What Time It Is?
Why you axe?
One of my colleagues is working on a new text book, and he's consulted me on US vs UK English usage.
So here's the question:
If the time is 6:45, what do you say?
quarter to?
quarter till?
quarter of?
I normally say "quarter to" or "ten to" (if it's 6:50), but "quarter till / ten till" sounds reasonable as well.
He says he's heard many Americans say "quarter of", which doesn't sound incorrect, it's just not the first thing that rolls off my tongue.
I reckon it's a regional thing in the US, like the soda vs. pop vs. coke discussion that's poppped up in various debates over the years.
Let me know in the comments ... what do you say, and where are you from?
And let's not limit this to a US/UK thing. All you Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders ... heck, everybody ... weigh in as well!
ESL