Keeping It Short 6

[Dimandja]

One thing that struck me about (at least) American english, is the propensity to shorten everything.

September 11 is known as nine eleven.

There many other and better examples out there.

 

[Zathras]

Perhaps it's just the faster pace of our times. For example, I have never heard anyone refer to December 7th (1941) as twelve seven.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I have to wonder in the specific example you gave, that September 11 (the date) and Nine Eleven (the event) are not treated as two separate things.

Further confusing that distinction, or perhaps helping to understand why that phrase was so easily adopted, was that the phrase "nine eleven" was already in the vernacular, long before 09/11/2001, representing the emergency call number system (911), which has nothing to do with either the date, nor the infamous event.

That being said, I'll bet that the 911 call system fielded hundreds of calls on 9/11/01 about nine eleven.

Good Luck
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[CajunCenturion]

I too have never heard of 12/07/1941 referred to as "twelve seven", but that may be because it has already be named "Pearl Harbor Day."

Good Luck
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To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
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[CasperTFG]

What about D-Day. It has nothing to do with the date... I think 9/11 was just more catchy... Sounds better then S Day or Twin Towers Day... It was just a Media push that got 9/11 to mean the day The towers were attacked. Nothing more.


Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[Dimandja]

I have to wonder in the specific example you gave, that September 11 (the date) and Nine Eleven (the event) are not treated as two separate things.

People often say "on nine eleven", indicating the infamous date (September 11). As for the emergency number, I have not heard of it being referred to as "nine eleven", it's always nine one one.

 

[CajunCenturion]

You are correct. D-Day has nothing to do with the date (06/06/1944), but rather has to do with the generic phrase "Day of the Operation."

It was standard practice within the Army when planning future operations to refer to the date and time of operation as d-day and h-hour long before the actual day and hour of operation were chosen. In this particular case, I would guess that the historical significance of that operation turned d-day the generic noun into D-Day the proper noun.

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[CajunCenturion]

I can remember in early phases of the 911 implementation a good joke that was going around.

Someone called into a radio station saying they thought the 911 system was a wonderful idea, but that she didn't have an eleven on her phone, so what should she do?

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[CasperTFG]

LOL...

Reminds me of "I can't find the [Any] Key."

Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[LTeeple]

When I worked in tech support, I had a client that didn't understand the term 'My Documents'. When I was speaking with her on the phone, and I used that term, she became irritable and asked "What are your documents doing on MY computer!??!"

Needless to say, it was difficult to not laugh.


Cheers!
Laura

 

[CajunCenturion]

People often say "on nine eleven", indicating the infamous date (September 11).

Perhaps this is really splitting hairs, but I don't think that when people say "on nine eleven", that they are referring to the date. I think they are referring to the events that took place on that day. I feel that "Nine Eleven" is a symbolic reference to what happened, not when it happened.

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[AnotherHiggins]

I think Zathras really hit on something.

I can only imagine the amount of time that was spent reporting on the Pearl Harbor attack in the days following it. (Maybe some members older than myself can help put that in perspective.) But I think the phrase nine eleven in particular came about as a result of the media. They like to have nice, quick sound bites.

I don't think that the reason Dec. 7 is not known as twelve seven has anything to do with it already having a name. I think it's because in 1941 there weren't 300 cable news channels competing for our attention with flashy graphics and custom theme songs composed for each new war.

I personally think of the phrases nine eleven and September 11th as being interchangeable. If you walk up to any person on any street in any city in America and mention "September 11th," no one is going to ask, "What year?" Every single person is going to know what you mean. Cajun, I think we agree that the phrase nine eleven is a symbolic reference, but I would argue that September 11th is used the same way. It denotes both the events AND (by the very nature of the name we use to describe it) the date.

[feeble attempt to get back to the original topic of this thread]
I think people are lazy. Just look around at all the acronyms/initialisms we use daily. Who has time to actually say, "I need that as soon as possible"? That would take an extra second to get out of your mouth!
[/feeble attempt to get back to the original topic of this thread]

 

[Grenage]

I myself was always under the assumption it was named so due to the day/month it occurred and that it also matched the emergency services number.

To answer the original question:

I think it is just because it is quicker or more efficient, in much the same way we use acronyms.

 

[Dimandja]

In NY City, a building manager or superintendant is always referred to as the super. I can't imagine taking such shortening liberties in french.

 

[ESquared]

You've hit one of my pet peeves. I hate reference to September 11, 2001 as Nine Eleven. Call it the terrorist attacks or something. I don't know, have a nationwide brainstorming session to invent a name. But don't ruin the name of a perfectly good day of the year!

For that matter, I dislike the phrase "The War On Terror." The enemy is not terror (an emotion), nor is it terrorism (an abstract), but terrorists.

I would call it "The War On Terrorists."

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[sleipnir214]

ESquared:
Remember our debate on consensus? I think you're fighting an uphill battle over this one.


Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[ESquared]

How could I forget it?

I am not really interested fighting a battle over these with anyone. I will simply continue to hate their usage and do my best to avoid them, myself. When I find someone who is interested, I'll mention it. Otherwise, I'll go merrily on my way... honestly happier to woefully resist than to be blissfully assimilated.

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[entaroadun]

You sound like my girlfriend. She still can't get over the fact that Americans use the spelling gray instead of the British spelling grey. She will not be assimilated.

 

[jrbarnett]

Even in the UK, the events of 11th September 2001 are referred to as 9/11. Here in the UK, the general emergency telephone number is 999 and the date format is day month year, so 9/11 is 9th November.
Since then, however, use of the American format dates (not just relating to this event) has become far more commonplace in the UK than it was prior to then.

John

 

[Katy44]

As has the term "twenny four seven" to imply continual service.