Stupid question about midnight

IXIswamperIXI · August 29, 2012, 11:15:09 PM

Of course we know midnight is every night, but when is Friday midnight? Thur/Fri or Fri/Sat? Now I'm asking technically not what someone is implying.

SMP63 · August 30, 2012, 12:45:34 AM

It would be Fri/Sat.

IXIswamperIXI · August 30, 2012, 01:41:09 AM

Was thinking thur 11:59:59 rolls to 12:00:00 would officially be Friday and fri 11:59:59 rolls to 12:00:00 then it's sat. Was wondering if Friday night midnight is different than Friday midnight. LOL I'm talking myself in circles.

SMP63 · August 30, 2012, 09:00:11 AM

Thur. midnight rolls into Fri. morning!!!!!! 11:59:59"PM" into 12:00:10 "AM"

svtbolt04 · August 30, 2012, 02:17:51 PM

where is the line between night, midnight and morning

IXIswamperIXI · August 30, 2012, 04:01:06 PM

isnt it Thur night 11:59:59PM , midnight 12:00:00 , Friday morning 12:00:01AM

IXIswamperIXI · August 30, 2012, 04:07:10 PM

Kinda agree with this guy:

By most definitions, the date changes at midnight. That is, at the precise stroke of 12:00:00. That time, along with 12:00:00 noon, are technically neither AM or PM because AM and PM mean "ante-meridiem" and "post-meridiem", and noon and midnight are neither ante- nor post- meridiem. However, for convenience, most people lump the 12:00:00 time with its nearest neighbour, 12:00:01, which IS AM or PM.

Since the date changes at the stroke of midnight, there is always ambiguity about which date you refer to. Midnight on the 10th technically means at the start of the 10th, but when most people speak they mean it to be at the end of the 10th.

If I said "I'll meet you Friday at midnight" or "I'll meet you Friday night at midnight" you (and most people) would probably interpret both times as the midnight that follows Friday noon. However, there are cases where the first sentence really means "the midnight at the start of Friday".

Since the common usage conflicts with the technical definition, if you want to be totally clear, use other words or other times.

Friday night at midnight

probably will always be interpreted as "Midnight in the night which follows Friday evening".

Midnight tonight

This means (to me) the midnight following today.

11:59 PM Friday

12:01 AM Saturday

These are totally unambiguous.

svtbolt04 · September 01, 2012, 12:48:01 AM

I can follow that. Time is funny.

SMP63 · September 01, 2012, 12:15:14 PM

Quote from: IXIswamperIXI on August 30, 2012, 04:07:10 PM
If I said "I'll meet you Friday at midnight" or "I'll meet you Friday night at midnight" you (and most people) would probably interpret both times as the midnight that follows Friday noon. However, there are cases where the first sentence really means "the midnight at the start of Friday".

I for one have never heard of any cases where this becomes a problem. If anybody tells me to meet them Friday @ midnight & they show up Thursday night @ 11:59 pm they will be there by themselves!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!

IXIswamperIXI · September 01, 2012, 10:14:06 PM

LOL