Comments on: A family-dividing issue

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:22:33 +0000

Not only is “twenty-ten” the correct pronounciation, but your son is also a good little man for standing by his father – regardless of the ‘correct’ position.

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:43:59 +0000

It is a gender issue. two-thousand-ten is 25% more syllables as twenty ten. Women just like to talk more than men.

Or, perhaps men are just lazy. Whatever the reason “twenty-ten” is the proper form of pronouncing 2010.

By: gretchen

gretchen — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:27:03 +0000

Not to betray my sex or anything, but being pathologically lazy, I think ‘twenty-ten’ is just easier to say. Sorry, Suzan.

By: dancingcrane

dancingcrane — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:21:26 +0000

Well, I’ve seen/heard it both ways, but look at our normal naming conventions, which have been messed up a bit by moving out of the ‘teens.

When we look at history, do we say this country was founded in “One thousand, seven hundred seventy-six”, “Seventeen hundred seventy-six”, or “Seventeen seventy-six”? I’ve seen the third everywhere, the second in old documents, and songs that needed the extra syllables to scan well, but I have never seen the first anywhere.

However, what have we called 2000-2009? Have you ever heard “Twenty-oh-oh” ? Did you ever hear “Twenty-oh-nine”? I’ve never heard anything but “Two thousand” “Two thousand one”, “Two thousand nine”. Yet, now that we are into double digits, I guarantee you we will hear “Twenty-ten” and twenty-everything else. That’s what we called “2010″, the sequel to the movie “2001″ (which we pronounced “two thousand one”, right?).

So, I stand squarely and forthrightly – with one shoe in both camps. XD