Thread: Couple of questions

To quote Merriam Webster...

Aught (noun)
Etymology: alteration (resulting from false division of a naught) of naught

I've not heard aught used with dates. I've always said, "nineteen-o-nine" etc. (like with clock time, "nine o'clock"). I have heard it with gun callibur before, so I'll agree with you on that. Although keep in mind that I'm from the Southern US, so "aught" might be acceptable with dates up north or out west, I don't know.

I think the whole US uses the "oh" when referring to a specific year; we were looking mainly at words to use when referring to the first decade of a given century.

Also it it possible to say "I was born in nineteen six", without "aught" or "oh" or ""hundred and" .

Not really, no. If someone ever said "nineteen-six" to me, I would look at them funny for a second, and then correct them.

If you attempted to correct this person you would only be showing your ignorance and lack of command of the English language. Just because, in your limited experience in your own language that you have never heard this before, doesn't mean that this construction is not used by others and the elderly or is even incorrect.

For those keeping score at home, DDT is right and I am wrong.

*chalks one up for DDT*

1900's- nineteen hundreds
1800's- eighteen hundreds
usually when you're speaking about 1900-1919 you refer to the "turn of the century" or "early nineteen hundreds"
never "nineteen tens"

"Nineteen tens" is acceptable.