Why is it that Americans refer to 24 hour time as military time? I understand that the military uses the 24hr format but I don’t understand why the general public would refer to it like that?

It makes it seem like it’s a foreign concept where as in a lot of countries it’s the norm.

  • 📛MavenEnglish
    7•1 year ago

    You’re not supposed to say “we meet at fifteen thirty”, you just say half past three or, in non-English languages sometimes “three in the afternoon”.

    Uh, why not? Absolutely you can say “half past 15 hours”, and plenty of places do.

    • MudMan
      2•1 year ago

      I have all my clocks and watches set to 24h like a normal person and I’ve never heard a human being say that out loud or said it myself.

      Outside of American movies featuring the military, I suppose, which answers the OP’s question.