Steve's Grammatical Observations: Twenty Ten or Two Thousand Ten?

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If we start saying "Twenty Ten", do we also start saying "Twenty Oh Nine"?
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songs are, in order, "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis, "I Remember" by Deadmau5 + Kaskade, and "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga.
file conversion: via Compressor for Web LAN Streaming
file name: 2010 Copy 2-sgo_2010-H.264 LAN Streaming.mov

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• 2010
• twenty ten
• two thousand ten
• millenium
• 3rd
• two mil ten
• two thousand and ten
• english
• language
• grammar
• pronunciation

[0StrangeRover]

Your argument is compelling, but how does your plea for us to not be standardized line up with your fetish for 'correct' grammar? Hey, I'm a grammar nerd too, but we have to realize that 'proper' grammar is the fossilization of the speech of the ruling class. Good grammar carries prestige, while street grammar's prestige would be called 'cred' and would not be much help in getting an office job. Jus' sayin'.

[Plomomedia]

@0StrangeRover you're absolutely right.

[lunchboxboy]

The last clip seemed like the one discussing the most. Think about it, you think people will keep saying "two-thousand...thirty-four" or whatever? no, people are gonna start saying "twenty-thirty-four" just because of how much easier to say. eventually, people will start referring to 2001-2009 as the last guy in the clip did even though thats not what we did in the past.

[aleciahh]

This made me think... reeeally hard.

I, myself, am a grammar nazi annnd I find your videos uber helpful in my quest for grammatical domination! =D

[josh1422]

It's two THOUSAND and eleven

[MiniGeek31337]

JeremyJahns! Yay!

[jeflip942]

wow, a news clip from my hometown of Springfield Mo, that was unexpected ...

[SonofMrPeanut]

I tend to think in terms of syllables or the flow of the word. As far as the last decade was concerned, the "o" took way too much effort in comparison to two-thousand-whatever. With the extra zero gone, there's something rhythmic about twenty-ten that two-thousand ten just doesn't capture. That's the way I see it, and that's why I use it.

Beside that, I think memories of Sealab 2020/21 will affect that year.

[lifeofanidiot]

@0StrangeRover It's only compelling because he has a four chord song in the background.

[frazzymcgee]

Two thousand AND ten if you're using that one

[MiniGeek31337]

Actually, I live in Tokyo and I hear more and more the words of "first decate" when people talk about 2001 up to 2010, "seconde decate" starting at 2011 etcetera.

But concerning the year as a whole, I never heard anything else than "two thouthand and schtuff..."

[countps]

I think you'll find that two thousand is related more to futuristic themes than twenty... In fact, the usage of two thousand seemed to come about because people were trying to convey something that seemed far off in the future. Two thousand is simply larger than twenty and sounded more futuristic in the 50's.

[LindaDulcinea]

I don't know a single person that says "Twenty Ten"... thank god for that.

[cthomer5000]

I'm now amazed that I managed to go the whole decade without realizing we'd transitioned the way we were saying years, only to revert back as soon as Twenty-Ten hit. Really quite interesting. Great stuff man.