Thursday, April 19, 2007

Fifteen after by nine

I am noticing more people with oddball sayings. Does that mean our society, once fairly homogeneous is starting to diversify itself? As a biologist, I would say this is survival of the fittest... a "fit" society is more diverse. That way, one single "extinction event" doesn't devastate the whole lot of us.


But does this apply to the English language?

Today I heard another saying.

In my TAKS test room, my assistant proctor told me the time.

"It's fifteen after by nine", she said. (She is from Weatherford, Texas --- birthplace of J.R Ewing himself..... Larry Hagman)

I thought, "w.t.f. ??".

Then I looked at her watch, (she was holding it out to me to view) and it said "8:15" plain and clear.

I said to her, "It's 8:15". She replied, "yes".

So here goes another POLL.
1) have you heard this way of telling time?
2) do you use this way of telling time?
Please comment with your response.... and THIS time, leave your first name.
I will also send this out to my email people, as not everyone has grasped on to the blog idea.

Later gators!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Boy Howdy, that's a reel lalapalooza! I guarantee you.
I ain't never herd that wun afore!
Shuks!

OKRA ED said...

"15 after" or "15 by," never both. And if'n it were "15 by" I would assume Weatherford, New Zealand.