When Did "And" Become Part of Dates and Numbers? (Vanity)

[proudofthesouth]

Something that I've noticed alot recently is the use of the word "and" when speaking dates and numbers. Examples:

1. Two Thousand AND Six (2006)

2. One Hundred AND Ninety Five (195)

3. The address is Three Hundred AND Seven (307) ------ Street

4. The temperature in ------ is One Hundred AND Two (102) degrees.

5. The driver qualified at One Hundred AND Eighty Six (186) miles per hour.

I've noticed news, weather and sportscasters all using the "and" word with numbers.

When I went to school back in the 60's and 70's, my classmates and I were reprimanded when using "and" along with a number. When did this change? Is it now being taught this way in schools?

[ThomasThomas]

I think it was calligraphers trying to make a few extra bucks on wedding indentations. You also see it in those real fancy neighborhoods where they spell the address with letters instead of numbers. You get money for each letter.

When the media dose it.. well, like you want them to talk AND think at the same time.

[ml/nj]

All of the examples I could find in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales where he refers to a number between 21 and 29:

Wel nyne and twenty in a companye,
Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle

Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste.
His berd was wel bigonne for to springe;

Wher-as he saugh up-on a daunce go
Of ladies foure and twenty, and yet mo;

He coude spare of lechours oon or two,
To techen him to foure and twenty mo.

A! yif that covent half a quarter otes!
A! yif that frere a peny, and lat him go!

Can, in the space of o day naturel,
This is to seyn, in foure and twenty houres,

Which book spak muchel of the operaciouns,
Touchinge the eighte and twenty mansiouns

So lowe, that he nas nat, to my sighte,
Degreës nyne and twenty as in highte.

And ye schul heere good game · of yonge Gamelyn.
Four and twenty yonge men · that heelden hem ful bolde,

ML/NJ

[sully777]

Although I find humor in your vanity thread, I must admit that Yankees are not aware that "You all" when addressing a group is proper grammar while using "Y'all" when addressing an individual is merely an uneducated condescension. Further, the term "I reckon" and "I declare" show good breading while "Youz gonna" and "Yeah, whatareyougunnadoboutdat?" show bad breading.

I once lived north of the MD line, deep in the heart of Joisey.

[MozarkDawg]

Not to be nit-picky, but a personal pet peeve that I have is the misspelling of *a lot* when referring to a good quantity, many -- it's two words, not one.

[Tijeras_Slim]

That bugs me alot too.

[mtbopfuyn]

Nope? You knew me back in the 60's? That's very interesting.

[patton]

But that IS a decimal point - of sorts. It indicates the transition from base 20 to base 10 counting.

[sully777]

D'OH! "...good breading breeding..." (Hanging my head)

[BruceysMom]

It seems as if I've spent forever taking Business English, even though it was only two terms. It is improper to use "and" in a number unless it signifies a decimal point. Just like when we were in school in the 60s and 70s.

[supercat]

I think the "and" when speaking is syntactically more of an extra syllable for pronunciation than a conjunction. The number "110" should not (at least IMHO) be prounced "wun-hun-dreh-dten". Pronouncing the "d" on hundred cleanly would require adding an extra syllable; I think "wun-hun-dreh-dn-ten" probably flows better than "Wun-hun-dreh-de-ten". My guess would be that the "and" is a back formation from the pronunciation.

[nhoward14]

Que? No habla ingles. En espanol por favor. Gracias!

[supercat]

Continuing on that thought...

The mouth formation is the same for syllables ending with "nd", "nt", or with "d" or "t" without a preceding consonant. Breath timing distinguishes the different forms; the "d" and "t" forms are also often distinguished by the start of the next syllable, especially if it is stressed.

Consider the words "Ben", "beddin'", and "bettin'". Although one might sometimes briefly remove the tongue from the teeth for the "d" and "t" at the start of the second syllable of the latter two words, they may also be spoken distinguishably without doing so, using the exact same mouth formations as "Ben". This is also the same mouth formation as would be used for "bed" or "bet", though in the latter cases the toungue would come off the teeth for the "d" or "t".

The shift from "ed" to "eh-n" one is thus a logical evolution of speech practice.

[Millee]

OH!! If you're gonna find/correct your mistakes, how do you expect the rest of us to chastise you??? Next time just leave it. ;op

[Cyclopean Squid]

I remember, waaay back in the 20th century, the ooold timers spoke of "back in ought six" for 1906. Thought that was a wonderful way to refer to the preteen years.

I think it's spelled "aught". And I use the term frequently, as in "I don't have any money in the summer of aught-six."

[sully777]

Come on, I was expecting something. Please don't disappoint

[wizr]

Thanks. I used the spell check, I thought, but guess it didn't work.