What should we call this decade?

[Esmeralda]

Now that it's December '09, this decade is almost over. But what should we call it? Back in the 1900's, they called 1900-1909 the "aughts" or the "naughts", but that's just SOOO last millenium. When someone sees "'09", did anyone ever say "Aught Nine" or "Naught Nine"?

I've always said "Oh Nine" or "Two Hundred Nine". So does that make this decade the O's or the Hundreds?

What do you guys think? What should we call this decade?

[ghostrider]

If the Mayan Calendar is correct......THE END.

[Esmeralda]

hehehehe! You might very well be right about that...

[Clare]

I say "oh nine" too. There was a TV show on recently discussing the events of the past 9 years and they called this decade the "noughties".

[Esmeralda]

LOL, that's funny! But I hope to God that that's *not* what we call end up calling the decade. No one counts 0 as "Naught" or "Aught". *shudders at the thought*

Oh, I've gotta correct myself from earlier--I don't say "Two Hundred Nine"; I say "Two Thousand Nine". I'm still "voting" for the "Two Thousands".

BUT when I see (for example), December 2, '09, I still say, "December second oh-nine." So I wouldn't mind us calling them the "Oh's" either.

I remember thinking about this way back in 1999 and thinking about the whole big deal over Y2K and hoping we'd say "2Kty One", "2 Kty Two", so we'd call the decade the 2Kties, but I'm afraid that's not what happened.

[Hansemand]

Its rather easy actually, its: "The aughts"
Its an old term dating back to 1900-1909 when they were in the same problem as we are facing with 2000-2009 and they came up with that term back then.

2000 is: "aught zero"
2001 is: "aught one"
2002 is: "aught two" and so on.
And when you talk about all the years within the Millenium, its "The aughts".

Darn im glad that i once a while actually paid attention when we had history class back in the 80s ;D

[Esmeralda]

Did you read my original post, Hansemand? We all read about that in history class, too.

But that's my point. That's ANCIENT history! During this decade I have never heard ANYONE say Aught One, Aught Two. Like I said, that's SO last millenium! If I wrote today's date as "December 3, '09" would you truly read it as "December third Aught-nine?" the way I read "December 3, '99" as "December third Ninety-Nine" (hence the Nineties)? Or if it was written "3 December '09" would you read it as "Third December Aught-nine?" I sure wouldn't, which is why I don't think we should use such an old out-of-date arcade term.

No one considers a zero as an aught, the way history tells me the did in the 1900's, (they'd pronounce 101 as "one aught one" -- I'd pronounce it as "one oh one") so why should we go way back to that?

However, *sigh* with my luck, that probably is what we'll call it, tho, and I'll shudder each time I hear it.

[pixiesunbelle]

The Oh's.... that's how we all pronounce it lol

[*Sammi!*]

I agree with Clare... Iv heard it being called the Noughties various amounts of times...

Question is what would we call the next decade...?

[Esmeralda]

*shudder* Naughties are as bad as the Aughts. No one says "Naught One, Naught Two," anymore than they say "Aught One, Aught Two".

I'm with pixiesunbelles; the Ohs would make *so* much more sense.

Unfortunately, I've already heard people on the radio calling it the Aughts, so I have a hunch we're stuck with it. *shudder."

[Esmeralda]

Pardon the double-post, but I'm *very* happy. Twice this weekend I heard someone on the radio call this decade "The Two-Thousands". I'll take that without *any* problems! SOOOO much better than the Aughts or the Naughts or the Aughties or the Naughties. Prefer the "Ohs", but as a second choice...

[alyssa24]

The ' Oh Nine's'

[Esmeralda]

No, that would just be this year, not the entire decade. But I'm glad you like the idea of the "ohs".

[Esmeralda]

Well, we're now into 2011 and I've already heard people on the radio and TV calling this decade "The Teens", which is fine with me. I've also yet to hear *anyone* call it the "aughts" or the "naughts" (THANK GOD!!) and instead most of the time I hear it called "The Two Thousands". And that's perfect fine with me.