reddit
It’s normal. Everyone knows what it means even if they don’t use it personally
MrLongWalk@reddit
Yeah it’s very common in my area