Similar case in point: “bimonthly” means “twice a month.” That makes sense.

But the definition for “bi-weekly” does not make sense.

What do you think?

  • Echo Dot
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    6 months ago

    It’s because of British English, and the fact that American English seems to have dropped a word which is caused confusion.

    Bi-weekly means two times a week.

    Fortnightly means every 2 weeks. But American English seems to have lost the word fortnightly, so there is this ambiguity now.

    • @set_secret
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      116 months ago

      thanks for the explanation, as an Australian reading this I had no idea what was going on cause bi-weekly means bi-weekly here and fortnight is every two weeks.

      Til Americans don’t have fortnights…

      • @Crashumbc
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        36 months ago

        They don’t have “scores” either at least anymore.

        • @Chriswild
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          6 months ago

          We do, we’re typically familiar with the concept it’s just not something we say. Kinda like how we know what autumn is but we just call it fall.

          It’s kinda weird but I’m sure you know the feeling with some words you know of but it’s kinda weird for people to use in a sentence.

        • @set_secret
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          06 months ago

          Don’t they have scores when lots of people die? The news here only ever uses scores when it’s referring to loss of life. like if a building collapsed. they’d say ‘scores of people were killed today etc…’