Why do Americans say "a quarter of" while everyone else says "a quarter to"?

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In regard to telling the time, that is. How can it be "a quarter of" an hour that hasn't arrived yet? Why on earth doesn't "a quarter of twelve" mean 12:15? This makes NO SENSE and I'm telling you it drives me bananas.

― antexit (antexit), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

erm.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"A Quarter of Twelve" = 3 o clock.

WOuldn't it be "A quarter off twelve"?

Also, in germany it's Half Six i.e. 5:30

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

This is a regional thing in the US; many of us do say "a quarter to three". I remember trying to get used to "a quarter of" when I first encountered it as a kid.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that might be an East Coast thing.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

two forty-five.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Americans use both "quarter to" and "quarter of." We also use "till." We're rugged individualists.

― Nemo (JND), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"quarter of" is to "quarter of an hour until"
as
"wooster" is to "worchestershireville"

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 4 March 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

People who say a quarter of are SUCKERS.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I have NEVER heard anyone say "a quarter of"!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I guess it must be regional, Dan. People say it all the time here in New York.
Finally a viable answer from Dave225. I embrace you, sir.

― antexit (antexit), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan, I have, but they weren't talking about the time...

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Really though, this is such a gym teacher / football coach sort've thing to do.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I have never heard that either, except as in "I'll be there in a quarter of an hour".

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

We say a quarter 'til or a quarter after in my neck of America.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, what roxymuzak said.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Quarter to" and "quarter after" or "quarter past."

― kirsten (kirsten), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

We say "quarter ta" or "quarter uh"
and
"quarter after"

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 4 March 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Sad to say, many people in the U.S. of A. say "a quarter of three" instead of "a quarter till three" or "a quarter to three" or even "a quarter before three" These are probably the evil people who also say "I'm standing on line" or "which line are you on?" instead of correctly saying "Which line are you in?" "I'm standing in line." People say the darndest things. It's regional. And some regional usages are just plain evil.

― Skottie, Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT?! I've never heard anyone refer to standing ON line. I need to get out more.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Yup, people in NY/New England say "on line" to refer to queueing in addition to their internet connections. It's utterly vile.

― Skottie, Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it only Kentucky & West Virginia areas that skip "to be" verbs in sentences? Like, "The Camaro needs washed."

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

In Chicago, we say 'corder da', as in, 'it's a corder da five'. Or 'corder da fi' if you wanna be really, really old school.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it only Kentucky & West Virginia areas that skip "to be" verbs in sentences? Like, "The Camaro needs washed."
-- dave225 (adspac...), March 4th, 2004.

My Scottish roommate in Germany used to use that construction. She didn't have a camero, however. But she did have a bikini that she wore when her MG needed washed. And she was washing it, that is. And high heels. Great look.

― Skottie, Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Ungh! "on line" is without a doubt the most obnoxious, counterintuitive regionalism ever. Quarter of always seems quaint though. Wasn't it mentioned recently on another thread? and someone had a perfectly good explanation of its being an archaic usage or something?

― mouse, Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't use it, but "on line" doesn't sound that weird. I mean, imagine the line drawn between everyone's feet, and you're on that line.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Certain Americans (New Yorkers, for instance) say "on line" to reflect the fact that, although we are subject to the affront of waiting, we have exercised our free will in choosing to wait, which should in no way represent a willingness to be subsumed "in" anything so plebeian as a line. The phrase "on line" should be spoken in a huff of preoccupied self-regard, accompanied by a roll of the eyes. "Get me"?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 4 March 2004 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha "on line" makes me think of pledging a frat.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 March 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it only Kentucky & West Virginia areas that skip "to be" verbs in sentences? Like, "The Camaro needs washed."

-- dave225 (adspac...), March 4th, 2004.

My girlfriend does that...only person I've ever heard do it. I figured it was a Canadian thing, but she's lived in Scotland too, so seeing Skottie's post perhaps it's a Scottish thing.

― winterland, Thursday, 4 March 2004 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

kerry otm

― !!!! (amateurist), Thursday, 4 March 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I have NEVER heard anyone say "a quarter of"!

Me neither, so this seems like a bizarre accusation.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Thursday, 4 March 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never heard it either, and I live in the supposed hotbed of this sort of inappropriate speech tic.

― Allyzay, Thursday, 4 March 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard it, though mostly when in New England.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 4 March 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

i always say a quarter of. and I think 'on line' is also a british thing, no?

anyway, who gives a fuck. ..

― Viva La Sam (thatgirl), Thursday, 4 March 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

On line is decidedly not a British thing.

Sam otherwise OTM.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 4 March 2004 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Brits are in a queue, not a line anyway.

― winterland, Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard 'quarter of' out here plenty of times. I can only conclude that everyone who hears differently in America is in fact a resident alien and should be persecuted.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

ned otm. ready the boxcars.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"On line" is definitely a Northeast thing, and I think the best explanation for it is similar to what was previously said: saying you are "on" the line makes the line a separate entity from you, you are an individual on this invisible horrible line waiting, whereas being "in" the line makes you part of the mass. Psychological one upmanship towards the stupid bastard long line at the DMV.

― Allyzay, Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

we say 'waiting at line' down here!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

ok i made that up

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

In glasgow, they say 'waiting-a-line'.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 March 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I nearly always miss out the "to be" out of sentences that would generally require them (it's a Scottish thing).

Makes Shakespeare recitations somewhat incomprehensible though.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 4 March 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Not!

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 March 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The only instance where it's appropriate to leave out the "to be" is:
"How would you like smacked?"

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 4 March 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

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