I should made a bigger fuss about this 7 years ago, but I have been disappointed that we haven't been referring to this decade by saying things like, "I graduated in ought-4" or "My nephew was born back in ought-2". I mean, come on people! Only once every 90 years do have an opportunity to talk like this! 🙂 Maybe it will come into effect more AFTER this decade is over?--Like maybe people are waiting for it to be farther in the past before they start saying things like, "Back when Pluto was a planet, in ought-6, we walked to school in the snow, uphill both ways..."
Andyman,
Why only go part way? Call it "double-ought-9". We only get to do that every 990 years. :-/
In fact, I have been doing that since "triple-ought" (AKA Y2K). I happen to think that the James Bond franchise really missed the boat last year, '007.
Emmett
LOL. I never heard it put quite that way, guys. Time to start a campaign.
I prefer the word naughties for the zero decade (naught = zero), and I've been so disappointed that it didn't catch on. We'd have naught eight and naught nine. Catchy, isn't it? But this late in the decade it's a moot point. They ought to call it naught!
While there is a verb form for "ought", it also has two noun forms. Here is the entry from the OED for the second one:
" A nought, zero, cipher. Freq. in oughts and crosses n. = NOUGHTS AND CROSSES n. Also fig.
The text of Ritson's Caledonian Muse (see quot. 1821) was first printed in 1785 but the whole impression was destroyed by fire.
1821 J. RITSON Caledonian Muse 175 For suredly, an owght I were To bede her taunte or cheke. "
BTW, it will be a long time before it is too late; I'll be 100 years old in ought-55. :-\
Emmett